Self-moving device capable of automatically recognizing an object in front, and recognition method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11249490-B2
Application number	US-201916250960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A self-moving device capable of automatically recognizing an object in front is provided. The self-moving device includes a signal transmission module, a gradient determination module, and a control module. The signal transmission module transmits recognition signals propagated along at least two different paths. The gradient determination module obtains, according to the recognition signals, a first determination result indicating whether an object in front is a slope. The control module controls a traveling path of the self-moving device according to the first determination result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-moving device capable of automatically recognizing an object in front, wherein the self-moving device is configured to:
transmit slope recognition signals respectively propagated along at least two different paths in a horizontal direction, to obtain a first horizontal distance and a second horizontal distance that are respectively between a first transmission point and a second transmission point and corresponding points of the object in front;
determine whether the object in front is a slope, by comparing a ratio of the first horizontal distance to a vertical height of the first transmission point and a ratio of the second horizontal distance to a vertical height of the second transmission point;
acquire, when the object in front is a slope, an angle of inclination of the slope, according to a ratio of a distance difference between the second horizontal distance and the first horizontal distance to a difference between vertical heights of the corresponding second transmission point and first transmission point;
determine whether the self-moving device can pass the object in front, by comparing the angle of inclination of the slope with an angle threshold; and
control the self-moving device to ascend the slope, when it is determined that the self-moving device can pass the object in front.

2. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the first transmission point and the second transmission point are disposed at different heights.

3. The self-moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the first transmission point and the second transmission point are not in a same vertical plane parallel to a movement direction of the self-moving device.

4. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device further comprises a laser transmission unit that transmits a laser signal, and the slope recognition signal.

5. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device is configured to determine, based on whether the ratio of the first horizontal distance to the vertical height of the first transmission point is equal to the ratio of the second horizontal distance to the vertical height of the second transmission point, whether the object in front is a slope, and determines, when the ratio of the first horizontal distance to the vertical height of the first transmission point is equal to the ratio of the second horizontal distance to the vertical height of the second transmission point, that the object in front is a slope.

6. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device further receives the slope recognition signals.

7. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device further comprises an ultrasonic transmission unit that transmits an ultrasonic signal, and the slope recognition signal is an ultrasonic signal.

8. A method for automatically recognizing an object in front of a self-moving device, the method comprising:
transmitting slope recognition signals respectively propagated along at least two different paths in a horizontal direction, to obtain a first horizontal distance and a second horizontal distance that are respectively between a first transmission point and a second transmission point and corresponding points of the object in front;
determining whether the object in front is a slope, by comparing a ratio of the first horizontal distance to a vertical height of the first transmission point and a ratio of the second horizontal distance to a vertical height of the second transmission point;
acquiring, when the object in front is a slope, an angle of inclination of the slope according to a ratio of a distance difference between the second horizontal distance and the first horizontal distance to a difference between vertical heights of the corresponding second transmission point and first transmission point;
determining whether the self-moving device can pass the object in front, by comparing the angle of inclination of the slope with an angle threshold; and
controlling the self-moving device to ascend the slope, when it is determined that the self-moving device can pass the object in front.

9. The method for automatically recognizing an object in front according to claim 8 , wherein the determining whether the object in front is a slope, by comparing a ratio of the first horizontal distance to a vertical height of the first transmission point and a ratio of the second horizontal distance to a vertical height of the second transmission point, comprises:
determining the object in front is a slope, when the ratio of the first horizontal distance to the vertical height of the first transmission point is equal to the ratio of the second horizontal distance to the vertical height of the second transmission point.

10. The method for automatically recognizing an object in front according to claim 8 , wherein the slope recognition signal is a laser signal.

11. The method for automatically recognizing an object in front according to claim 8 , wherein the first transmission point and the second transmission point are disposed at different heights.

12. The method for automatically recognizing an object in front according to claim 8 , wherein the slope recognition signal is an ultrasonic signal.

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Du Jiang
• Dalfra Davide
• Wang Dong
• Lan Bincai

Classifications

• G01S15/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S15/876

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S15/872 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S15/88

  Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01D34/008

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title