Home robot and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017052255-A1
Application number	US-201515118766-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A home robot and control method thereof; the home robot comprises: a casing ( 100 ); a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters ( 200 ) and a plurality of ultrasonic receivers ( 300 ) provided on the casing ( 100 ) arranged at intervals; and a controller ( 400 ) connected to the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters ( 200 ) and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers ( 300 ) respectively, the controller ( 400 ) being used to control the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters ( 200 ) to transmit first ultrasonic wave signals according to a preset period and to detect a front obstacle according to signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers ( 300 ). The home robot can detect the direction of an obstacle, and is not affected by a material of the obstacle, thus enabling the home robot to perform an avoidance method according to the detected direction of the obstacle, avoiding a collision between the home robot and the obstacle, increasing a cleaning coverage rate and improving a user experience.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A home robot, comprising:
a shell; a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and a plurality of ultrasonic receivers, disposed on the shell, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers are arranged alternately with each other; and a controller, connected with the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers, respectively, and configured to control the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters to send first ultrasonic signals at intervals according to a preset cycle and to detect a front obstacle according to signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers.

2 . The home robot according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers comprise:
a first ultrasonic receiver, located on a frontage of the home robot; a first ultrasonic transmitter and a second ultrasonic transmitter, located at two sides of the first ultrasonic receiver, respectively; wherein there is a first angle between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the first ultrasonic receiver, and there is the first angle between the second ultrasonic transmitter and the first ultrasonic receiver; and a second ultrasonic receiver and a third ultrasonic receiver, located at an out side of the first ultrasonic transmitter and an out side of the second ultrasonic transmitter, respectively; wherein there is a second angle between the second ultrasonic receiver and the first ultrasonic transmitter, and there is the second angle between the third ultrasonic receiver and the second ultrasonic transmitter.

3 . The home robot according to claim 2 , wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

4 . The home robot according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control the first ultrasonic transmitter to send the first ultrasonic signal, and to control the second ultrasonic transmitter to send the first ultrasonic signal after a preset delay time.

5 . The home robot according to claim 2 , wherein a signal received by the first ultrasonic receiver is configured as a first signal, a signal received by the second ultrasonic receiver is configured as a second signal, and a signal received by the third ultrasonic receiver is configured as a third signal, wherein:
if the third signal is greater than the first signal and the first signal is greater than the second signal, it is determined that the front obstacle is on a right side of the home robot; if the third signal and the second signal are both less than the first signal, it is determined that the front obstacle is in front of the home robot; and if the second signal is greater than the first signal and the first signal is greater than the third signal, it is determined that the front obstacle is on a left side of the home robot.

6 . The home robot according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter according to the signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers.

7 . The home robot according to claim 6 , wherein:
if it is determined that the front obstacle is on the left side of the home robot, the controller is configured to control the second ultrasonic transmitter to send a second ultrasonic signal, wherein a signal strength of the second ultrasonic signal is less than that of the first ultrasonic signal; and if it is determined that the front obstacle is on the right side of the home robot, the controller is configured to control the first ultrasonic transmitter to send the second ultrasonic signal.

8 . The home robot according to claim 7 , wherein the first ultrasonic transmitter or the second ultrasonic transmitter is adjusted to send the first ultrasonic signal if the front obstacle detected changes.

9 . A control method of a home robot, wherein the home robot comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and a plurality of ultrasonic receivers arranged alternately with each other, and the control method comprises:
controlling the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters to send first ultrasonic signals at intervals according to a preset cycle; detecting a front obstacle according to signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers.

10 . The control method according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters and the plurality of ultrasonic receivers comprise:
a first ultrasonic receiver, located on a frontage of the home robot; a first ultrasonic transmitter and a second ultrasonic transmitter, located at two sides of the first ultrasonic receiver, respectively; wherein there is a first angle between the first ultrasonic transmitter and the first ultrasonic receiver, and there is the first angle between the second ultrasonic transmitter and the first ultrasonic receiver; and a second ultrasonic receiver and a third ultrasonic receiver, located at an out side of the first ultrasonic transmitter and an out side of the second ultrasonic transmitter, respectively; wherein there is a second angle between the second ultrasonic receiver and the first ultrasonic transmitter, and there is the second angle between the third ultrasonic receiver and the second ultrasonic transmitter.

11 . The control method according to claim 10 , wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

12 . The control method according to claim 10 , wherein controlling the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters to send first ultrasonic signals at intervals according to a preset cycle, comprises:
controlling the first ultrasonic transmitter to send the first ultrasonic signal, and controlling the second ultrasonic transmitter to send the first ultrasonic signal after a preset delay time.

13 . The control method according to claim 10 , wherein a signal received by the first ultrasonic receiver is configured as a first signal, a signal received by the second ultrasonic receiver is configured as a second signal, and a signal received by the third ultrasonic receiver is configured as a third signal; detecting a front obstacle according to signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers specifically comprises:
if the third signal is greater than the first signal and the first signal is greater than the second signal, determining that the front obstacle is on a right side of the home robot; if the third signal and the second signal are both less than the first signal, determining that the front obstacle is in front of the home robot; and if the second signal is greater than the first signal and the first signal is greater than the third signal, determining that the front obstacle is on a left side of the home robot.

14 . The control method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
controlling the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter according to the signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers.

15 . The control method according to claim 14 , wherein controlling the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter according to the signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic receivers specifically comprises:
if it is determined that the front obstacle is on the left side of the home robot, controlling the second ultrasonic transmitter to send a second ultrasonic signal, wherein a signal strength of the second ultrasonic signal is less than that of the first ultrasonic signal; and if it is determined that the front obstacle is on the right side of the home robot, controlling the first ultrasonic transmitter to send

Assignees

• Jiangsu Midea Cleaning Appliances Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Qinghao
• Chen Yuan
• Shen Qiang

Classifications

• A47L9/2826

  the condition of the floor · CPC title

• G05D1/0255

  using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93) · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• G05D2201/0203

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01S15/93 Primary

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title