Control method and system, and cleaning robot using the same

• US 10,293,489 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• 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: Cui, Yuwei, Li, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US16/131,335
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/29 Floor-scrubbing machines characterised by means for taking-up dirty liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 : by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 : by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

The present application provides a control method and system, and a cleaning robot using the same. The control method comprises the following steps: under a navigation operating environment of the cleaning robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time; analyzing at least one captured image; and controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot based on analyzed results and according to a preset cleaning mode, wherein the cleaning mode comprises a cleaning mode corresponding to an underexposure region. In the present application, users can clean some certain regions depending on requirements, thereby realizing the aim of separated-area cleaning according to the requirements of users.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot comprises an image acquisition device, a movement system and a cleaning system, and the system for controlling a cleaning robot 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 cleaning robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time;

analyzing at least one captured image; and

controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot based on analyzed results and according to a preset cleaning mode, wherein the cleaning mode comprises a cleaning mode corresponding to an underexposure region.

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

determining the current position of the cleaning robot based on the localization features identified in at least one image.

3. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein, the step of determining the current position of the cleaning robot based on the localization features identified in at least one image comprises:

localizing the cleaning robot based on the localization features identified in at least one image and landmark information created in advance.

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

analyzing whether the cleaning robot is located in an underexposure region based on the grayscale features in at least one image.

5. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the processing device is further configured to perform a step of determining whether the cleaning robot is located in an underexposure region by analyzing the photosensitive information from photosensitive elements.

6. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the processing device is further configured to perform a step of analyzing at least one image which is captured after the amount of incoming light in the image acquisition device being adjusted.

7. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 6, wherein, the manner of adjusting the amount of incoming light in the image acquisition device comprises at least one of:

adjusting an aperture of the image acquisition device and adjusting the exposure time of the image acquisition device.

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

analyzing multiple images captured within a preset time duration to determine whether the cleaning robot is located in an underexposure region.

9. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the processing device is further configured to perform a step of creating landmark information of the underexposure region in map data created in advance;

or a step of updating the landmark information of the corresponding underexposure region in the map data created in advance.

10. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 9, wherein, the step of controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot according to a preset cleaning mode comprises:

navigating the cleaning robot based on a preset cleaning mode, localization information identified in at least one image and the landmark information.

11. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the processing device is further configured to perform a step of determining the cleaning mode of the corresponding underexposure region based on user input.

12. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the step of controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot based on the analyzed results and according to a preset cleaning mode comprises any of the following step:

adjusting the navigation route of the cleaning robot to leave the underexposure region;

controlling the cleaning robot to go through the underexposure region according to the original navigation route, and controlling the cleaning robot to clean the underexposure region according to a preset cleaning mode corresponding to the underexposure region.

13. The system for controlling a cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein, the processing device is further configured to perform a step of outputting prompt information after entering the underexposure region.

14. A cleaning robot, comprising:

a system for controlling a cleaning robot, configured to output control instructions corresponding to a preset cleaning mode based on analytic result of the captured images, the system for controlling a cleaning robot 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 cleaning robot, controlling the image acquisition device to capture images in real time;

analyzing at least one captured image; and

controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot based on analyzed results and according to a preset cleaning mode, wherein the cleaning mode comprises a cleaning mode corresponding to an underexposure region;

an image acquisition device, connected to the control system and configured to capture images to be processed by the control system;

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

a cleaning system, connected with the control system and configured to perform cleaning operations based on the control instructions.

15. The cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein, the image acquisition device is located on the top surface of the cleaning robot, and the angle between the optic axis of the image acquisition device and the vertical line is ±

30°

.

16. The cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein, the image acquisition device comprises at least one of an adjustable aperture and an adjustable shutter mechanism which are used to adjust the amount of incoming light in the image acquisition device, and the control system can analyze at least one image which is captured after the amount of incoming light being adjusted by the image acquisition device.

17. The cleaning robot of claim 14, 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 control system and configured to drive the set of controlled rolling wheels to roll based on the control instructions.

18. The cleaning robot of claim 14, wherein, the cleaning system comprises:

a cleaning component; and

a cleaning drive control component, connected to the control system and configured to drive the cleaning component to clean the surface based on the control instructions.

19. A method for controlling a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot comprises an image acquisition device, a movement system and a cleaning system, and the method comprises the following steps:

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

analyzing at least one captured image; and

controlling behaviors of the cleaning robot based on analyzed results and according to a preset cleaning mode, wherein the cleaning mode comprises a cleaning mode corresponding to an underexposure region.