Self-moving device, obstacle detection method thereof, and obstacle detection module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12066831-B2
Application number	US-202017427893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2019
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-moving device, where the self-moving device includes at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules, respectively located on two side of a housing in a moving direction and configured to transmit detection signals and receive reflected detection signals, to detect an obstacle in the moving direction of the self-moving device; the self-moving device further includes a control module, and the control module turns on each obstacle detection module in a time-sharing manner to transmit the detection signal and turns on each obstacle detection module in the time-sharing manner to receive the reflected detection signal, to obtain detection data; and the control module determines a location of the obstacle according to the obtained detection data, a corresponding identity of the obstacle detection module that transmits the detection signal, and a corresponding identity of the obstacle detection module that receives the detection signal, to control the self-moving device to move and/or turn to avoid the obstacle, and the identities of the obstacle detection modules are related to positions of the obstacle detection modules relative to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-moving device comprising:
a housing;
a moving module;
a working module;
at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules, respectively located on two sides of the housing in a moving direction, and configured to transmit and receive detection signals, and detect an obstacle in the moving direction of the self-moving device;
a control module, configured to:
control the moving module to drive the self-moving device to move and control the working module to perform a work task;
determine a location of the obstacle based at least in part on detection data;
control the self-moving device to move and/or turn to avoid the obstacle based at least in part on the determined location of the obstacle;
determine that the obstacle is located in a right first region of a right region if the detection data comprises a detection signal transmitted and received by a left obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules and does not comprise any detection signal transmitted and received by a right obstacle detection module of the at least two obstacle detection modules;
determine that the obstacle is located in a left first region of a left region if the detection data comprises a detection signal transmitted and received by a right obstacle detection module of the at least non-contact two obstacle detection modules and does not comprise any detection signal transmitted and received by the left obstacle detection module; and
determine that the obstacle is located in the right region or a middle region in the moving direction of the self-moving device if the left obstacle detection module transmits a first detection signal, and the detection data comprises the first detection signal reflected by the obstacle and received by the left obstacle detection module.

2. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules comprise axes in signal transmitting directions, and the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules are disposed opposite to each other, so that projections of the axes on a working plane intersect in front of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules.

3. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to control the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules to sequentially transmit the detection signals and sequentially enable the at least the two non-contact obstacle detection modules to receive the detection signals.

4. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to:
select a first obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules to be turned on to transmit one or more detection signals and select a second obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules to be turned on to receive the one or more detection signals to form different combinations of transmission and receiving of the one or more detection signals; and
determine the location of the obstacle based at least in part on detection data obtained by at least two different combinations of transmission and receiving of the one or more detection signals.

5. The self-moving device according to claim 4 , wherein the control module is further configured to determine the location of the obstacle according to the detection data obtained within one period implemented by the at least two different combinations of transmission and receiving of the one or more detection signals.

6. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to:
select a first obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules to be turned on to transmit one or more detection signals and select a second obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules to be turned on to receive the one or more detection signals to form different combinations of transmission and receiving of the one or more detection signals.

7. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein a detection region is formed by the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules and is divided into a plurality of sub-regions;
the control module is further configured to determine a sub-region in which the obstacle is located based at least in part on the detection data, a corresponding identity of an obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules that transmits the detection signal, and a corresponding identity of an obstacle detection module of the at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules that receives the detection signal; and
the sub-regions comprise the left region and the right region in the moving direction of the self-moving device.

8. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the left obstacle detection module is disposed on a left side of the housing, and the right obstacle detection module is disposed on a right side of the housing.

9. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to:
determine that the obstacle is located in the left region or the middle region if the right obstacle detection module transmits a second detection signal, and the detection data comprises the second detection signal reflected by the obstacle and received by the right obstacle detection module.

10. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to:
determine that the obstacle is located in a right second region of the right region in the moving direction of the self-moving device if the detection data comprises only the detection signal transmitted and received by the left obstacle detection module; and
determine that the obstacle is located in a left second region of the left region in the moving direction of the self-moving device if the detection data comprises only the detection signal transmitted and received by the right obstacle detection module.

11. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detection data further comprises respective distance parameters of the detection signals;
the control module is further configured to determine that the obstacle is located in the right region if a distance parameter of a second detection signal received by the left obstacle detection module is greater than a distance parameter of a third detection signal received by the right obstacle detection module; and
the control module is further configured to determine that the obstacle is located in the left region if the distance parameter of the second detection signal received by the left obstacle detection module is less than the distance parameter of the third detection signal received by the right obstacle detection module.

12. The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to determine that the obstacle is located in the middle region in the moving direction of the self-moving device if the left obstacle detection module or the right obstacle detection module transmits a second detection signal, and the left obstacle detection module and the right obstacle detection module receive the second detection signal.

13. A self-moving device comprising:
a moving module comprising a drive and a first driving circuit connected to the drive;
at least two non-contact obstacle detection modules, configured to transmit and receive detection signals reflected by an obstacle, to detect the obstacle in a moving direction of the self-m

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dalfra Davide
• Conti Emanuel
• Testolin Federico

Classifications

• G05D1/247

  using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons · CPC title

• G01S15/878

  wherein transceivers are operated, either sequentially or simultaneously, both in bi-static and in mono-static mode, e.g. cross-echo mode · CPC title

• G01S7/521

  Constructional features · CPC title

• G01S15/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/0238

  using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93) · CPC title