CN217982190U - Self-walking equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-walking apparatus, comprising: an apparatus main body; a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus main body and configured to detect an obstacle in a first area; and a second optical detection device, which is arranged on a side wall of the apparatus main body, is adjacent to the first optical detection device, and is configured to detect an obstacle in a second area, and the second area is located between the first area and the apparatus main body, so that the self-walking apparatus has a good obstacle avoidance function while realizing SLAM (simultaneous localization of local area i zat i on and mapp i ng) mapping.

Description

Self-walking equipment

The present disclosure claims priority from the patent application 202122870614.3 filed on 22.11.2021 by the national intellectual property office patent office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to self-walking equipment, and more particularly to a self-walking equipment.

Background

With the development of artificial intelligence technology, various intelligent self-walking devices, such as floor sweeping robots, floor mopping robots, dust collectors, weeding machines, etc., have appeared. The cleaning robots can automatically identify surrounding obstacles in the working process and perform obstacle avoidance operation on the obstacles, and the cleaning robots not only liberate labor force, save labor cost, but also improve cleaning efficiency.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a self-walking apparatus, including:

an apparatus main body;

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

and a second optical detection device disposed on a sidewall of the apparatus body, adjacent to the first optical detection device, and configured to detect an obstacle in a second area between the first area and the apparatus body.

In some embodiments, the first light detecting 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 being irradiated onto an obstacle in the first area to generate first feedback light; and

a light receiver disposed adjacent to the first light emitter and configured to receive the first feedback light, the light receiver having a first light collection angle in a first direction perpendicular to the self-walking device walking surface, the first light collection angle being greater than the first light exit angle.

In some embodiments, the second light detecting means comprises:

a second light emitter configured to emit a second light beam that is irradiated onto an obstacle of a second area to generate second feedback light,

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

In some embodiments, the self-propelled device further includes a processor electrically connected to the first optical detection device and the second optical detection device, the processor is configured to control the first optical transmitter and the second optical transmitter to respectively transmit the first light beam and the second light beam, and the processor is further configured to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-propelled device based on the first feedback light and/or the second feedback light received by the optical receiver.

In some embodiments, 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 send the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal to the first light emitter and a second light emitter, respectively, the first light emitter emitting the first light beam based on the first light emission signal, 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 for the self-walking device based on the first feedback light and/or the second feedback light received by the optical 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 determine a second distance between an obstacle in a second area and the device body based on the second feedback light, and determine an obstacle avoidance strategy for the self-propelled device based on the first distance and/or the second distance.

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

In some embodiments, a pulse period of the first light emission signal is the same as a pulse period of the second light emission signal, and pulses of the first light emission signal and pulses of the second light emission signal are set at intervals.

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 being a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the pulse of the second light emission signal at least partially overlaps in time with the pulse of the first light emission signal.

In some embodiments, the first light beam is a surface type light and the second light beam is a line type 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 light intensity of the first light beam is the same or different than the light intensity of the second light beam.

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

Relative to the related art, the present disclosure has at least the following technical effects:

the first optical detection device and the second optical detection device are matched to respectively detect obstacles in a first area and a second area, 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 guaranteed;

the method comprises the steps that first feedback light corresponding to a first light beam emitted by a first light emitter of a first light detection device and second feedback light corresponding to a second light beam emitted by a second light emitter of a second light detection device are received through a light receiver of the first light detection device, only one light receiver is adopted, and 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 has a good obstacle avoidance function while realizing SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) construction through the design of the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal.

Drawings

In order to clearly illustrate the embodiments or technical solutions of the present disclosure, the drawings used in the embodiments or technical solutions of the present disclosure will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

fig. 7 is a waveform diagram of a first light emitting signal, a second light emitting signal, and a light receiving signal of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8 is a waveform diagram of a first light emitting signal, a second light emitting signal, and a light receiving signal of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of an obstacle avoidance method for a self-propelled device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 10 is an electrical schematic diagram of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments disclosed herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

The terminology used in the embodiments of the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in the disclosed 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, and "a plurality" typically includes at least two.

It should be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein is merely one type of association that describes an associated object, meaning that three relationships may exist, e.g., a and/or B may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the former and latter related objects are in 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 good 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 good or apparatus. Without further limitation, the recitation of an element by the phrase "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of additional like elements in a commodity or device comprising the element.

The present disclosure provides a self-walking apparatus, characterized in that the self-walking apparatus includes: an apparatus main body; a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus main 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, adjacent to the first light detection device, and configured to detect an obstacle in a second area between the first area and the apparatus body. The obstacle in the first area and the second area is respectively detected through the cooperation of the first optical detection device and the second optical detection device, wherein the second area is closer to the main body of the self-walking equipment than the first area, and a good obstacle avoidance function is ensured while the SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) image building function is realized.

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

The disclosed embodiments provide a possible application scenario that includes a self-propelled device 100, such as a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a vacuum cleaner, a weeding machine, and so on. In certain embodiments. In this embodiment, fig. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 1, a household sweeping robot is taken as an example for explanation, in a working process of the sweeping robot, a front view field image is obtained in real time through a detection device 130, for example, an image detection device, a light detection device, and the like, at a front end of the sweeping robot, and obstacle avoidance, SLAM mapping, or other operations are performed according to analysis of the view field image, for example, an obstacle 200 and the like are identified, a category of the obstacle is determined according to search and comparison of a storage database, and different schemes are performed 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 sensing devices such as a buffer, a cliff sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a odometer, and can also be provided with wireless communication modules such as a WIFI module and a Bluetooth module to be connected with an intelligent terminal or a server and receive an operation instruction transmitted by the intelligent terminal or the server through the wireless communication modules.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a self-propelled device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2, the self-propelled device 100 can travel over the ground through various combinations of movements relative to the following three mutually perpendicular axes defined by the device body 110: a front-back axis X, a lateral axis Y, and a central vertical axis Z. The forward driving direction along the forward-rearward axis X is denoted as "forward", and the rearward driving direction along the forward-rearward axis X is denoted as "rearward". The direction of the transverse axis Y is essentially the direction extending between the right and left wheels of the self-propelled device 100 along the axis defined by the center point of the driving wheel module 141.

The self-propelled device 100 can rotate about the Y-axis. "pitch up" when the forward portion of the self-walking device 100 is tilted up and "pitch down" when the rearward portion is tilted down, and "pitch down" when the forward portion of the self-walking device 100 is tilted down and the rearward portion is tilted up. In addition, the self-propelled device 100 can rotate about the Z-axis. In the forward direction of the self walking apparatus 100, "right turn" is when the self walking apparatus 100 is tilted to the right side of the X axis, and "left turn" is when the self walking apparatus 100 is tilted to the left side of the X axis.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled device provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, and as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the self-propelled 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 human-computer interaction system.

The apparatus body 110 includes a forward portion 111 and a rearward portion 112, and has an approximately circular shape (circular front and rear), 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 located on the apparatus body 110, a collision sensor and a proximity sensor provided on a bumper 122 of the forward portion 111 of the apparatus body 110, a cliff sensor provided at a lower portion of the apparatus body, and sensing devices such as a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope (Gyro), an odometer (odometer), and the like provided inside the apparatus body, for providing various position information and motion 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 Distance Sensor (LDS).

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-propelled device 100 via a sensor system, such as an infrared sensor, provided thereon, as the driving wheel module 141 propels the self-propelled device across the floor during cleaning, and the self-propelled device 100 may control the driving wheel module 141 to cause the self-propelled device 100 to respond to the events, such as moving away from an obstacle, by the events detected by the bumper 122, such as an obstacle, a wall, etc.

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 an environment where the self-propelled device is located by using a positioning algorithm, such as instant positioning And Mapping (SLAM), according to obstacle information fed back by the laser distance measuring device. And the distance information and speed information fed back by the sensing devices such as the sensor, the cliff sensor, the magnetometer, the accelerometer, the gyroscope and/or the odometer arranged on the self-walking equipment 100 are combined to comprehensively judge the current working state and position of the sweeper, the current pose of the sweeper, and the like, such as passing a threshold, putting a carpet on the cliff, blocking the upper part or the lower part, filling a dust box, picking up the carpet and the like.

As shown in fig. 1-3, drive system 140 may steer travel from walking device 100 across the ground based on drive commands having distance and angle information (e.g., x, y, and theta components). The drive system 140 includes a drive wheel module 141, and the drive wheel module 141 can control both the left and right wheels, and in order to more precisely control the motion of the machine, it is preferable that the drive wheel module 141 includes a left drive wheel module and a right drive wheel module, respectively. The left and right drive wheel modules are oppositely disposed along a transverse axis defined by the apparatus body 110. In order for the self-propelled device to be able to move more stably or with greater mobility over 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 comprises a road wheel, a drive motor and a control circuit for controlling the drive motor, and can also be connected to a circuit for measuring drive current and a 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-type suspension system, be movably secured, e.g., rotatably attached, to the apparatus body 110, and receive a spring bias biased downward and away from the apparatus body 110. The spring bias allows the drive wheel to maintain contact and traction with the floor surface with a certain landing force while the cleaning elements from the walking device 100 also contact the floor surface 10 with a certain pressure.

The cleaning system 150 can be a dry cleaning system and/or a wet cleaning system. As a dry cleaning system, the main cleaning function is derived from the sweeping system 151 constituted by the roll brush, the dust box, the blower, the air outlet, and the connecting members therebetween. The rolling brush with certain interference with the ground sweeps the garbage on the ground and winds the garbage to the front of a dust suction opening between the rolling brush and the dust box, and then the garbage is sucked into the dust box by air which is generated by the fan and passes through the dust box and has suction force. The dry cleaning system may also include an edge brush 152 having an axis of rotation that is angled relative to the floor for moving debris into the roller brush area of the cleaning system.

Energy systems include rechargeable batteries, such as nickel metal hydride batteries and lithium batteries. The charging 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 single chip microcomputer control circuit. The host computer is connected with charging pile through setting up the charging electrode in fuselage side or below and charges. 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 electric charge in the charging process, and even the electrode is deformed, so that normal charging cannot be continued.

The man-machine interaction system comprises keys on a host panel, and the keys are used for a user to select functions; the machine control system can also comprise 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 items of the machine to a user; and a mobile phone client program can be further included. For the path navigation type self-walking equipment, a map of the environment where the equipment is located and the position of a machine can be displayed to a user at a mobile phone client, and richer and more humanized function items can be provided for the user.

Fig. 4 is a schematic detection diagram of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1 to 4, a self-walking apparatus 100 includes: a device body 110, a first light detecting means 131 and a second light detecting means 132. The device body 110 is substantially flat, cylindrical and may include a chassis, cover, bumper, and/or trim cover, etc. from the walking device. Other components in the self-walking apparatus 100, such as a dust box, a motor, and the like, may be provided inside the apparatus main body 110. The first light detecting means 131 is disposed on a side wall of the apparatus body 110, and is configured to detect an obstacle within the first area AR 1. Since the apparatus main body 110 includes more structures, the first light detecting device 131 may be disposed on the sidewall of the apparatus main body 110, which 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 sidewall of the buffer, in another embodiment, the first light detecting device 131 may be disposed on the sidewall of the chassis and exposed to the outside of the self-walking apparatus through the opening of the buffer, so that the first light detecting device 131 can detect the obstacle in the first area AR1, in other embodiments, the first light detecting device 131 may be disposed on any one of the structures included in the apparatus main body 110, which is not limited by the disclosure. The second light detecting device 132 is disposed on a side wall of the apparatus main body, is adjacent to the first light detecting device 131, and is configured to detect an obstacle in a second area AR2, and the second area AR2 is located between the first area AR1 and the apparatus main body 110. The positional relationship between the second light detecting means 132 and the apparatus body 110 may be set with reference to the position between the first light detecting means 131 and the apparatus body 110. It should be noted that the first area AR1 shown in fig. 4 is a detectable area of the first optical detection device on the ground, and the second area AR2 is a detectable area of the second optical detection device on the ground. Although only the relative positional relationship between the first area AR1 and the second area AR2 on the ground and the apparatus main body is shown in the drawing, it is understood that the detection area of the second light detecting means on a plane parallel to the ground is located between the detection area of the first light detecting means on the plane and the apparatus main body on any one plane not higher than the first light detecting means 131 on the self-walking apparatus. The first optical detection device 131 and the second optical detection 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 realize SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) construction and has a good obstacle avoidance function.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-4, the first light detecting means 131 comprises a first light emitter 1311 and a light receiver 1312. The first light emitter 1311 is configured to emit a first light beam, for example, a surface light, the first light emitter 1311 has a first light exit angle α 1 in a first direction, for example, a vertical direction, and the first light beam irradiates an obstacle in the first area AR1 to generate a first feedback light. The optical receiver 1312 is disposed adjacent to the first optical transmitter 1311, for example, in a horizontal direction, and configured to receive the first feedback light, and the optical receiver 1312 has a first light receiving angle β 1 in a first direction, for example, a vertical direction, and the first light receiving angle β 1 is greater than the first light emitting angle α 1. The first light-emitting angle α 1 is, for example, 10 ° -30 °, and the first light-receiving angle β 1 is, for example, 70 ° -90 °, so as to ensure that the first light beam emitted by the first light emitter 1311 corresponds to the first feedback light, which can be substantially received by the light receiver 1312.

In other embodiments, the optical receiver 1312 and the first optical transmitter 1311 may be disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. Although the optical receiver 1312 and the first optical transmitter 1311 are shown as separate components, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, both may be integrated in one component.

The first light detection device 131 achieves obstacle detection and SLAM mapping by emitting a surface beam and receiving a feedback beam of the surface beam. Specifically, for example, the first light detection device 131 may measure a distance between an object in a working space Of the self-walking apparatus and the self-walking apparatus through TOF (Time Of Flight), locate the object in the working space, and obtain topographical features Of a detection area, for example, topographical features including an obstacle object, based on feedback light Of the surface-type light beam, and implement construction and refinement Of a map based on the topographical features. In order to realize a better SLAM mapping function, the first light detection device 131 needs to detect and image relatively distant objects, for example, objects about 6m away, which requires that the first light-emitting angle α 1 of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detection device 131 is not too large, and is usually 10 ° to 30 °.

Since the first light outgoing angle α 1 of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detection device 131 is relatively small, as shown in fig. 4, the boundary of the emitted surface-shaped light beam of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detection device 131 close to the ground intersects with the ground GND at a point P, the emitted surface-shaped light beam of the first light emitter 1311 can detect only an obstacle in the first area AR1, and a large detection blind area exists. An obstacle between the point P 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 detecting means 132, and in some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-4, the second light detecting means 132 is further from the bottom of the self-propelled device than the first light detecting means 131 in a first direction, e.g., a vertical direction. The second light detecting device 132 includes a second light emitter 1321 configured to emit a second light beam, for example, a linear light beam, which is irradiated on the obstacle in the second area AR2 to generate a second feedback light for detecting the obstacle in the second area AR to compensate the detection blind area of the first light detecting device 131.

In other embodiments, the second light detecting device 132 is closer to the bottom of the self-propelled device than the first light detecting device 131 in a first direction, for example, 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 first light beam and the second light beam are received by 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 detecting means 132 may also comprise a separate light receiver for receiving the second feedback light.

Fig. 5 is a schematic detection diagram of the self-walking apparatus provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a horizontal detection angle of the first light detecting device 131. As shown in fig. 5, the horizontal light-emitting angle of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detection device 131 is, for example, 110 ° -120 °, and the horizontal light-emitting angle of the light receiver 1312 of the first light detection device 131 is, for example, 120 ° -130 °, which ensures that the first light detection device 13131 has a wide detection viewing angle in the horizontal direction.

Fig. 6 is a schematic detection diagram of the self-walking apparatus provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a 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 detection device 132 is, for example, 115 ° -125 °, which ensures that the second light detection device 132 has a wide detection viewing angle in the horizontal direction.

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

In particular, the processor is configured to generate a first light emission signal S1 and a second light emission signal S2 and to send 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, 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 an obstacle in the first area AR1 and the device main body based on the first feedback light, determine a second distance between an 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, thereby implementing an SLAM mapping function and ensuring a good obstacle avoidance function.

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

Fig. 7 is a waveform diagram of a first light emitting signal, a second light emitting signal, and a light receiving signal of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in fig. 7, the first light emission signal S1 is a pulse signal, such as a rectangular wave, the pulse width is, for example, 10 μ S to 2000 μ S, and the duty ratio is, for example, 1.25 to 1.75. The second light emission signal S2 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, the pulse width is, for example, 10 μ S to 2000 μ S, and the duty ratio is, for example, 1. 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 set at intervals 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 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 pulse of the first light emitting signal S1 is set to be spaced from the pulse of the second light emitting signal S2, and the light receiving signal may determine the pulse of the light receiving signal of the first feedback light corresponding to the first light beam according to the pulse of the first light emitting signal S1, and determine the pulse of the light receiving signal of the second feedback light corresponding to the second light beam according to the pulse of the second light emitting signal S1. As shown in fig. 7, for example, in the light reception signal R, the odd pulses are pulses of the light reception signal of the second feedback light, and the even pulses are pulses of the light reception signal of the first feedback light. Through the time-sharing multiplexing mode, 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 the obstacle and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the self-walking equipment, determine whether the second area AR2 has the obstacle 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, only one light receiver needs to be arranged, the SLAM and the obstacle avoidance function can be achieved, and based on the signal of the second light emitting device, the obstacle detection range is further expanded, the obstacle avoidance accuracy is improved, and the intelligence of the self-walking equipment is improved. Based on the result, the processor determines the obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment to achieve a good obstacle avoidance effect.

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

Fig. 8 is a waveform diagram of a first light emitting signal, a second light emitting signal, and a light receiving signal of a self-walking apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 8, the first light emission signal S1 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, the pulse width is, for example, 10 μ S to 2000 μ S, and the duty ratio is, for example, 1. The second light emission signal S2 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, the pulse width is, for example, 10 μ S to 2000 μ S, and the duty ratio is, for example, 1. 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, and the pulses of the second light emission signal S2 and the pulses of the first light emission signal S1 at least partially overlap in time, 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 pulses of the second light emission signal S2 and the odd-numbered pulses of the first light emission signal S1 overlap. The light receiving signal R is also a pulse signal having a pulse period identical to the pulse period of the first light emitting signal S1, for example, half of the pulse period 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 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 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 the odd-numbered pulses of the first feedback light. In order to allow the optical receiver to distinguish between the pulse of the light reception signal of the second feedback light and the pulse 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 be 5-10 times the intensity of the first light beam.

The processor may obtain SLAM data from the pulse of the light reception signal of the first feedback light and determine whether an obstacle exists in the first area AR1 and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the self-traveling apparatus, and determine whether an obstacle exists in the second area AR2 from the pulse of the light reception signal of the second feedback light and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the self-traveling apparatus. Based on the result, the processor determines the obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment to achieve a good obstacle avoidance effect.

In the above-described 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 unit time, and thus more precise SLAM mapping can be realized.

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

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

s130: controlling a second light detecting 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 optical detection device and the second optical detection device.

Specifically, steps S110 and S130 may be executed simultaneously, the processor generates a first light emitting signal S1 and a second light emitting signal S2, and sends the first light emitting signal S1 and the second light emitting signal S2 to the first light emitter 1311 and the second light emitter 1321, respectively, the first light emitter 1311 emits the first light beam based on the first light emitting signal S1, the second light emitter 1321 emits the second light beam based on the second light emitting signal S260, 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, plans an obstacle avoidance path of the self-walking device 100, and the self-walking device 100 may execute a self-obstacle-walking path planning operation, and implement a simultaneous safety map function.

Embodiments of the present disclosure 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 as described in any of the above.

The disclosed embodiments also provide an electronic apparatus, for example, an electronic structure of a self-walking device, including a processor and a memory, where the memory stores computer program instructions executable by the processor, and the processor executes the computer program instructions to implement the method steps of any of the foregoing embodiments.

As shown in fig. 10, the electronic device may include a processing device (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphic 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.

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

In particular, the processes described above with reference to the flow diagrams may be implemented as self-walking device software programs, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 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 illustrated by the flow chart. In such an embodiment, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from a network through the communication means 1009, or installed from the storage means 1008, or installed from the ROM 1002. The computer program, when executed by the processing device 1001, performs the above-described functions defined in the methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that the computer readable medium of the present disclosure may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium or any combination of the two. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination 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 present 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 contrast, in the present disclosure, a computer readable signal medium may comprise a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated data signal may take many forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. 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, optical cables, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

The computer readable medium may be contained in the self-walking apparatus; or may be present separately without being assembled into the self-propelled device.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of 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 type of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

The flowchart 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 above-described embodiments of the apparatus are merely illustrative, and the units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one position, or may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the present embodiment. One of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without inventive effort.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only intended to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, not to limit them; 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 solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; and such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the corresponding technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims (13)

1. A self-walking apparatus, comprising:

an apparatus main body;

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

and a second optical detection device disposed on a sidewall of the apparatus body, adjacent to the first optical detection device, and configured to detect an obstacle in a second area between the first area and the apparatus body.

2. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the first light detecting 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 being irradiated onto an obstacle in the first area to generate first feedback light; and

a light receiver disposed adjacent to the first light emitter and configured to receive the first feedback light, the light receiver having a first light collection angle in a first direction perpendicular to the self-walking device walking surface, the first light collection angle being greater than the first light exit angle.

3. The self-propelled device of claim 2, wherein the second light detecting means comprises:

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

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

4. The self-walking device of claim 3, further comprising 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.

5. The self-propelled 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 send the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal to the first light emitter and a second light emitter, respectively, the first light emitter emitting the first light beam based on the first light emission signal, 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 and/or second feedback light received by the optical receiver:

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

7. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the first and second light emission signals are both pulsed signals and the first and second light beams are both pulsed light beams.

8. The self-walking device of claim 7, wherein 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.

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

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

11. The self-propelled device of any of claims 3-9, wherein the wavelength of the first light beam is the same as or different from the wavelength of the second light beam.

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

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

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