Self-moving device and control method therefor

• US 10,444,757 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Positec Power Tools Company Limited (Positec Group Limited)
• Inventors: Dong, Yongming, Liu, Fangshi, Gao, Zhendong, Tan, Yiyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/551,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20180329420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/00 Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D37/00 - A01D41/00, A01D43/00; convertible to apparatus for purposes other than mowing or capable of performing operations other than mowing A01D42/00; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/12 using electric or magnetic means G01D5/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/22 by investigating capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0098 Plants or trees wood G01N33/46
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-moving device, which moves and works in a working area defined by a limit and comprises a shell, a moving module, a task executing module and a control module; the control module controls the moving module to drive the self-moving device to move and controls the task executing module to execute a work task; the self-moving device comprising at least one capacitance sensor, which is mounted in the shell and electrically connected to the control module and detects whether a surface below the self-moving device or in front of a moving direction is a surface to be machined; the capacitance sensor comprises at least one probe, the probe comprises a probing surface located on the outer surface of the probe, and a conductivity of at least part of the probing surface is larger than or equal to 10⁻⁹ s/m; or a distance between the probe and the surface below the self-moving device meets a first preset condition; or an area of the probing surface meets a second preset condition.

Claims

1. A self-moving device, moving and working in a working area defined by a limit, and comprising:

a shell, a moving module, a task executing module and a control module,

the control module controlling the moving module to drive the self-moving device to move and controlling the task executing module to execute a work task;

the self-moving device comprising at least one capacitance sensor, which is mounted to the shell and electrically connected to the control module and detects whether a surface below the self-moving device or in front of a moving direction is a surface to be processed, wherein the self-moving device is characterized in that

the capacitance sensor comprises at least one probe, the probe comprises a probing surface located on the outer surface of the probe, and a conductivity of at least part of the probing surface is larger than or equal to 10<sup>−

9</sup> s/m.

2. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probing surface comprises a lower surface facing to the surface below the self-moving device, and a conductivity of the lower surface is larger than or equal to 10⁻

9 s/m.

3. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the capacitance sensor comprises a longitudinal axis extending downwards form the shell, the probing surface comprises a surrounding surface around the longitudinal axis, and a conductivity of the surrounding surface is larger than or equal to 10⁻

9 s/m.

4. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probing surface comprises a side surface, vertical to a working surface of the self-moving device or inclined for a preset angle relative to the working surface of the self-moving device, and a conductivity of the side surface is larger than or equal to 10⁻

9 s/m.

5. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probe comprises at least one polar plate electrically connected to the control module, a conductivity of the polar plate is larger than or equal to 10⁻

9 s/m, and the probing surface comprises a surface of the polar plate.

6. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probe comprises at least one polar plate electrically connected to the control module and a cladding layer at least partially cladding the polar plate, a conductivity of an outer surface of the polar plate is larger than or equal to 10⁻

9 s/m, and the probing surface comprises an outer surface of the cladding layer.

7. The self-moving device according to claim 6, characterized in that the cladding layer comprises an inner layer close to the polar plate and an outer layer away from the polar plate, a conductivity of the inner layer is smaller than or equal to 10−

9 s/m, and a conductivity of the outer layer is larger than or equal to 10<sup>−

9</sup> s/m.

8. The self-moving device according to claim 7, characterized in that an interval between the polar plate and the outer layer of the cladding layer is smaller than or equal to a preset distance.

9. The self-moving device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control module comprises a signal processing circuit processing an electric signal input by the capacitance sensor and also comprises a protective circuit electrically connected to the capacitance sensor and the signal processing circuit, and when a value of the electric value input by the capacitance sensor is larger than or equal to a threshold, the protective circuit reduces the value of the electric value input by the capacitance sensor, such that the value of the electric value input to the signal processing circuit is kept in a preset range.

10. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the probe comprises at least two polar plates electrically connected to the control module respectively, and the polar plates have different potentials.

11. The self-moving device according to claim 10, characterized in that the polar plate comprises a shielding side back to the surface below the self-moving device, and the shielding side is provided with a shielding layer.

12. The self-moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the capacitance sensor comprises a connecting part connected to the probe and the shell, the probe comprises a first rotary shaft parallel with a working surface of the self-moving device, and the probe can rotate around the first rotary shaft relative to the connecting part.

13. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that the connecting part comprises a second rotary shaft vertical to the working surface of the self-moving device, and the connecting part can rotate around the second rotary shaft relative to the shell, such that the probe rotates around the second rotary shaft.

14. The self-moving device according to claim 12, characterized in that the probe is a wheel, and the first rotary shaft is a wheel axle of the wheel.

15. A control method for a self-moving device, wherein the self-moving device comprises at least one capacitance sensor for detecting whether a surface below the self-moving device or in front of a moving direction is a surface to be processed, the capacitance sensor comprises at least one probe, the probe comprises a probing surface located on the outer surface of the probe, and the control method for a self-moving device is characterized by comprising the following steps:

providing the probing surface, part of which has a conductivity being larger than or equal to 10−

9 s/m;

judging whether the surface below the self-moving device or in front of a moving direction is a surface to be machined according to an electric signal output by the capacitance sensor;

controlling the self-moving device to continuously move when the surface is judged to be a surface to be machined; and

controlling the self-moving device to change a moving manner when the surface is judged not to be a surface to be machined.