Methods and devices for cleaning garbage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862098-B2
Application number	US-201614996996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A garbage-cleaning method for use in a monitoring apparatus is provided. The method includes: acquiring monitored data about a monitored area; detecting whether garbage is present in the monitored area according to the monitored data; if garbage is present in the monitored area, acquiring location information of the garbage in the monitored area; and sending the location information of the garbage to a garbage-cleaning robot configured to clean the garbage according to the location information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A garbage-cleaning method performed by a monitoring apparatus, comprising:
acquiring monitored data about a monitored area;
detecting whether garbage is present in the monitored area according to the monitored data;
if garbage is present in the monitored area, acquiring location information of the garbage in the monitored area, wherein the acquiring of the location information of the garbage in the monitored area includes:
identifying an intersection between a wall and a floor of the monitored area according to the monitored data;
modeling the floor according to the intersection between the wall and the floor; and
computing location information of the garbage based on the modeled floor; and

sending the location information of the garbage to a garbage-cleaning robot configured to clean the garbage according to the location information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting of whether the garbage is present in the monitored area comprises:
detecting whether a user action produces garbage according to at least one image in the monitored data.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting of whether the garbage is present in the monitored area comprises:
comparing two images in the monitored data to acquire a difference between the two images; and
detecting whether the garbage is present in the monitored area according to the difference between the two images.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting of whether the garbage is present in the monitored area comprises:
detecting whether an image of the monitored data has changed; and
if the image of the monitored area has changed, identifying whether garbage is present in the image.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
recording at least one image of the monitored area as a sample image when the garbage-cleaning robot moves or stays in the monitored area;
receiving location information of the garbage-cleaning robot synchronously reported by the garbage-cleaning robot when each sample image is recorded;
identifying pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in each sample image; and
correlating and storing each sample image, the pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in each sample image, and the location information of the garbage-cleaning robot synchronously reported by the garbage-cleaning robot.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the monitored data includes a monitored image, the acquiring of the location information of the garbage in the monitored area comprising:
matching pixel information of the garbage in the monitored image with pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in a sample image; and
if the matching is successful, determining the location information correlated to the matched sample image as the location information of the garbage in the monitored area.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting of whether the garbage is present in the monitored area according to the monitored data comprises:
detecting whether the garbage is present on a floor of the monitored area according to the monitored data.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the acquiring of the location information of the garbage in the monitored area comprises:
if the garbage is present on the floor of monitored area, acquiring the location information of the garbage on the floor of the monitored area.

9. A garbage-cleaning method for use in performed by a garbage-cleaning robot, comprising:
receiving location information of garbage sent by a monitoring apparatus; and
cleaning the garbage according to the location information,
wherein the monitoring apparatus:
acquires monitored data about a monitored area;
identifies an intersection between a wall and a floor of the monitored area according to the monitored data;
models the floor according to the intersection between the wall and the floor; and
computes location information of the garbage based on the modeled floor.

10. A monitoring apparatus for cleaning garbage, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire monitored data about a monitored area;
detect whether garbage is present in the monitored area according to the monitored data;
if garbage is present in the monitored area, acquire location information of the garbage in the monitored area, wherein the acquiring of the location information of the garbage in the monitored area includes:
identifying an intersection between a wall and a floor of the monitored area according to the monitored data;
modeling the floor according to the intersection between the wall and the floor; and
computing location information of the garbage based on the modeled floor; and

send the location information of the garbage to a garbage-cleaning robot configured to clean the garbage according to the location information.

11. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect whether a user action produces garbage according to at least one image in the monitored data.

12. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
compare two images in the monitored data to acquire a difference between the two images; and
detect whether garbage is present in the monitored area according to the difference between the two images.

13. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect whether an image of the monitored area has changed; and
if the image of the monitored area has changed, identify whether garbage is present in the image.

14. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
record at least one image of the monitored area as a sample image when the garbage-cleaning robot moves or stays in the monitored area;
receive location information of the garbage-cleaning robot synchronously reported by the garbage-cleaning robot when each sample image is recorded;
identify pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in each sample image; and
correlate and store each sample image, the pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in each sample image, and the location information of the garbage-cleaning robot synchronously reported by the garbage-cleaning robot.

15. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the monitored data includes a monitored image and the processor is further configured to:
match pixel information of the garbage in the monitored image with pixel information of the garbage-cleaning robot in a sample image; and
if the matching is successful, determine the location information correlated to the matched sample image as the location information of the garbage in the monitored area.

16. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect whether the garbage is present on a floor of the monitored area according to the monitored data.

17. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
if the garbage is present on the floor of monitored area, acquire the location information of the garbage on the floor of the monitored area.

18. A garbage-cleaning robot, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive location informat

Assignees

• Xiaomi Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Pengfei
• Xia Yongfeng
• Wang Yidong
• Liu Tiejun

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J9/163

  learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control · CPC title

• G05D1/0246

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title

• G05D2201/0203

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00664

  Physics · mapped topic