Systems and methods of operating automatic swimming pool cleaners, especially when approaching walls or other objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287632-B2
Application number	US-202117395145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 10, 2020
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

An automatic swimming pool cleaner (APC) may include a sensor for detecting adjacency of a pool wall or other object. Following such detection, the APC may reorient itself so as to re-approach the wall (or other object) in a manner better suited for cleaning the area. The reorientation may occur through, for example, changing speeds of motors on-board the APC, directions of travel of the cleaner, or both.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a sensor configured to detect a pool wall or object while the automatic swimming pool cleaner is travelling within a swimming pool and approaching the pool wall or object; and
a controller configured to determine an orientation of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the detected pool wall or object based on the detected pool wall or object from the sensor and control the automatic swimming pool cleaner such that the determined orientation matches a desired orientation of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the pool wall or object while approaching the pool wall or object.

2. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, an ultrasonic sensor, a time of flight sensor, or a current watching sensor.

3. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an approach angle of the automatic swimming pool relative to the detected pool wall or object based on the detection by the sensor, and wherein the desired orientation comprises a predetermined approach angle of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the pool wall.

4. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the automatic swimming pool cleaner by differential driving of at least two wheels or tracks of the automatic swimming pool cleaner.

5. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the automatic swimming pool cleaner by repositioning of an intake port of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the pool wall or object.

6. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the automatic swimming pool cleaner to withdraw from an area of the pool wall or other object after the sensor detects the pool wall or object.

7. The automatic swimming pool cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a motor, a pump, a debris filter, a water intake, and at least one motive element.

8. A method of controlling an automatic swimming pool cleaner travelling within a swimming pool, the method comprising:
detecting, by a sensor on the automatic swimming pool cleaner, a wall or object while the automatic swimming pool cleaner is travelling within the swimming pool and approaching the wall or object;
determining, by a controller on the automatic swimming pool cleaner, an orientation of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the wall or object based on the detection by the sensor; and
controlling, by the controller, the automatic swimming pool cleaner such that the determined orientation matches a desired orientation of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the approaching wall or object while the automatic swimming pool cleaner is approaching the wall or object.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, an ultrasonic sensor, a time of flight sensor, or a current watching sensor.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the orientation of the automatic swimming pool cleaner comprises determining an approach angle of the automatic swimming pool relative to the approaching wall or object.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the automatic swimming pool cleaner comprises controlling the automatic swimming pool to approach the pool wall or object at a predetermined approach angle.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the automatic swimming pool cleaner comprises at least one of:
differential driving of at least two motive elements of the automatic swimming pool cleaner; or
repositioning of an intake port of the automatic swimming pool cleaner relative to the approaching wall or other object.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing the automatic swimming pool cleaner to withdraw from an area of the pool wall or other object after detecting its approach.

Assignees

• Zodiac Pool Care Europe

Inventors

• Besnier Arnaud
• Dallet Florent
• Duffaut Simon
• Mcqueen E Keith

Classifications

• G05D1/00

  Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/243

  Means capturing signals occurring naturally from the environment, e.g. ambient optical, acoustic, gravitational or magnetic signals (using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle G05D1/249) · CPC title

• G05D2109/30

  Water vehicles · CPC title

• E04H4/1654

  Self-propelled cleaners · 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