IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,903,540

Granted Patent B2

US 11,903,540 · App. 17/361,154 · Granted Feb 20, 2024

Cleaning robot and method of surmounting obstacle

Inventors: Yang He (Beijing, CN); Yongfeng Xia (Beijing, CN)

Assignees: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.; BEIJING ROBOROCK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

A47L11/4061 A46B9/026 A46B13/001 A46B13/02 A47L11/24 A47L11/28 A47L11/282 A47L11/4002 A47L11/4011 A47L11/4041 A47L11/4066 A47L11/4072 G05D1/02 G05D1/0214 A46B2200/302 A47L2201/04 G05D2201/0203

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,903,540
App. No.: 17/361,154
Granted: Feb 20, 2024
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A cleaning robot includes a detector configured to detect an obstacle; a determining circuit configured to determine whether the cleaning robot is in an obstacle obstruction state; and a controller configured to control the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle and control the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle according to a detection result when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state, wherein the detector is further configured to detect whether the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle; and the controller is further configured to control the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle when the detector detects that the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle.

Claims (78)

1. A cleaning robot, comprising:

a driver comprising a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel arranged in parallel;

a detector configured to detect an obstacle;

a determining circuit configured to determine whether the cleaning robot is in an obstacle obstruction state; and

a controller configured to control the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle according to a detection result when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state,

wherein the detector is further configured to detect whether the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle; and

the controller is further configured to control the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle when the detector detects that the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state and an inclined angle of the cleaning robot is less than a first angle.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 2 , wherein when the controller controls the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle, the controller is further configured to:

control the first drive wheel to travel in a first traveling direction, and control the second drive wheel to travel in a second traveling direction; or

control the first drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction at a first speed, and control the second drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction at a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; or

control the first drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction, and control the second drive wheel to remain stationary;

wherein the first traveling direction is a traveling direction of the cleaning robot before the cleaning robot enters the obstacle obstruction state, and the second traveling direction is opposite to the first traveling direction.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 3 , wherein when the controller controls the second drive wheel to remain stationary, the controller is configured to:

control a drive direction of the second drive wheel to be the first traveling direction and a rotation speed of the second drive wheel to be zero.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 4 , wherein:

the detector is configured to detect whether the second drive wheel rotates to the second traveling direction after the controller controls the rotation speed of the second drive wheel to be zero; and

the controller is configured to control the second drive wheel to output a rotation force along the first traveling direction to remain stationary when the second drive wheel rotates to the second traveling direction.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 2 , wherein:

when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state and an inclined angle of the cleaning robot is less than a second angle, the controller is configured to control the cleaning robot to travel in a second traveling direction; and

the second traveling direction is opposite to a first traveling direction, the first traveling direction is the traveling direction of the cleaning robot before the cleaning robot enters the obstacle obstruction state, and the second angle is less than the first angle.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein when the controller controls the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle, the controller is configured to:

control the second drive wheel to travel in a first traveling direction, and control the first drive wheel to travel in a second traveling direction; or

control the second drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction at a first speed, and control the first drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction at a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; or

control the second drive wheel to travel in the first traveling direction, and control the first drive wheel to remain stationary;

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 7 , wherein when the controller controls the first drive wheel to remain stationary, the controller is configured to:

control a drive direction of the first drive wheel to be the first traveling direction and a rotation speed of the first drive wheel to be zero.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 8 , wherein:

after the controller controls the rotation speed of the first drive wheel to be zero, the detector is configured to detect whether the first drive wheel rotates to the second traveling direction; and

when the first drive wheel rotates to the second traveling direction, the controller is configured to control the first drive wheel to output a rotation force along the first traveling direction to remain stationary.

10. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

when an inclined angle of the cleaning robot is greater than a first angle, the controller is configured to control the cleaning robot to travel in a second traveling direction; and

the second traveling direction is opposite to a first traveling direction, and the first traveling direction is the traveling direction of the cleaning robot before the cleaning robot enters the obstacle obstruction state.

11. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

when the detector detects that the first drive wheel does not cross the obstacle, a number of occurrences of not crossing the obstacle is recorded;

when the number of occurrences is greater than a preset value, the controller is configured to control the cleaning robot to travel in a second traveling direction; and

a first traveling direction is a traveling direction of the cleaning robot before the cleaning robot enters the obstacle obstruction state, and the second traveling direction is opposite to the first traveling direction.

12. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein, in a situation that the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state, when the controller controls the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle and controls the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle, the controller is configured to:

control the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle, and control the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state and there is an obstruction obstacle in a direction parallel to a traveling direction of the cleaning robot and perpendicular to a contact surface, the contact surface being a plane where the cleaning robot performs a cleaning task;

wherein the first drive wheel is a drive wheel proximal to the obstruction obstacle, and the second drive wheel is a drive wheel distal from the obstruction obstacle.

13. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect whether at least one of the first drive wheel or the second drive wheel is in a slipping state, the slipping state being a state in which at least one of the first drive wheel or the second drive wheel rotates on a contact surface in a sliding manner; and

the determining circuit is configured to determine that the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state when the at least one of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel is in the slipping state.

14. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect whether at least one of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel is in a stuck state, the stuck state being a state in which at least one of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel is stopped by an external force during rotation; and

15. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the determining circuit is further configured to:

acquire a traveling mileage of at least one of the first drive wheel or the second drive wheel, and a position of the cleaning robot; and

determine that the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state when a variation value of the traveling mileage is beyond a preset range and the position of the cleaning robot does not change.

16. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein the determining circuit is further configured to:

detect whether a drive current of the driver is greater than a preset current value; and

determine that the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state when the drive current is greater than the preset current value.

17. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect whether the cleaning robot is inclined; and

the determining circuit is further configured to determine that the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state when the cleaning robot is inclined.

18. A method for crossing an obstacle, applicable to a cleaning robot comprising a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel arranged in parallel and a controller, the method comprising:

detecting the obstacle;

determining whether the cleaning robot is in an obstacle obstruction state; and

controlling the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle, and controlling the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle according to a detection result when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state;

wherein said controlling the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle, and controlling the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle comprises:

controlling the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle

detecting whether the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle; and

controlling the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle when it is detected that the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

recording a number of occurrences of not crossing the obstacle when first drive wheel does not cross the obstacle; and

controlling the cleaning robot to travel in a second traveling direction when the number of occurrences is greater than a preset value;

wherein

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, configured to store instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, a method for crossing an obstacle is performed, the method comprising:

detecting an obstacle;

determining whether the cleaning robot is in an obstacle obstruction state when the cleaning robot travels; and

controlling the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle, according to a detection result when the cleaning robot is in the obstacle obstruction state;

wherein controlling the first drive wheel to cross an obstacle, and controlling the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle comprises:

controlling the first drive wheel to cross the obstacle

detecting whether the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle; and

controlling the second drive wheel to cross the obstacle when it is detected that the first drive wheel crosses the obstacle.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2021

From: HE, YANG; XIA, YONGFENG

To: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.; BEIJING ROBOROCK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

Reel/Frame 056694/0087 →

Priority Claims (1)

CN 201610394228.2 · Jun 6, 2016 · national

Continuity (3)

Continuation 16211229 · Dec 5, 2018

Continuation PCTCN2017083112 · May 4, 2017

Related Publication 20210321853A1 · Oct 21, 2021

Cited By (1)

US 12,591,255