Automatic working system, self-moving device, and methods for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11841710-B2
Application number	US-202217943503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

A self-moving device, including: a moving module, a task execution module, a control module. The control module is electrically connected to the moving module and the task execution module, controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move, controls the task execution module to execute a working task. The self-moving device further includes a satellite navigation apparatus, electrically connected to the control module and configured to receive a satellite signal and output current location information of the self-moving device. The control module determines whether quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a current location satisfies a preset condition, controls, if the quality does not satisfy the preset condition, the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to change a moving manner, to enable quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a location after the movement to satisfy the preset condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-moving device, comprising:
a moving module, a task execution module, and a control module, wherein the control module is electrically connected to the moving module and the task execution module, and is configured to control the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move, and to control the task execution module to execute a working task;
the self-moving device further comprises a satellite navigation apparatus, electrically connected to the control module and configured to receive a satellite signal and output current location information of the self-moving device, wherein the self-moving device comprises a storage unit, electrically connected to the control module and the satellite navigation apparatus; a location at which quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus satisfies a preset condition is referred to as an expected location; the storage unit stores information of the expected location;
wherein the control module is further configured to:
control the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move along a preset path;

determine whether quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a current location satisfies the preset condition, and if the quality does not satisfy the preset condition, control the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to continue to move along the preset path; if the quality still does not satisfy the preset condition after the self-moving device moves along the preset path for a preset time or by a preset distance, control the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move toward the expected location, to enable quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a location after the movement to satisfy the preset condition.

2. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module determines distances between several expected locations stored in the storage unit and the current location of the self-moving device, chooses one of the several expected locations according to the distances between the expected locations and the current location of the self-moving device, and controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move toward the chosen expected location.

3. The self-moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the control module controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move toward an expected location closest to the current location of the self-moving device.

4. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein a location at which the quality of the location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus does not satisfy the preset condition before the self-moving device changes the moving manner is referred to as an original location, and the storage unit stores information of the original location; and
after the self-moving device moves to the expected location, the control module controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to return to the original location.

5. The self-moving device according to claim 4 , wherein after controlling the moving module to actuate the self-moving device return to the original location, the control module controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to continue to move along the preset path.

6. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device further comprises at least one location sensor, electrically connected to the control module, and configured to detect features related to the location of the self-moving device; and
when the quality of the location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus does not satisfy the preset condition, the control module determines the current location of the self-moving device at least partially based on output of the location sensor.

7. The self-moving device according to claim 6 , wherein the location sensor comprises at least one of a camera, radar, a capacitive sensor, and an inertial navigation sensor.

8. The self-moving device according to claim 6 , wherein when the quality of the location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus satisfies the preset condition, the self-moving device corrects the output of the location sensor by using output of the satellite navigation apparatus.

9. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the preset condition comprises that a quantity of satellites from which the satellite navigation apparatus receives a signal is greater than or equal to a preset value.

10. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein if the quality does satisfy the preset condition while the self-moving device moves along the preset path within the preset distance or the preset time, the self-moving device is controlled to continue to move along the preset path.

11. A method for controlling a self-moving device, wherein the self-moving device comprises a satellite navigation apparatus, configured to receive a satellite signal and output current location information of the self-moving device, and the method for controlling a self-moving device comprises steps of:
controlling a moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move along a preset path;
determining a location at which quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus satisfies a preset condition is referred to as an expected location; storing the expected location;
determining whether quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a current location satisfies the preset condition, and if the quality does not satisfy the preset condition, control the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to continue to move along the preset path; and
controlling the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move toward the expected location, if the quality still does not satisfy the preset condition after the self-moving device moves along the preset path for a preset time or by a preset distance, to enable quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a location after the movement to satisfy the preset condition.

12. The method for controlling a self-moving device according to claim 11 , wherein distances between several stored expected locations and the current location of the self-moving device are determined, one of the several expected locations is chosen according to the distances between the expected locations and the current location of the self-moving device, and the self-moving device is controlled to move toward the chosen expected location.

13. The method for controlling a self-moving device according to claim 12 , wherein the self-moving device is controlled to move toward an expected location closest to the current location of the self-moving device.

14. The method for controlling a self-moving device according to claim 11 , wherein a location at which the quality of the location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus does not satisfy the preset condition before the self-moving device changes the moving manner is referred to as an original location, and information of the original location is stored; and after the self-moving device is controlled to move to the expected location, the self-moving device is further controlled to return to the original location.

15. The method for controlling a self-moving device according to claim 14 , wherein after the self-moving device returns to the original location, the self-moving device is controlled to continue to move along the preset path.

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shao Yong
• He Mingming
• Zhou Chang
• Yang Zhou
• Sun Gen
• Rao yue

Classifications

• G05D1/0278 Primary

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G01S1/00

  Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith (position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00) · CPC title

• G01S19/485 Primary

  whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system · CPC title

• G01S19/49

  whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title