Control method and system, and mobile robot using the same

• US 10,437,253 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ankobot (Shanghai) Smart Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ankobot (Shanghai) Smart Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hou, Xiru
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US16/115,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20190212750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 700245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30248 Vehicle exterior or interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches

Abstract

The present application provides a control method, and system, and a mobile robot using the same. The control method comprises the following steps: under a navigation operating environment of the mobile robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time; analyzing at least one captured image; and controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzed that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region. In the present application, the problem that the robot cannot determine the navigation and pose thereof based on the acquired images due to lighting problems is solved.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a mobile robot, wherein, the mobile robot comprises an image acquisition device, and the system comprises:

a storage device, configured to store one or more programs; and

a processing device, connected with the storage device and configured to perform the following steps through invoking the one or more programs;

under a navigation operating environment of the mobile robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time;

analyzing at least one captured image; and

controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region,

wherein, the step of controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region comprises any one of the following steps;

shielding the image provided by the image acquisition device, and controlling the movement of the mobile robot according to the original navigation route;

controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the time during which the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region is longer than a preset time; and

adjusting a framing surface of the image acquisition device and navigating the mobile robot according to the images captured by the adjusted image acquisition device,

wherein, the step of adjusting a framing surface of the image acquisition device and navigating the mobile robot according to the images captured by the adjusted image acquisition device comprises any one of the following steps;

controlling the image acquisition device to deflect by an angle, and controlling the movement of the mobile robot according to the adjusted deflection angle and the original navigation route; and

controlling the image acquisition device to deflect by an angle, and modifying the original navigation route according to the adjusted deflection angle to control the movement of the mobile robot.

2. The system for controlling a mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, the step of analyzing at least one captured image comprises:

determining the current position of the mobile robot based on the features identified from the at least one image.

3. The system for controlling a mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, the step of analyzing at least one captured image comprises:

determining that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region based on grayscale features in the at least one image.

4. A mobile robot, comprising:

an image acquisition device;

the system for controlling a mobile robot of claim 1, configured to determine that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region based on at least one image captured by the image acquisition device and output movement instructions based on the control of the movement of the mobile robot; and

a movement system, connected with the control system and configured to drive the mobile robot to move based on the movement instructions.

5. The mobile robot of claim 4, wherein, the movement system comprises:

at least two sets of rolling wheels, wherein at least one set of rolling wheels is a set of controlled rolling wheels; and

a drive control device, connected with the system for controlling a mobile robot and configured to drive the set of controlled rolling wheels to roll based on the movement instructions.

6. The mobile robot of claim 4, wherein, the image acquisition device is arranged on the top surface of the mobile robot, and the angle between the optic axis of the field of view of the image acquisition device and the vertical line is ±

30°

.

7. The mobile robot of claim 4, further comprising:

a cleaning system, connected with the system for controlling a mobile robot and configured to clean the surface along the route along which the movement system moves.

8. The mobile robot of claim 7, wherein, the system for controlling a mobile robot is further configured to output movement instructions containing pose control information based on cleaning control of the cleaning robot on the current navigation route;

and

the movement system is used to adjust the movement pose of the cleaning robot based on the movement instructions.

9. A method for controlling a mobile robot, wherein, the mobile robot comprises an image acquisition device, and the method comprises the following steps:

under a navigation operating environment of the mobile robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time;

analyzing at least one captured image; and

controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region,

wherein, the step of controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region comprises any one of the following steps;

shielding the image provided by the image acquisition device, and controlling the movement of the mobile robot according to the original navigation route;

controlling the movement of the mobile robot after analyzing that the time during which the image acquisition device faces an overexposure region is longer than a preset time; and

adjusting a framing surface of the image acquisition device and navigating the mobile robot according to the images captured by the adjusted image acquisition device,

wherein, the step of adjusting a framing surface of the image acquisition device and navigating the mobile robot according to the images captured by the adjusted image acquisition device comprises any one of the following steps;

controlling the image acquisition device to deflect by an angle, and controlling the movement of the mobile robot according to the adjusted deflection angle and the original navigation route; and

controlling the image acquisition device to deflect by an angle, and modifying the original navigation route according to the adjusted deflection angle to control the movement of the mobile robot.