CN118199197A - Charging management method, autonomous working apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a charging management method, which is used for charging management of autonomous operation equipment and comprises the following steps: the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state; judging whether a preset condition is met or not; if not, the charging state is ended and then the power-off state is entered. The charging management method provided by the embodiment of the invention can reduce the power consumption and improve the operation experience of a user.

Description

Charging management method, autonomous working apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

Technical Field

The embodiment of the invention relates to the field of charging control, in particular to a charging management method of autonomous working equipment.

Background

Automatic charging techniques for intelligent mowers are known, as are techniques for reducing standby power consumption. However, the reduced power consumption techniques of the prior art may affect the user's operational experience.

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem to be solved by the specific embodiment of the invention is to improve the operation experience of a user while ensuring the reduction of power consumption.

In order to solve the above technical problems, a specific embodiment of the present invention discloses a charging management method for charging management of an autonomous working device, including the following steps: the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state; judging whether the preset condition is met, if not, entering a shutdown state after finishing the charging state.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, an embodiment of the present invention discloses an autonomous working apparatus, including a processor and a memory for storing executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to perform the charge management method described above.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, a specific embodiment of the present invention discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which is characterized in that the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores processor executable instructions, and the executable instructions are configured to enable a processor of an autonomous working device to perform the above-mentioned charge management method.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an autonomous operating system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an autonomous operating system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a charging management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention and structural, methodological, or functional modifications of these embodiments that may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art are included within the scope of the invention.

It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature.

In the present embodiments, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, terms such as "coupled," "connected," and the like are to be construed broadly and include, for example, either permanently coupled, removably coupled, or integrally formed therewith; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; may be a communication between two elements or an interaction between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

In particular embodiments of the invention, unless explicitly stated and limited otherwise, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include both the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include both the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact by another feature therebetween.

In the present embodiments, the term "plurality" means two or more, unless explicitly stated and defined otherwise.

The embodiment provides an autonomous operating system, which comprises an autonomous operating device, a docking station and a boundary.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an autonomous operating system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and referring to fig. 1, this embodiment provides an autonomous operating system 1 including an autonomous operating device 100, a docking station 900, and a boundary.

The autonomous working apparatus is especially a robot that can autonomously move within a preset area and perform a specific work, typically such as an intelligent sweeper/cleaner performing a cleaning work, or an intelligent mower performing a mowing work, etc. The specific job refers to a job for processing the working surface and changing the state of the working surface. The invention is described in detail by taking an intelligent mower as an example. The autonomous working device can walk on the surface of a working area autonomously, and particularly can be used as an intelligent mower to mow the ground autonomously. The autonomous operation equipment at least comprises a main body mechanism, a moving mechanism, a working mechanism, an energy module, a detection module, an interaction module, a control module and the like.

The body mechanism generally includes a chassis for mounting and accommodating the functional mechanisms and functional modules of the moving mechanism, the working mechanism, the energy module, the detection module, the interaction module, the control module, and the like, and a housing. The housing is generally configured to at least partially encase the chassis, primarily to enhance the aesthetics and identification of the autonomous working apparatus. In this embodiment, the housing is configured to be repositionably translatable and/or rotatable relative to the chassis under the action of an external force, and in combination with a suitable detection module, such as a hall sensor for example, may further function to sense an event such as a collision, lift, etc.

The movement mechanism is configured to support the body mechanism on the ground and drive the body mechanism to move on the ground, and generally includes a wheel-type movement mechanism, a crawler-type or semi-crawler-type movement mechanism, a walk-type movement mechanism, and the like. In this embodiment, the movement mechanism is a wheel-type movement mechanism including at least one drive wheel and at least one travel prime mover. The walking prime mover is preferably an electric motor, and in other embodiments may be an internal combustion engine or a machine that generates power using other types of energy sources. In the present embodiment, a left driving wheel, a left traveling prime mover driving the left driving wheel, a right driving wheel, and a right traveling prime mover driving the right driving wheel are preferably provided. In this embodiment, the linear travel of the autonomous working apparatus is achieved by the same-directional constant-speed rotation of the left and right driving wheels, and the steering travel is achieved by the same-directional differential or opposite rotation of the left and right driving wheels. In other embodiments, the movement mechanism may further include a steering mechanism independent of the drive wheel and a steering prime mover independent of the travel prime mover. In this embodiment, the movement mechanism further comprises at least one driven wheel, typically configured as a universal wheel, the driving wheel and the driven wheel being located at the front and rear ends of the autonomous working apparatus, respectively.

The work mechanism is configured to perform a specific work task including a work piece and a work prime mover that drives the work piece. Illustratively, for intelligent sweepers/cleaners, the work pieces include a roller brush, a dust suction tube, a dust collection chamber, and the like; for intelligent mowers, the work piece includes a cutting blade or cutter disc, and further includes other components for optimizing or adjusting mowing effect, such as a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting mowing height. The working prime mover is preferably an electric motor, and in other embodiments may be an internal combustion engine or a machine that uses other types of energy to generate power. In other embodiments, the working prime mover and the traveling prime mover are configured as the same prime mover.

The energy module is configured to provide energy for various operations of the autonomous working device. In this embodiment, the energy module includes a battery, preferably a rechargeable battery, and a charging connection structure, preferably a charging electrode that is exposable to the outside of the autonomous working device.

The detection module is configured as at least one sensor that senses an environmental parameter in which the autonomous working device is located or an operating parameter of its own. Typically, the detection module may comprise sensors associated with the definition of the working area, for example of the magnetic induction type, collision type, ultrasonic type, infrared type, radio type, etc., the sensor type being adapted to the position and number of the corresponding signal generating means. The detection module may also include sensors associated with positioning navigation, such as GPS positioning devices, laser positioning devices, electronic compasses, acceleration sensors, odometers, angle sensors, geomagnetic sensors, and the like. The detection module may also include sensors related to its operational safety, such as obstacle sensors, lift sensors, battery pack temperature sensors, and the like. The detection module may also include sensors associated with the external environment, such as an ambient temperature sensor, an ambient humidity sensor, an illumination sensor, a deluge sensor, and the like.

The interaction module is configured to at least receive control instruction information input by a user, send out information needing to be perceived by the user, communicate with other systems or devices to send and receive information, and the like. In this embodiment, the interaction module includes an input device provided on the autonomous working apparatus 100 for receiving control instruction information input by a user, typically such as a control panel, a scram key, and the like; the interaction module further comprises a display screen, an indicator light and/or a buzzer which are arranged on the autonomous operation equipment, and the user perceives information through light emitting or sounding. In other embodiments, the interaction module includes a communication module disposed on the autonomous working device and a terminal device independent of the autonomous working device, such as a cell phone, a computer, a network server, etc., on which control instruction information or other information of the user can be input to reach the autonomous working device via a wired or wireless communication module.

The control module typically includes at least one processor and at least one non-volatile memory, where the memory stores a pre-written computer program or set of instructions according to which the processor controls the execution of actions such as movements, tasks, etc. of autonomous working device 100. Further, the control module may also be capable of controlling and adjusting the corresponding behavior of the autonomous working apparatus, modifying parameters in the memory, etc., based on signals from the detection module and/or user control instructions.

The autonomous working apparatus 100 of the present invention is configured to be autonomously movable and perform a work within a preset area, and includes a body mechanism, a moving mechanism, a working mechanism, an energy source module, and a first control module 11.

Fig. 2 is a circuit frame diagram of an autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to fig. 2, the energy module includes an energy unit 12 and a charging connection structure x+, the energy unit 12 is connected to the charging connection structure x+, and the autonomous working device 100 further includes a first switching circuit 141, a second switching circuit 142, and a fifth capacitor C5; the input end 141i of the first switch circuit is connected to the charging connection structure x+, the output end 141o of the first switch circuit is connected to the power pin PA1 of the first control module 11, the input end 142i of the second switch circuit is connected to the control end 141c of the first switch circuit, the output end 142c of the second switch circuit is grounded, and the control end 141c of the second switch circuit is connected to the third control pin PA3 of the first control module 11; the first end of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to the control end 141C of the first switching circuit, and the second end of the fifth capacitor C5 is grounded, that is, the fifth capacitor C5 is connected in parallel between the input end 142i of the second switching circuit and the ground terminal of the input-output circuit of the fifth capacitor C5 and the second switching circuit 142.

The boundaries are used to define the working area of the robotic system and generally comprise an outer boundary 941 and an inner boundary. Autonomous working devices are defined to move and operate within the outer boundary, outside the inner boundary, or between the outer and inner boundaries. The boundary may be solid, typically such as a wall, fence, railing, or the like; the boundary may also be virtual, typically as emitted by a boundary signal generating means, which is usually an electromagnetic or optical signal, or a virtual boundary set in an electronic map, typically formed by two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates, for autonomous working equipment provided with positioning means, such as GPS or the like. In this embodiment, the boundary is configured as a closed current conductor electrically connected to a boundary signal generator, which is usually arranged in the docking station.

The docking station is usually configured on or within a boundary for the autonomous working device to dock, in particular to be able to supply energy to the autonomous working device docked at the docking station.

With continued reference to fig. 2, the docking station 900 is configured to include a second control module 91 and a power connection structure y+, Y-, configured to be dockable with the charging connection structure x+, X-, to form a primary power supply loop between the docking station 900 and the autonomous working device 100.

With continued reference to fig. 2, the main power supply loop includes a power supply connection structure positive electrode y+, a charging connection structure positive electrode x+, a detection circuit, a charging connection structure negative electrode X-, a power supply connection structure negative electrode Y-, a third sampling circuit 921, and a fourth sampling circuit 922, wherein the power supply connection structure positive electrode y+ is configured to be docked with the charging connection structure positive electrode x+, the power supply connection structure negative electrode Y-is configured to be docked with the charging connection structure negative electrode X-, and a detection circuit and a charging circuit connected in parallel are provided between the charging connection structure positive electrode x+ and the charging connection structure negative electrode X-; the input end 921i of the third sampling circuit is connected with the negative electrode Y of the power supply connection structure, the output end 921i of the third sampling circuit is grounded, the output end 921o of the third sampling circuit is grounded, and the signal end 921s of the third sampling circuit is connected with the pin PB2 of the second control module 91; the third sampling circuit 921 includes a voltage-dropping unit, and the third sampling circuit 921 is configured to detect a voltage drop of the voltage-dropping unit.

The invention discloses a charging management method for charging management of autonomous working equipment, which comprises the following steps: the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state; judging whether the preset condition is met, if not, entering a shutdown state after finishing the charging state. The charge management method is shown in fig. 3, and comprises the following steps:

s110, the autonomous working equipment enters a charging state.

S120, judging whether a preset condition is met.

S130, if not, entering a shutdown state after finishing the charging state.

Further, the autonomous working device is in a shutdown state prior to entering a charging state.

Further, the autonomous working device includes a charging connection structure; and when the charging connection structure is electrically connected with the power supply connection structure of the power supply equipment, the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state. The technical scheme disclosed in the Chinese patent No. 213399309U is adopted in the embodiment to realize the butt joint charging of the autonomous operating equipment and the docking station in the shutdown state. The Chinese patent CN213399309U is incorporated in its entirety as part of the present description, and is particularly important in paragraphs [0068] to [0072] of the specification. When the autonomous working apparatus is in the off state, it cannot be automatically docked with the docking station, so in this case, the autonomous working apparatus is typically placed on the docking station by the user, with the charging connection of the autonomous working apparatus electrically connected to the power supply connection of the docking station.

Further, as a preferred solution, in some embodiments, the autonomous working device enters a power-on state when the charging connection structure is electrically connected with a power supply connection structure of a power supply device. In other embodiments, the autonomous working device enters the on state when the battery level rises above a first threshold after entering the charged state.

Further, as a preferred aspect, in some embodiments, when the charging connection structure is electrically connected to the power supply connection structure of the power supply device, the fifth capacitor of the autonomous working device is charged, and the autonomous working device enters a charged state.

Further, as a preferred scheme, in some embodiments, when the charging connection structure is electrically connected with the power supply connection structure of the power supply device, the fifth capacitor of the autonomous working device charges to generate a voltage difference between the input end and the output end of the first switch circuit of the autonomous working device, the first switch circuit is conducted, and the first control module of the autonomous working device is powered on; after the first control module is electrified, the control end of the second switch circuit of the autonomous operation device is locked to be at a high level through the third control pin of the first control module, the second switch circuit is continuously conducted, the first switch circuit is conducted, the fifth capacitor is discharged, and the autonomous operation device enters a starting state.

Specifically, with continued reference to fig. 2, at an instant when the autonomous working apparatus 100 is coupled to the docking station 900, the fifth capacitor C5 is charged, so that a voltage difference is generated between the input terminal and the output terminal of the first switch circuit 141, and the first switch circuit 141 is turned on, and the first control module 11 is powered on. After the first control module 11 is powered on, the control end of the second switch circuit 142 is locked to be at a high level through the third control pin PA3, so that the second switch circuit 142 is continuously turned on, the first switch circuit 141 is further ensured to be turned on, and the fifth capacitor C5 is discharged, so that the whole power-on and power-on process is completed.

Further, the preset condition includes a user inputting a first user instruction. In some embodiments, the first user instruction is password information. In some embodiments, the first user instruction is a specific action, such as pressing a specific key in a preset sequence and/or number of times. After entering a charging state, the autonomous working device sends out a signal to prompt a user to input the first user instruction. The preset condition may also be that the autonomous working device receives a first user instruction input by a user.

Specifically, when the autonomous working device in the off state is electrically connected with the docking station, the autonomous working device enters the on state and enters the charging state. In some embodiments, the user is informed via an on-board display that the password information may be entered to activate the autonomous working device. When the user hopes that the autonomous working equipment works normally after the charging is finished, the user can input a password immediately after the autonomous working equipment is placed at the docking station for charging, and when the charging is finished, the autonomous working equipment can mow according to a preset working plan. When the user wants to keep the automatic operation equipment in a shutdown state after the charging is finished, the requirement usually occurs in maintenance when the automatic operation equipment is stored for a long time, and input of a user command can be omitted, and when the charging is finished, the automatic operation equipment is automatically shut down, so that the energy consumption during the storage period is reduced to the greatest extent.

Further, the preset condition includes the autonomous working device automatically shutting down due to the battery level being below a first threshold value before entering the state of charge. In some embodiments, the autonomous working device may record the cause of the shutdown. If the battery is shut down due to active operation of a user, the battery enters a shutdown state after the charging is finished; if the power of the battery is too low to shut down, the power-on state is kept after the charging is finished, and mowing operation is performed according to a preset work plan.

An autonomous working apparatus comprising a processor and a memory for storing executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to perform the charge management method described above.

Further, the autonomous working device is an intelligent mower.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of an autonomous working device to perform the above-described charge management method.

It should be understood that although the present disclosure describes embodiments, not every embodiment is provided with a separate embodiment, and that this description is for clarity only, and that the skilled artisan should recognize that the embodiments may be combined as appropriate to form other embodiments that will be understood by those skilled in the art.

The above list of detailed descriptions is only specific to practical embodiments of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and all equivalent embodiments or modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. A charging management method for an autonomous working apparatus, comprising the steps of: the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state; judging whether a preset condition is met or not; if not, the charging state is ended and then the power-off state is entered.

2. The charge management method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous working device is in a shutdown state prior to entering a charging state.

3. The charge management method according to claim 2, wherein the autonomous working apparatus includes a charge connection structure; and when the charging connection structure is electrically connected with the power supply connection structure of the power supply equipment, the autonomous operation equipment enters a charging state.

4. A charge management method according to claim 3, wherein the autonomous working apparatus enters a power-on state when the charge connection structure is electrically connected with a power supply connection structure of a power supply apparatus.

5. The charge management method according to claim 2, wherein when the charge connection structure is electrically connected with the power supply connection structure of the power supply device, the fifth capacitor of the autonomous working device is charged, and the autonomous working device enters a charged state.

6. The charge management method of claim 5, wherein when the charge connection structure is electrically connected to the power supply connection structure of the power supply device, charging the fifth capacitor of the autonomous working device causes a voltage difference to be generated between an input terminal and an output terminal of a first switching circuit of the autonomous working device, the first switching circuit being turned on, and a first control module of the autonomous working device being powered on; after the first control module is electrified, the control end of the second switch circuit of the autonomous operation device is locked to be at a high level through the third control pin of the first control module, the second switch circuit is continuously conducted, the first switch circuit is conducted, the fifth capacitor is discharged, and the autonomous operation device enters a starting state.

7. The charge management method according to claim 3, wherein a battery level of the autonomous working device increases after entering a charged state, and the autonomous working device enters a turned-on state when the battery level is not less than a first threshold.

8. The charge management method of claim 1, wherein the preset condition includes receiving a first user instruction entered by a user.

9. The charge management method of claim 8, wherein the first user instruction comprises password information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein upon entering a charging state, the autonomous working device signals a user to input the first user command.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises the autonomous operating device automatically shutting down because the battery level is below a first threshold value before entering a state of charge.

12. An autonomous working apparatus comprising a processor and a memory for storing executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to perform the charge management method of any one of claims 1-11.

13. The autonomous working device of claim 12, wherein the autonomous working device is a smart mower.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of an autonomous working apparatus to perform the charge management method of any of claims 1-11.