CN116300875A

CN116300875A - Water line information acquisition method and device and swimming pool cleaning robot

Info

Publication number: CN116300875A
Application number: CN202310026006.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李成; 关守强; 王梦琦
Original assignee: Tianjin Wangyuan Intelligent Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Tianjin Wangyuan Intelligent Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2023-01-09
Filing date: 2023-01-09
Publication date: 2023-06-23

Abstract

The application discloses a water line information acquisition method and device and a swimming pool cleaning robot, and belongs to the technical field of robots. Through the technical scheme that this application embodiment provided, acquire the water line information through swimming pool cleaning robot's water line detection sensor, this water line information can represent the distance of this swimming pool cleaning robot and swimming pool's water line. Based on the water line information, a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line can be determined. Based on the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line, the swimming pool cleaning robot can be controlled, namely, the swimming pool cleaning robot can be continuously controlled by taking the water line as a reference, so that the water line can be identified.

Description

Water line information acquisition method and device and swimming pool cleaning robot

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a method and a device for acquiring water line information and a swimming pool cleaning robot.

Background

With the development of computer technology, robot technology has also rapidly developed, for example, users use a sweeping robot to clean the floor of a house, use a window cleaning robot to clean the windows of the house, use a pool cleaning robot to clean the pool, and the like.

When the swimming pool cleaning robot is used for cleaning the pool wall of the swimming pool, the water level line of the swimming pool is an important reference position, and how to identify the water level line is a research hot spot.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a water line information acquisition method, a water line information acquisition device and a swimming pool cleaning robot, which can acquire water line information and control the swimming pool cleaning robot based on the water line information, and the technical scheme is as follows:

in one aspect, a method for acquiring water line information is provided, where the method includes:

the method comprises the steps that water level line information is obtained through a water level line detection sensor of a swimming pool cleaning robot, the swimming pool cleaning robot moves on a pool wall or a pool bottom of a swimming pool, and the water level line information is used for indicating the relative positions of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level line;

determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information;

the pool cleaning robot is controlled based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In one possible embodiment, the acquiring the water line information by the water line detection sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot includes any one of the following:

Acquiring the water line information through a distance sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot;

acquiring the water level line information through a liquid depth sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot;

and acquiring the water level line information through a signal receiving sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

In one possible embodiment, the acquiring the water line information by the distance sensor of the pool cleaning robot includes:

sending a detection signal to the upper part or the lower part of the swimming pool cleaning robot through the distance sensor;

receiving a reflection signal corresponding to the detection signal, wherein the reflection signal is a part of the detection signal which is reflected after contacting the water level line;

determining the water line information based on the detection signal and the reflection signal, the water line information including any one of a propagation speed of the detection signal in water, and a time difference between transmission of the detection signal and reception of the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal.

In one possible embodiment, the determining the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information comprises:

A distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is determined based on any one of a time difference between transmitting the detection signal and receiving the reflected signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal, and a propagation speed of the detection signal in water.

acquiring an image above or below the pool cleaning robot by the distance sensor;

and carrying out image recognition on the image to obtain the water line information, wherein the water line information comprises the position of the water line in the image.

and performing coordinate transformation on the position of the water level line in the image by using a small-hole imaging principle, and determining the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level line.

In one possible embodiment, the acquiring the water line information by the liquid depth sensor of the pool cleaning robot includes:

Collecting pressure around the pool cleaning robot by the liquid depth sensor;

the water line information is determined based on pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot, the water line information including a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is determined based on a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible embodiment, the acquiring the water line information by the signal receiving sensor of the pool cleaning robot includes:

receiving, by the signal receiving sensor, a target signal, the signal strength of the target signal inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool;

and determining the water line information based on the target signal, wherein the water line information comprises the signal strength of the target signal.

A distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is determined based on a signal strength of the target signal.

In one possible embodiment, the controlling the pool cleaning robot based on the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line includes any one of:

controlling the pool cleaning robot to move to the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line;

and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move to a target position above or below the water level based on the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level.

In one possible embodiment, the controlling the pool cleaning robot to move to the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line includes:

controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move upwards or downwards based on the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line;

determining that the pool cleaning robot moves to the water line in case that the water line information re-detected by the water line detection sensor meets a target condition;

And controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

In one possible embodiment, the re-detection of the water line information by the water line detection sensor meets the target condition, which means any one of the following:

the re-detected water line information indicates that a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is less than or equal to a first distance threshold;

the re-detected water line information indicates that the pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot is less than or equal to a pressure threshold;

the re-detected water line information indicates that a signal strength of a received target signal is greater than or equal to a signal strength threshold, the signal strength of the target signal being inversely related to a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible embodiment, the controlling the pool cleaning robot to move to a target position above or below the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line comprises:

determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line;

controlling the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location;

Determining that the pool cleaning robot is moved to the target location if the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location is less than or equal to a second distance threshold;

and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus for acquiring water line information, the apparatus comprising:

the water level line information acquisition module is used for acquiring water level line information through a water level line detection sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the swimming pool cleaning robot moves on the pool wall or the pool bottom of the swimming pool, and the water level line information is used for indicating the relative positions of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level line;

a distance determination module for determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information;

and the control module is used for controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot based on the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level line.

In a possible implementation manner, the water line information acquisition module is configured to perform any one of the following:

In one possible implementation, the water line information acquisition module is used for sending a detection signal to the upper part or the lower part of the swimming pool cleaning robot through the distance sensor; receiving a reflection signal corresponding to the detection signal, wherein the reflection signal is a part of the detection signal which is reflected after contacting the water level line; determining the water line information based on the detection signal and the reflection signal, the water line information including any one of a propagation speed of the detection signal in water, and a time difference between transmission of the detection signal and reception of the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal.

In one possible embodiment, the distance determining module is configured to determine the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on any one of a time difference between sending the detection signal and receiving the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and a propagation speed of the detection signal in water.

In one possible embodiment, the water line information acquisition module is configured to acquire an image above or below the pool cleaning robot through the distance sensor; and carrying out image recognition on the image to obtain the water line information, wherein the water line information comprises the position of the water line in the image.

In one possible implementation, the distance determining module is configured to coordinate convert the position of the water line in the image by using a pinhole imaging principle, and determine the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In one possible embodiment, the water line information acquisition module is used for acquiring the pressure around the swimming pool cleaning robot through the liquid depth sensor; the water line information is determined based on pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot, the water line information including a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible embodiment, the distance determination module is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible embodiment, the water line information acquisition module is configured to receive a target signal via the signal receiving sensor, wherein a signal strength of the target signal is inversely related to a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool; and determining the water line information based on the target signal, wherein the water line information comprises the signal strength of the target signal.

In one possible embodiment, the distance determining module is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a signal strength of the target signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the control module is configured to perform any one of the following:

In one possible embodiment, the control module is configured to control the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line;

and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

In one possible embodiment, the control module is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line; controlling the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location; determining that the pool cleaning robot is moved to the target location if the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location is less than or equal to a second distance threshold; and controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

In one aspect, a pool cleaning robot is provided that includes a robot controller including one or more processors and one or more memories having at least one computer program stored therein, the computer program loaded and executed by the one or more processors to implement a method of acquiring the water line information.

In one aspect, a computer readable storage medium having at least one computer program stored therein is provided, the computer program being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method of obtaining the water line information.

In one aspect, a computer program product or a computer program is provided, the computer program product or computer program comprising a program code, the program code being stored in a computer readable storage medium, the program code being read from the computer readable storage medium by a processor of a robot controller, the processor executing the program code, causing the robot controller to perform the above-described method of acquiring the waterline information.

Through the technical scheme that this application embodiment provided, acquire the water line information through swimming pool cleaning robot's water line detection sensor, this water line information can represent the distance of this swimming pool cleaning robot and swimming pool's water line. Based on the water line information, a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line can be determined. Based on the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line, the swimming pool cleaning robot can be controlled, namely, the swimming pool cleaning robot can be continuously controlled by taking the water line as a reference, so that the water line can be identified.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following description will briefly explain the drawings needed in the description of the embodiments, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and that other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a pool cleaning robot on a pool wall of a pool provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a flowchart of a method for acquiring water line information according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a method for acquiring water line information according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for acquiring water line information according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a robot controller according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in this application are used to distinguish between identical or similar items that have substantially the same function and function, and it should be understood that there is no logical or chronological dependency between the "first," "second," and "nth" terms, nor is it limited to the number or order of execution.

Path planning: path planning is one of the main study contents of motion planning. The motion planning consists of path planning and track planning, the sequence points or curves connecting the start position and the end position are called paths, and the strategy for forming the paths is called path planning. In the embodiment of the application, the path planning performed on the swimming pool cleaning robot is that the cleaning path of the swimming pool cleaning robot is planned.

Swimming pool cleaning robot: a robot for cleaning a swimming pool, wherein cleaning the swimming pool comprises cleaning a bottom of the swimming pool and cleaning a pool wall of the swimming pool.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application can be applied to the scene of controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to clean the pool wall of the swimming pool, referring to fig. 1, the swimming pool cleaning robot 100 has the function of climbing the wall and can be attached to the pool wall 101 of the swimming pool. The pool cleaning robot 100 is capable of moving on the pool wall 101 of the pool under the control of a robot controller. For example, the swimming pool cleaning robot 100 can move upwards along the pool wall 101 of the swimming pool, can also move downwards along the pool wall 101 of the swimming pool, can move leftwards or rightwards along the pool wall 101 of the swimming pool, can also rotate on the pool wall 101 of the swimming pool, and the like, and the movement mode of the swimming pool cleaning robot on the pool wall 101 is not limited. In the present embodiment, the pool cleaning robot 100 is located below the water line 102 of the pool.

Alternatively, the pool cleaning robot may be further located at the bottom of the pool, so as to clean the bottom of the pool, and the location of the pool cleaning robot is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In the following, description is made of the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, and fig. 2 is a flowchart of a method for obtaining water line information provided in the embodiments of the present application, referring to fig. 2, taking an execution subject as an example of a robot controller, the method includes the following steps.

201. The robot controller obtains water line information through a water line detection sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the swimming pool cleaning robot moves on a pool wall or a pool bottom of the swimming pool, and the water line information is used for indicating the relative position of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Wherein, take this swimming pool cleaning robot to remove on the pool wall as an example, this swimming pool cleaning robot adsorbs on the pool wall of swimming pool, and this swimming pool cleaning robot can remove on the pool wall of this swimming pool. The swimming pool cleaning robot is provided with a water line detection sensor which is used for collecting information related to the water line of the swimming pool. The robot controller can acquire water line information through the water line detection sensor, and the water line information can reflect the relative position of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line. The water level line detection sensor can be arranged at different positions of the swimming pool cleaning robot according to different types, and is not described herein. The pool cleaning robot being located below the water line of the pool means that the pool cleaning robot is within the liquid of the pool.

202. The robot controller determines a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information.

Wherein, since the water line information can represent a relative position between the pool cleaning robot and the water line, the robot controller can further determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information.

203. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Wherein, the bottom of this swimming pool cleaning robot disposes the walking unit, and the robot controller can control this swimming pool cleaning robot and remove and rotate on the pool wall of this swimming pool through driving this walking unit. In step 203, the robot controller is capable of controlling the pool cleaning robot through the walking unit. Controlling the pool cleaning robot includes controlling the pool cleaning robot to move to a target location above or below the water line.

In some embodiments, the bottom of the pool cleaning robot is further configured with a cleaning unit by which cleaning of the pool walls of the pool can be achieved. In some embodiments, the cleaning unit comprises a roller brush, the cleaning of the tank wall being enabled by rotation of the roller brush. Alternatively, in the case where the cleaning unit does not include a roller brush, the pool cleaner filters and discharges pool water through an internal driving device and a filtering device to clean the pool wall. Of course, the cleaning unit may also include both a roller brush and a water jet, which is not limited in this embodiment.

In addition, the cleaning function of the swimming pool cleaning robot can be started or not in the moving process, and the cleaning function of the swimming pool cleaning robot is started in the moving process, so that the swimming pool cleaning robot can start the cleaning function in the moving process, and the passing position on the pool wall is cleaned.

It should be noted that, the foregoing steps 201 to 203 are a simple introduction of the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the following will be described in detail with reference to fig. 3 by referring to the following examples, and the method includes the following steps.

301. The robot controller obtains water line information through a water line detection sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the swimming pool cleaning robot moves on a pool wall or a pool bottom of the swimming pool, and the water line information is used for indicating the relative position of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line.

The above embodiments will be described below with respect to the water line detection sensor as a different cold sensor, and first, the water line detection sensor will be described as a distance sensor.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller obtains the water line information through a distance sensor of the pool cleaning robot.

Wherein the distance sensor is installed in front of or above the pool cleaning robot, wherein the front refers to a sidewall of the forward direction of the pool cleaning robot, and the upper refers to a top of the pool cleaning robot. Of course, in other possible embodiments, the distance sensor may be mounted at other locations of the pool cleaning robot, as the examples herein are not limited in this regard.

Under this kind of embodiment, the robot can directly acquire the distance between this swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line through this distance sensor to this swimming pool cleaning robot can be controlled based on this distance afterwards, the effect of controlling based on the distance is more directly perceived, and the rate of accuracy is higher.

As the name suggests, the distance sensor is used to measure the distance, in the present embodiment, i.e. the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line of the pool, i.e. the water line information. The distance sensor includes two types, the first type is a sensor that determines a distance by a propagation speed and a propagation time of a wave in water, and the second type is a sensor that determines a distance by an image, and the two types of sensors will be respectively exemplified as the distance sensor.

Example 1, a robot controller sends a detection signal to the pool cleaning robot above or below via the distance sensor. The robot controller receives a reflection signal corresponding to the detection signal, wherein the reflection signal is a part of the detection signal which is reflected after contacting the water level line. The robot controller determines the water line information based on the detection signal and the reflection signal, the water line information including any one of a propagation speed of the detection signal in water, a time difference between transmitting the detection signal and receiving the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal.

The distance sensor is any one of an optical distance sensor (an infrared sensor or a laser sensor), an acoustic distance sensor and a radar, and accordingly, the detection signal is at least one of light waves (infrared light or laser light), sound waves (ultrasonic waves) and radar signals. Of course, in other possible embodiments, the distance sensor may also be another type of TOF (Time of Flight) sensor, which is not limited in this embodiment. The distance sensor sending a detection signal to above or below the pool cleaning robot depending on whether the pool cleaning robot is above or below the water line, in which case the distance sensor sends a detection signal to above the pool cleaning robot; in the case where the pool cleaning robot is located above the water line, the distance sensor sends a detection signal to the underside of the pool cleaning robot. In some embodiments, determining whether the pool cleaning robot is above or below the water line may be accomplished by determining whether the pool cleaning robot is in water, in which case the pool cleaning robot is below the water line; in the case where the pool cleaning robot is located outside the water, the pool cleaning robot is located above the water line.

In one possible embodiment, taking the example that the pool cleaning robot is located below the water line, the robot controller adjusts the orientation of the pool cleaning robot so that the direction of signal emission from the distance sensor on the pool cleaning robot becomes upward along the pool wall. The robot controller transmits a detection signal transmission instruction to the distance sensor, the detection signal transmission instruction being used for instructing the distance sensor to transmit a detection signal. Alternatively, in the case where the signal transmission direction of the distance sensor can be adjusted, the robot controller can also transmit a direction adjustment instruction to the distance sensor for instructing the distance sensor to adjust the transmission direction of the detection signal upward along the pool wall. In the case where the distance sensor adjusts the transmission direction of the probe signal to be upward along the pool wall, the robot controller transmits a probe signal transmission instruction to the distance sensor, the probe signal transmission instruction being for instructing the distance sensor to transmit the probe signal. The distance sensor receives the probe signal transmission instruction, and in response to the probe signal transmission instruction, the distance sensor transmits a probe signal. The distance sensor receives a reflection signal corresponding to the detection signal, the reflection signal is a part of the detection signal which is reflected after contacting the water level line, the generation principle of the emission signal is that the water level line is the junction position of liquid and gas, under the condition that the detection signal reaches the water level line, one part of the reflection signal is refracted, and the other part of the reflection signal is reflected. The robot controller determines the water line information based on the detection signal and the detection signal, the water line information including any one of a time difference between transmission of the detection signal and reception of the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal.

Example 2, a robot controller captures images of the pool cleaning robot above or below through the distance sensor. And the robot controller performs image recognition on the image to obtain the water line information, wherein the water line information comprises the position of the water line in the image.

The distance sensor is a second type of sensor, and the distance sensor is a monocular camera or a binocular camera, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. As in example 1 above, the acquisition of images above or below the pool cleaning robot depends on whether the pool cleaning robot is above or below the water line.

In one possible embodiment, taking the example of the pool cleaning robot being located below the water line, the robot controller adjusts the orientation of the pool cleaning robot so that the image capture direction of the distance sensor on the pool cleaning robot becomes upward along the pool wall. The robot controller sends an image acquisition instruction to the distance sensor, wherein the image acquisition instruction is used for instructing the distance sensor to acquire an image. Alternatively, in the case where the image acquisition direction of the distance sensor is adjustable, the robot controller may also send a direction adjustment instruction to the distance sensor for instructing the distance sensor to adjust the image acquisition direction upward along the pool wall. And under the condition that the distance sensor adjusts the image acquisition direction to be upward along the pool wall, the robot controller sends an image acquisition instruction to the distance sensor, wherein the image acquisition instruction is used for instructing the distance sensor to acquire an image. Under the condition that the distance sensor is a monocular camera, the robot controller utilizes the small-hole imaging principle to conduct coordinate conversion on the position of the water level line in the image, and the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water level line is determined. The method for converting the position of the water line in the image by utilizing the pinhole imaging principle is to convert the pixel coordinate of the water line in the image into the camera coordinate under the camera coordinate system, and then convert the camera coordinate into the world coordinate, wherein the world coordinate of the water line can represent the position of the water line, and the world coordinate of the water line is the water line information. The coordinate conversion process depends on the calibration of the monocular camera, and the calibration of the monocular camera can be finished in advance by a technician. In the case where the distance sensor is a binocular camera, the distance sensor can capture two images of the water line at the same time, the two images being captured at different angles, and the robot sensor can determine the position of the water line, that is, determine the water line information, based on the relative positions between the two images and the two cameras of the binocular camera.

After the water line detection sensor is described as an example of the distance sensor, the water line detection sensor is described as an example of the liquid depth sensor.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller obtains the water line information via a liquid depth sensor of the pool cleaning robot.

Wherein the liquid depth sensor may be mounted at any location on the pool cleaning robot, as embodiments herein are not limited.

In this embodiment, the robot controller can acquire the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the liquid via the liquid depth sensor, and the resulting water line information can be indicative of the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the liquid, which can then be controlled based on the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the liquid.

For example, a robot controller collects pressure around the pool cleaning robot via the liquid depth sensor. The robot controller determines the water line information based on pressure around the pool cleaning robot, the water line information including a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool. The pressure around the swimming pool cleaning robot may be water pressure or a sum of water pressure and atmospheric pressure, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. The principle of the liquid depth sensor for collecting the pressure around the swimming pool cleaning robot is that the liquid depth sensor can convert the received pressure into an electric signal, and the received pressure can be reversely pushed through the electric signal. The principle of determining the depth by pressure is that the pressure of an object in a liquid is positively correlated with the depth in the liquid, and the deeper the object is, the greater the pressure of the object is, according to a pressure formula, p=pgh, p is the pressure, ρ is the density of the liquid, g is the gravitational acceleration, and h is the depth. The relation f=ps is also present between pressure and pressure, f is pressure, p is pressure, s is the area of force (area of liquid depth sensor, known quantity), and depth can be reversely deduced by measuring pressure.

After the water level line detection sensor is described as an example of the liquid depth sensor, the water level line detection sensor is described as an example of the signal receiving sensor.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller obtains the water line information through a signal receiving sensor of the pool cleaning robot.

The signal receiving sensor is configured to receive a target signal with a specific frequency, where the frequency of the target signal is set by a technician according to an actual situation, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. The signal receiving sensor may be mounted at any location on the pool cleaning robot, as embodiments of the application are not limited in this regard.

For example, the robot controller receives a target signal via the signal receiving sensor, the signal strength of the target signal inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool. The robot controller determines the water line information based on the target signal, the water line information including a signal strength of the target signal. Wherein the sending device of the target signal is positioned above the swimming pool. The negative correlation of the signal strength of the target signal with the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool means that the deeper the pool cleaning robot is in the pool, the weaker the signal strength of the target signal received by the signal receiving sensor is; the shallower the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool, the stronger the signal strength of the signal receiving sensor receiving the target signal. The depth of the pool cleaning robot in the liquid can be reversed by the strength of the target signal. In some embodiments, the signal strength of the target signal may also become zero after the pool cleaning robot enters the liquid.

302. The robot controller determines a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information.

In one possible embodiment, in case the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on any one of a time difference between transmitting the detection signal and receiving the reflected signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal, and a propagation speed of the detection signal in water.

The above embodiments are described below by way of three examples.

In example 1, when the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the time difference between the transmission of the detection signal and the reception of the reflected signal and the propagation speed of the detection signal in the water.

For example, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the detection signal transmitting device and the reflection signal receiving device of the distance sensor are disposed side by side and adjacently. The robot controller multiplies the time difference by the propagation speed and divides the time difference by two to obtain a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Example 2, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the phase difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal and the propagation speed of the detection signal in the water.

For example, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the detection signal transmitting device and the reflection signal receiving device of the distance sensor are disposed side by side and adjacently. The robot controller determines a time difference between transmitting the probe signal and receiving the reflected signal based on a phase difference between the probe signal and the reflected signal and an angular frequency of the probe signal. The robot controller multiplies the time difference by the propagation speed and divides the time difference by two to obtain a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Example 3, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the angular difference between the detection signal and the reflected signal and the propagation speed of the detection signal in the water.

For example, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a distance sensor, the detection signal transmitting device and the reflection signal receiving device of the distance sensor are arranged side by side with a certain distance. The detection signal transmitting device is a laser radar, the reflection signal receiving device is a camera, and laser emitted by the laser radar forms a certain angle with the water level line. The detection signal transmitting device, the reflection signal receiving device and the detection point on the water level line form a triangle. The robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the triangle ranging principle using the angle difference and the propagation speed of the detection signal in the water.

In one possible embodiment, where the water line detection sensor is a liquid depth sensor, the robot controller determines a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

Wherein the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool is the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In one possible embodiment, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a signal receiving sensor, the robot controller determines a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a signal strength of the target signal.

For example, in the case where the water line detection sensor is a signal receiving sensor, the robot controller determines the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool based on the signal strength of the target signal. The robot controller determines a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

Since the signal strength of the target signal is inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool, the depth of the pool cleaning robot can be back-pushed based on the signal strength of the target signal, thereby determining the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the signal receiving sensor cannot receive the target signal underwater, and in the event that the signal receiving sensor cannot receive the target signal, it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located below the water line, and the pool cleaning robot can be subsequently controlled to move upward. The signal receiving sensor is capable of receiving the target signal in the event that the pool cleaning robot reaches the water line.

Optionally, after step 302, the robot controller can perform both steps 303-305 described below and step 306 described below, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

303. The robot controller controls the swimming pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on a distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line.

Wherein, the bottom of this swimming pool cleaning robot disposes the walking unit, and the robot controller can control this swimming pool cleaning robot and remove and rotate on the pool wall of this swimming pool through driving this walking unit. In step 303, a robot controller can control the pool cleaning robot to move to the water line through the walking unit. In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot further comprises a drive unit coupled to the robot controller and the travel unit, the drive unit being controlled by the robot controller, the drive unit being capable of powering the travel unit to enable the pool cleaning robot to move and rotate on the pool wall of the pool via the travel unit. In some embodiments, the walking unit is a universal wheel. During the movement of the pool cleaning robot, the pool cleaning robot is always located on the pool wall of the pool. Controlling the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward depends on whether the pool cleaning robot is located above or below the water line, in which case the pool cleaning robot is located above the water line, i.e., controlling the pool cleaning robot to move downward; in case the pool cleaning robot is located below the water line, i.e. the pool cleaning robot is controlled to move upwards.

In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot is powered by an external power source, which ensures that the pool cleaning robot can perform its tasks when cleaning a large pool of such a scene. Alternatively, the pool cleaning robot is powered by a built-in battery, thereby freeing the limitation of the connection lines and enabling the cleaning task to be performed in a greater range. Or, this swimming pool cleaning robot supplies power through solar cell panel to reduce the energy cost when using this swimming pool cleaning robot to clean, this embodiment of the application does not limit this swimming pool cleaning robot's power supply mode. In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot further comprises a gyroscope by which the direction of itself can be determined.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller performs path planning based on the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line to obtain a target path. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on the target path.

For example, the robot controller performs path planning based on the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line to obtain a target path. The robot controller determines the direction of the pool cleaning robot via a gyroscope. The robot controller sends a driving instruction to a driving unit of the swimming pool cleaning robot based on the direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the driving instruction being used for instructing the driving unit to drive a walking unit of the swimming pool cleaning robot so that the swimming pool cleaning robot moves upwards along the pool wall according to the target path. In response to the drive instruction, the drive unit of the pool cleaning robot controls the pool cleaning robot to move.

In some embodiments, in the event that the pool cleaning robot detects an obstacle, the robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to avoid the obstacle and then return to the target path.

For example, in the case where the obstacle exists in front of the moving direction detected by the water line detection sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the robot controller sets an obstacle avoidance route for the swimming pool cleaning robot, such as by an algorithm of a simulated annealing algorithm, a manual potential field method, a fuzzy logic algorithm, a tabu search algorithm, or the like. The robot controller controls the swimming pool cleaning robot to move according to the obstacle avoidance route, so that the obstacle is avoided. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to return to the target path to continue cleaning while avoiding the obstacle.

304. In the case that the water line information re-detected by the water line detection sensor meets the target condition, the robot controller determines that the pool cleaning robot moves to the water line.

Wherein, in the moving process of the swimming pool cleaning robot, the robot controller can also acquire the water line information through the water line detection sensor, so that the robot controller can control the swimming pool cleaning robot, and the re-detected water line information is the water line information detected in the moving process of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

In one possible embodiment, the water line information meeting the target condition means any one of the following:

the re-detected water line information indicates that a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is less than or equal to a first distance threshold. Wherein a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line being less than or equal to a first distance threshold indicates that the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is sufficiently small that the pool cleaning robot moves to the water line. The first distance threshold is set by a technician according to the actual situation, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The re-detected water line information indicates that the pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot is less than or equal to a pressure threshold. Wherein, since the pressure around the pool cleaning robot is continuously reduced as the pool cleaning robot moves upward, a pressure around the pool cleaning robot being less than or equal to a pressure threshold indicates that the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is sufficiently small, the pool cleaning robot moves to the water line. The pressure threshold is set by the skilled person according to the actual situation, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

The re-detected water line information indicates that a fluctuation range of pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot is within a target fluctuation range. Wherein, because the pressure around the swimming pool cleaning robot can be continuously reduced along with the upward movement of the swimming pool cleaning robot, after the swimming pool cleaning robot reaches the water level, the pressure received by the upward movement of the swimming pool cleaning robot can be changed from water pressure to air pressure, and the pressure change is smaller, therefore, the swimming pool cleaning robot can be determined to reach the water level through the fluctuation range of the pressure.

The re-detected water line information indicates that the signal strength of the received target signal is greater than or equal to a signal strength threshold, the signal strength of the target signal being inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool. Wherein, because the signal strength of the target signal is continuously increased along with the upward movement of the swimming pool cleaning robot, a signal strength of the target signal greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold value indicates that the distance between the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line is sufficiently small, and the swimming pool cleaning robot moves to the water line. The signal strength threshold is set by the skilled person according to the actual situation, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

305. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller sends a stop instruction to the driving unit of the pool cleaning robot, the stop instruction being for instructing the driving unit to stop driving the pool cleaning robot, thereby controlling the pool cleaning robot to stop moving.

The stationary position of the pool cleaning robot is on the water line, and then the pool cleaning robot can be controlled by taking the water line as a starting point, for example, the pool cleaning robot can be controlled to clean the pool wall along the water line, and the embodiment of the application is not limited thereto.

306. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to move to a target position above or below the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

The target position is a position where a distance between the target position and the water line is a target distance, and the target distance is set by a technician according to actual situations, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

In one possible embodiment, the robot controller determines the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location based on the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to move upward or downward based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location. The robot controller determines that the pool cleaning robot is moved to the target location if a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location is less than or equal to a second distance threshold. The robot controller controls the pool cleaning robot to stop moving. The second distance threshold may be the same as or different from the first distance threshold, and the second distance threshold is set by a technician according to an actual situation, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Any combination of the above optional solutions may be adopted to form an optional embodiment of the present application, which is not described herein in detail.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for acquiring water line information according to an embodiment of the present application, referring to fig. 4, the apparatus includes: a water line information acquisition module 401, a distance determination module 402 and a control module 403.

The water line information acquisition module 401 is configured to acquire water line information through a water line detection sensor of a swimming pool cleaning robot, where the swimming pool cleaning robot moves on a pool wall or a pool bottom of a swimming pool, and the water line information is used to indicate a relative position of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the water line.

A distance determination module 402 for determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information.

A control module 403 for controlling the pool cleaning robot based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In a possible implementation manner, the water line information obtaining module 401 is configured to perform any one of the following:

the water line information is acquired by a distance sensor of the pool cleaning robot.

The water line information is acquired by a liquid depth sensor of the pool cleaning robot.

The water line information is acquired by a signal receiving sensor of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

In one possible implementation, the water line information acquisition module 401 is configured to send a detection signal to the above or below the pool cleaning robot via the distance sensor. And receiving a reflection signal corresponding to the detection signal, wherein the reflection signal is a part of the detection signal which is reflected after contacting the water level line. The water line information including any one of a propagation speed of the detection signal in water, a time difference between transmitting the detection signal and receiving the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal is determined based on the detection signal and the reflection signal.

In one possible embodiment, the distance determining module 402 is configured to determine the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on any one of a time difference between sending the detection signal and receiving the reflection signal, a phase difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and an angle difference between the detection signal and the reflection signal, and a propagation speed of the detection signal in water.

In one possible implementation, the water line information acquisition module 401 is configured to acquire images above or below the pool cleaning robot via the distance sensor. And carrying out image recognition on the image to obtain the water line information, wherein the water line information comprises the position of the water line in the image.

In one possible implementation, the distance determination module 402 is configured to coordinate convert the position of the water line in the image using the principles of pinhole imaging to determine the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In one possible implementation, the water line information acquisition module 401 is used to collect the pressure around the pool cleaning robot via the liquid depth sensor. The water line information is determined based on pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot, the water line information including a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible implementation, the distance determination module 402 is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible implementation, the water line information acquisition module 401 is configured to receive a target signal via the signal receiving sensor, where the signal strength of the target signal is inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool. The water line information is determined based on the target signal, the water line information including a signal strength of the target signal.

In one possible implementation, the distance determination module 402 is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on a signal strength of the target signal.

In one possible implementation, the control module 403 is configured to perform any one of the following:

the pool cleaning robot is controlled to move to the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

The pool cleaning robot is controlled to move to a target position above or below the water line based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In one possible embodiment, the control module 403 is configured to control the pool cleaning robot to move up or down based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line.

In the case that the water line information re-detected by the water line detection sensor meets the target condition, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot moves to the water line.

The pool cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving.

In one possible embodiment, the re-detection of the water line information by the water line detection sensor is in accordance with the target condition, which means any one of the following:

the re-detected water line information indicates that a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line is less than or equal to a first distance threshold.

The re-detected water line information indicates that the pressure surrounding the pool cleaning robot is less than or equal to a pressure threshold.

The re-detected water line information indicates that the signal strength of the received target signal is greater than or equal to a signal strength threshold, the signal strength of the target signal being inversely related to the depth of the pool cleaning robot in the pool.

In one possible implementation, the control module 403 is configured to determine a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line. The pool cleaning robot is controlled to move upward or downward based on a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location. In the event that the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the target location is less than or equal to a second distance threshold, it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is moving to the target location. The pool cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving.

It should be noted that: the device for acquiring the water line information provided in the above embodiment only illustrates the division of the above functional modules when acquiring the water line information, and in practical application, the above functional allocation may be performed by different functional modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the robot controller is divided into different functional modules, so as to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the apparatus for acquiring the water line information provided in the foregoing embodiments and the method embodiment for acquiring the water line information belong to the same concept, and detailed implementation processes of the apparatus and the method embodiment are detailed and are not described herein.

The embodiment of the application also provides a swimming pool cleaning robot, which comprises a robot controller, and fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the robot controller provided by the embodiment of the application. The robot controller 500 may be: smart phones, tablet computers, notebook computers or desktop computers.

Generally, the robot controller 500 includes: one or more processors 501 and one or more memories 502.

Processor 501 may include one or more processing cores, such as a 4-core processor, an 8-core processor, and the like. The processor 501 may be implemented in at least one hardware form of DSP (Digital Signal Processing ), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array, field programmable gate array), PLA (Programmable Logic Array ). The processor 501 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor, the main processor being a processor for processing data in an awake state, also referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit ); a coprocessor is a low-power processor for processing data in a standby state. In some embodiments, the processor 501 may integrate a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit, image processor) for rendering and drawing of content required to be displayed by the display screen. In some embodiments, the processor 501 may also include an AI (Artificial Intelligence ) processor for processing computing operations related to machine learning.

Memory 502 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. Memory 502 may also include high-speed random access memory, as well as non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory storage devices. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in memory 502 is used to store at least one computer program for execution by processor 501 to implement the method of obtaining water line information provided by the method embodiments herein.

In some embodiments, the robot controller 500 may further optionally include: a peripheral interface 503 and at least one peripheral. The processor 501, memory 502, and peripheral interface 503 may be connected by buses or signal lines. The individual peripheral devices may be connected to the peripheral device interface 503 by buses, signal lines or circuit boards. Specifically, the peripheral device includes: at least one of radio frequency circuitry 504, a display 505, a camera assembly 506, audio circuitry 507, and a power supply 508.

Peripheral interface 503 may be used to connect at least one Input/Output (I/O) related peripheral to processor 501 and memory 502. In some embodiments, processor 501, memory 502, and peripheral interface 503 are integrated on the same chip or circuit board; in some other embodiments, either or both of the processor 501, memory 502, and peripheral interface 503 may be implemented on separate chips or circuit boards, which is not limited in this embodiment.

The Radio Frequency circuit 504 is configured to receive and transmit RF (Radio Frequency) signals, also known as electromagnetic signals. The radio frequency circuitry 504 communicates with a communication network and other communication devices via electromagnetic signals. The radio frequency circuit 504 converts an electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal for transmission, or converts a received electromagnetic signal into an electrical signal. Optionally, the radio frequency circuit 504 includes: antenna systems, RF transceivers, one or more amplifiers, tuners, oscillators, digital signal processors, codec chipsets, subscriber identity module cards, and so forth.

The display 505 is used to display a UI (User Interface). The UI may include graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof. When the display 505 is a touch display, the display 505 also has the ability to collect touch signals at or above the surface of the display 505. The touch signal may be input as a control signal to the processor 501 for processing. At this time, the display 505 may also be used to provide virtual buttons and/or virtual keyboards, also referred to as soft buttons and/or soft keyboards.

The camera assembly 506 is used to capture images or video. Optionally, the camera assembly 506 includes a front camera and a rear camera. Typically, the front camera is disposed on a front panel of the robot controller, and the rear camera is disposed on a rear surface of the robot controller.

The audio circuitry 507 may include a microphone and a speaker. The microphone is used for collecting sound waves of users and environments, converting the sound waves into electric signals, and inputting the electric signals to the processor 501 for processing, or inputting the electric signals to the radio frequency circuit 504 for voice communication.

The power supply 508 is used to power the various components in the robot controller 500. The power source 508 may be alternating current, direct current, disposable or rechargeable.

In some embodiments, the robotic controller 500 also includes one or more sensors 509. The one or more sensors 509 include, but are not limited to: acceleration sensor 510, gyro sensor 511, pressure sensor 512, optical sensor 513, and proximity sensor 514.

The acceleration sensor 510 may detect the magnitudes of accelerations on three coordinate axes of a coordinate system established with the robot controller 500.

The gyro sensor 511 may be configured to be capable of capturing a 3D motion of the robot controller 500 by a user in cooperation with the acceleration sensor 510, and the gyro sensor 511 may be configured to be capable of capturing a body direction and a rotation angle of the robot controller 500.

The pressure sensor 512 may be disposed at a side frame of the robot controller 500 and/or at a lower layer of the display screen 505. When the pressure sensor 512 is disposed on the side frame of the robot controller 500, a grip signal of the robot controller 500 by a user may be detected, and the processor 501 performs left-right hand recognition or quick operation according to the grip signal collected by the pressure sensor 512. When the pressure sensor 512 is disposed at the lower layer of the display screen 505, the processor 501 controls the operability control on the UI interface according to the pressure operation of the user on the display screen 505.

The optical sensor 513 is used to collect the ambient light intensity. In one embodiment, the processor 501 may control the display brightness of the display 505 based on the ambient light intensity collected by the optical sensor 513.

The proximity sensor 514 is used to collect the distance between the user and the front face of the robot controller 500.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration shown in fig. 5 is not limiting of the robotic controller 500 and may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine certain components, or may employ a different arrangement of components.

In an exemplary embodiment, a computer readable storage medium, for example, a memory including a computer program executable by a processor to perform the method of acquiring the water line information in the above embodiment is also provided. For example, the computer readable storage medium may be Read-Only Memory (ROM), random-access Memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), compact disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, and the like.

In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product or a computer program is also provided, which comprises a program code, which is stored in a computer readable storage medium, from which the processor of the robot controller reads, and which is executed by the processor, such that the robot controller performs the above-described method of acquiring the water line information.

In some embodiments, the computer program related to the embodiments of the present application may be deployed to be executed on one robot controller, or executed on a plurality of robot controllers located at one site, or executed on a plurality of robot controllers distributed at a plurality of sites and interconnected by a communication network, or a plurality of robot controllers distributed at a plurality of sites and interconnected by a communication network may constitute a blockchain system.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the steps for implementing the above embodiments may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by a program for instructing relevant hardware, where the program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and the above storage medium may be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, but is intended to cover various modifications, substitutions, improvements, and alternatives falling within the spirit and principles of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining water line information, the method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring of the water line information by the water line detection sensor of the pool cleaning robot comprises any one of:

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring the water line information by a distance sensor of the pool cleaning robot comprises:

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said determining a distance between said pool cleaning robot and said water line based on said water line information comprises:

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring the water line information by a distance sensor of the pool cleaning robot comprises:

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information comprises:

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring the water line information by a liquid depth sensor of the pool cleaning robot comprises:

collecting pressure around the pool cleaning robot by the liquid depth sensor;

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining a distance between the pool cleaning robot and the water line based on the water line information comprises:

9. A water line information acquisition device, the device comprising:

10. A pool cleaning robot comprising a robot controller, wherein the robot controller comprises one or more processors and one or more memories, the one or more memories having at least one computer program stored therein, the computer program being loaded and executed by the one or more processors to implement the method of acquiring water line information as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8.