CN111406242B - self mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-moving apparatus (1000) comprising a body (101) having a top wall (1010) and a bottom wall (1011); the control component controls the self-moving equipment (1000) to automatically cruise and execute work tasks in a work area; the optical sensing assembly (102) is arranged in the front of the main body (101) and located between the top wall (1010) and the bottom wall (1011), an opening (103) is formed in the front side wall of the front portion, the optical sensing assembly (102) detects an image in front of the mobile equipment (1000) through the opening (103) to provide reference information for cruising of the mobile equipment (1000), more objects in front of and above the mobile equipment (1000) can be shot by the optical sensing assembly (102) arranged in the opening (103) in front of the main body (101) from the mobile equipment (1000), the range of the detected image view is wider and wider, assistance is provided for positioning, obstacle avoidance and walking strategy adjustment of the mobile equipment (1000), the optical sensing assembly (102) is arranged in the opening (103), the optical sensing assembly (102) is not only ensured not to be collided by external obstacles, but also the interference of external environment light can be avoided by limiting the size of the opening (103), the cruising ability of the self-moving device (1000) is improved.

Description

self mobile device

technical field

The present invention relates to a self-moving device, in particular, to a self-moving device with identification and positioning functions.

Background technique

In the prior art, a general robot is a machine with an electromechanical system controlled by a computer. Mobile robots have the ability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location. At present, commonly used mobile robots use automated guided vehicles or automated guided vehicles (AGVs). AGVs are typically thought of as mobile robots that follow marks or wires in the floor or use vision systems or lasers for navigation. Not only can mobile robots find application in industrial, military, and security environments, but they are also emerging as consumer products for entertainment or to perform specific tasks, such as lawn care, vacuum cleaning, and home assistance.

To achieve full autonomy, a mobile robot typically needs to possess the ability to explore its environment without user intervention, build a reliable map of the environment and locate itself within the map, and recognize the environment. However, how to realize the above functions more accurately and effectively has always been a problem that needs to be studied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a self-moving device that can effectively identify and locate.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical scheme of the present invention is: a self-moving device, comprising:

a main body, having a top wall and a bottom wall;

Control components, control self-mobile equipment to automatically cruise in the work area and perform work tasks;

An optical sensing assembly is arranged at the front of the main body and between the top wall and the bottom wall, the front side wall of the front part is provided with an opening, and the optical sensing assembly detects the image from the front of the mobile device through the opening , to provide reference information for cruising from mobile devices.

In a specific embodiment, a transparent member is disposed at the opening, and the optical sensing component captures an image through the transparent member.

In a specific embodiment, the self-moving device includes a guard, and the optical sensing assembly is located within the guard.

In a specific embodiment, a seal is provided between the opening and the optical sensing assembly.

In a specific embodiment, the field of view of the optical sensing component through the opening in the vertical direction is 45-100 degrees.

In a specific embodiment, the central axis of the vertical viewing angle is substantially horizontal.

In a specific embodiment, the angle between the central axis of the vertical field of view and the horizontal line is ±15 degrees.

In a specific embodiment, the height of the opening in the vertical direction does not exceed 2/3 of the height of the front side wall of the front part.

In a specific embodiment, the optical sensing assembly is disposed near the front 20% of the front of the main body.

In a specific embodiment, the optical sensing assembly includes a camera whose shooting direction is disposed toward the opening.

In a specific embodiment, the shooting direction of the camera is perpendicular to the opening.

In a specific embodiment, the vertical distance between the center of the camera and the opening is 2-5CM.

In a specific embodiment, the optical sensing assembly includes a camera and a reflector, the projection direction of the reflector faces the shooting direction of the camera, and the incident direction of the reflector faces the opening.

In a specific embodiment, the reflector is located above the camera, an extension line of one end of the reflector intersects the top wall, and the angle formed in the direction close to the opening is an obtuse angle.

In a specific embodiment, the obtuse angle is 100-130 degrees.

In a specific embodiment, the camera is mounted on the bottom wall.

In a specific embodiment, the shooting direction of the camera is perpendicular to the top wall or the angle formed by the top wall in the direction close to the opening is an acute angle.

In a specific embodiment, the effective field angle formed by the shooting direction of the camera and the mirror is 35-65 degrees.

In a specific embodiment, the vertical distance between the center of the reflector and the opening is 3-6CM.

In a specific embodiment, the vertical distance between the bottom end of the reflector and the camera is 2-5 cm.

In a specific embodiment, the vertical height of the reflector is 4-8 cm.

In a specific embodiment, when the angle formed by the shooting direction of the camera and the top wall in the direction close to the opening is an acute angle, the camera body intersects with the bottom wall, and the angle formed in the direction close to the opening is 8-12 degrees .

The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the self-moving device of the present invention utilizes the optical sensing components arranged in the front opening of the main body, which can identify objects in the driving direction of the main body and photograph more objects in front of and above the self-moving device, so that the optical transmission The image field of view detected by the sensor component is wider and wider, which provides help for the positioning, obstacle avoidance and adjustment of walking strategies of self-moving devices. Collision can also avoid the interference of external ambient light (such as sunlight) by limiting the size of the opening, and improve the cruising ability of the self-moving device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a technical scheme as follows:

A self-moving device comprising:

a body having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;

A camera for shooting at a predetermined field of view, the camera is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface so that the optical axis of the camera is aligned with the top surface at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera is opposite to the driving direction.

Further, the main body has a front portion along the driving direction, and the axial projection of the optical axis of the camera is close to the front portion of the main body and is located within a range of 20% of the length of the main body.

Further, the angle range between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is 30-60 degrees.

Further, the angle between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is in the range of 40-50 degrees.

Further, the field of view of the camera spans a 90-120 degree frustum in the vertical direction.

Further, the top surface has a protruding structure thereon, and the camera is positioned within the protruding structure.

Further, the lens of the camera at least partially protrudes from the top surface.

Further, the top surface has a concave structure below, and the camera is positioned within the concave structure.

Further, the lens of the camera does not protrude from the top surface.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides another technical scheme as follows:

A self-moving device comprising:

a body having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;

A camera for shooting at a predetermined angle of view, the camera is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface so that the optical axis of the camera is aligned with the top surface at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera is the same as the driving direction, and the camera's The field of view spans a 90-120 degree frustum in the vertical direction.

Further, the main body has a front portion along the driving direction, and the axial projection of the optical axis of the camera is close to the front portion of the main body and is located within a range of 20% of the length of the main body.

Further, the angle range between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is 30-60 degrees.

Further, the angle between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is in the range of 40-50 degrees.

Further, the top surface has a protruding structure thereon, and the camera is positioned within the protruding structure.

Further, the lens of the camera at least partially protrudes from the top surface.

Further, the top surface has a concave structure below, and the camera is positioned within the concave structure.

Further, the lens of the camera does not protrude from the top surface.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides another technical scheme as follows:

A self-moving device comprising:

a body having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;

The camera is used for shooting at a predetermined angle of view, the optical axis of the camera is perpendicular to the top surface, and the aiming direction of the camera is provided with a reflector arranged at an acute angle with the top surface.

Further, the camera is mounted on the bottom surface, and the mirror is provided above the camera and close to the top surface.

Further, the main body has a front portion along the driving direction, and the axial projection of the optical axis of the camera is close to the front portion of the main body and is located within a range of 20% of the length of the main body.

Further, the angle between the reflector and the top surface is in the range of 30-45 degrees.

Further, the field of view of the camera spans a 45-60 degree frustum in the vertical direction.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides another technical scheme as follows:

A self-moving device comprising:

a body having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a side wall connecting the top surface and the bottom surface, the body having a front portion in the drive direction, a rear portion opposite the front portion;

a camera, used for shooting at a predetermined angle of view, the camera is installed at an upward tilt relative to the top surface so that the optical axis of the camera is aligned with the top surface at an acute angle, the camera includes two, and the two cameras are respectively arranged on the top surface and near the side walls.

Further, the aiming directions of the two cameras are set opposite to each other.

Further, the line connecting the optical axes of the two cameras passes through a vertical plane from the center of the mobile device.

Further, the angle range between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is 30-60 degrees.

Further, the angle between the optical axis of the camera and the top surface is in the range of 40-50 degrees.

Further, the field of view of the camera spans a 90-120 degree frustum in the vertical direction.

Further, the top surface has a protruding structure thereon, and the camera is positioned within the protruding structure.

Further, the lens of the camera at least partially protrudes from the top surface.

Further, the top surface has a concave structure below, and the camera is positioned within the concave structure.

Further, the lens of the camera does not protrude from the top surface.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides another technical scheme as follows:

A self-moving device comprising:

a body having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;

a camera for shooting at a predetermined angle of view, the camera includes a first camera and a second camera, the first camera is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface so that the optical axis of the first camera is at an acute angle to the top surface The aiming direction of the first camera is opposite to the driving direction, the optical axis of the second camera is perpendicular to the top surface, and the aiming direction of the second camera is provided with a reflector arranged at an acute angle to the top surface.

Further, the main body has a front part along the driving direction, and the projection of the optical axis of the first camera is close to the front part of the main body and is located at a position within a range of 20% of the length of the main body.

Further, the angle range between the optical axis of the first camera and the top surface is 30-60 degrees.

Further, the angle range between the optical axis of the first camera and the top surface is 40-50 degrees.

Further, the field of view of the first camera spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees in the vertical direction.

Further, the top surface has a protruding structure thereon, and the first camera is positioned within the protruding structure.

Further, the lens of the camera at least partially protrudes from the top surface.

Further, the top surface has a concave structure below, and the camera is positioned within the concave structure.

Further, the lens of the camera does not protrude from the top surface.

Further, the second camera is mounted on the bottom surface, and the mirror is provided above the camera and close to the top surface.

Further, the main body has a front portion along the driving direction, and the projection of the optical axis of the second camera is close to the front portion of the main body and is located within a range of 20% of the length of the main body.

Further, the angle between the reflector and the top surface is in the range of 30-45 degrees.

Further, the field of view of the second camera spans a frustum of 45-60 degrees in the vertical direction.

Further, the first camera is disposed adjacent to the reflector and the first camera is located above the reflector.

The beneficial effects of the present invention are: the self-moving device of the present invention can increase the optical path by setting a reflector in front of the camera field of view for identification, compared with the solution of directly aiming the camera directly in front of the camera, so that the camera can capture wider And wider objects used for positioning can increase the width and breadth; by setting the aiming direction of the camera used for positioning towards the rear, the field of view can be directed towards the area that has passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving positioning accuracy. At the same time, the optical axis of the camera is inclined upward, so that the camera can shoot more objects above the self-moving device, which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device; Setting two cameras for positioning, and the aiming directions of the two cameras are set relative to each other, can increase the accuracy of positioning from the mobile device. At the same time, when one of the cameras does not capture an object that can be used for positioning, the other camera can be used for positioning. It can be used for the positioning of the self-mobile device according to its own capture situation, and the positioning of the self-mobile device can be guaranteed to the greatest extent.

Description of drawings

The above-mentioned technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention can be clearly obtained through the following detailed description of the preferred specific embodiments capable of realizing the present invention and the description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a right side view of a self-moving device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a right side view of a self-moving device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a bottom view of a self-moving device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a right side view of a self-moving device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a right side view of the self-moving device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

16 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

18 is a top view of a self-moving device according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

20 is a top view of a self-moving device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a left side view of a self-moving device according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The invention discloses a self-moving device with good positioning accuracy.

Before describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, relational terms such as left and right, up and down, front and back, first and second are only used to distinguish One entity or action and another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprising", "comprising" or any other variation are intended to encompass a non-exclusive inclusion whereby a process, method, article or device comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other not expressly listed elements, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article or device.

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, but not to limit the present invention.

In the description of the following embodiments of the present invention, the forward direction of the machine, that is, the driving direction, is set as the front, the direction opposite to the driving direction is the rear, the direction of the machine closest to the ground is down, and the direction opposite to the bottom and farthest from the ground In the following embodiments of the present invention, the rear is the backward direction of the machine, which is different from the forward direction.

In the description of the following embodiments of the present invention, the included angles between many components and the top wall are involved. Generally, the top wall and the bottom wall are considered to be parallel to each other, and the ground is generally regarded as the reference plane of the self-moving equipment and is parallel to the horizontal plane. , when the top wall is not a plane, the angle between the part and the top wall is considered to be the angle between the tangent to the top wall.

The automatic mobile device mentioned in the present invention may be an automatic or semi-automatic machine that is applied indoors or outdoors, such as a smart lawn mower or a cleaning robot, that can automatically cruise and perform work tasks.

As shown in Figures 1-3, the present invention proposes a self-moving device 1000, including a main body 101, an optical sensor assembly 102 and a control assembly, the main body has a top wall 1010 and a bottom wall 1011 opposite to the top wall, the control assembly, Located in the main body 101, the control assembly can control the self-mobile device 1000 to automatically cruise in the work area and perform work tasks; the main body 101 has a front part along the driving direction, and the optical sensing assembly 102 is arranged in the front part of the main body 101, and is located in the front part of the main body 101. Between the top wall 1010 and the bottom wall 1011 , an opening 103 is provided on the front side wall of the front part. The external light can enter the optical sensing assembly 102 through the opening 103 , and the optical sensing assembly 102 can detect the light from the front of the mobile device 1000 through the opening 103 . image, thereby providing reference information for cruising from the mobile device 1000 using the detected image.

first embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, the optical sensor assembly 102 includes a camera 1020 whose shooting direction is set toward the driving direction of the main body, the camera 1020 is set inside the opening 103 , and the shooting direction of the camera 1020 is substantially perpendicular to the front of the main body The opening 103 at the front side wall, wherein the height of the opening 103 in the vertical direction does not exceed 2/3 of the height of the fuselage, and the vertical distance D between the camera and the opening 103 is 2-5CM, which can ensure that the camera is transparent in the vertical direction. The field of view angle A through the opening 103 reaches 45-100 degrees. This angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the general working environment of the mobile device, so that the field of view of the image that can be detected by the camera is larger, and finally the front is higher. A wider and wider image, such as an adult body, can be captured within this angle range, allowing the camera to directly obtain more effective objects for identification and localization. Specifically, the center axis of the field of view of the camera in the vertical direction is approximately horizontal. In other embodiments, the central axis of the field of view may also be offset by a small distance above and below the horizontal line. Specifically, the angle between the central axis of the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 and the horizontal line may be in the range of ±15 degrees Inside. The optical sensor assembly 102 in this embodiment of the present invention can be used to capture images from the driving direction of the mobile device to identify objects ahead, such as obstacles in the grass, adults, animals and other information, and can also be used to capture Objects on the upper side of the horizontal line, that is to say, an image at a certain angle can be captured from the top surface of the mobile device at a certain angle, so that the optical sensing component 102 can obtain more objects for positioning, such as picture frames hung on the wall, grass tree trunks, etc. For self-moving devices located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the camera's field of view acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning. If the angle is too large, most of the camera's field of view acquires the area between the ceiling and the wall. Images, there are fewer objects that can be used for localization. This angle range can not only ensure the camera's field of view, but also avoid excessive distortion caused by excessive field of view. Shooting creates too many distractions.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the opening 103 is provided with a transparent member 104 , and the transparent member 104 is smoothly connected to the front side walls of both ends of the opening 103 , that is, the opening 103 is closed by the transparent member 104 . The optical sensing assembly 102 in the main body 101 captures an image through a transparent blocking member. The transparent member must have good transparency, and the degree of transparency cannot affect the imaging effect of the optical sensing assembly 102 . It is understandable that transparent materials are used for transparent parts, for example, glass transparent parts are preferred. Glass transparent parts are sufficiently transparent to ensure the imaging effect. However, when the imaging effect is not required, plastic transparent parts can also be used to fully reduce costs. . The transparent member 104 can block external objects from entering the inside of the main body 101 , prevent damage to the parts inside the main body 101 , such as the optical sensor assembly 102 , etc., and can ensure the cleanliness of the inside of the main body 101 . Therefore, the structure of the transparent part should also have a certain firmness and cannot be easily damaged by external objects. Specifically, the height of the opening 103 in the vertical direction does not exceed 2/3 of the height of the front side wall of the front part. By limiting the height of the opening 103, the field of view that can be captured by the camera can be ensured as large as possible, and the external interference light can also be avoided. A lot of it enters the camera's field of view, causing interference to the camera. For example, the height of the opening 103 is limited to 2/3 of the height of the front front side wall, which can ensure that the camera cannot capture sunlight, so as to avoid strong sunlight causing the camera to shoot. The image is overexposed, affecting the quality of the image.

In a specific embodiment, the self-moving device is provided with a protective component 105, and the optical sensing component 102 is disposed in the protective component 105. As shown in FIG. 1, the protective component 105 is a floating cover of the self-moving device, and the floating cover corresponds to the opening The position of 103 is also provided with an opening, and the optical sensor assembly 102 is arranged inside the floating cover. When encountering an obstacle, the front wall of the floating cover first touches the obstacle, and the obstacle is blocked by the floating cover outside, and the obstacle will not In contact with the optical sensing assembly 102, the protective assembly 105 can play a role of preventing the optical sensing assembly 102 from being damaged by the collision of external obstacles. In other embodiments, the protective component 105 can also be a casing of the mobile device, a structure such as an additional anti-collision structure on the mobile device, so that the optical sensing component 102 has the protective component 105 in the process of moving from the mobile device. Block, will not hit obstacles, and ensure the safety of the optical sensor assembly 102 . As shown in FIG. 1 , a sealing member 106 is further provided between the opening 103 and the optical sensing assembly 102 , and sealing members 106 respectively connected to the optical sensing assembly 102 are provided on both sides of the opening 103 . The sealing member 106 is made of rubber, for example. Of course, other materials that can play a sealing effect and have a certain sturdiness can be replaced. Through the arrangement of the rubber strip, a sealed space can be formed between the camera and the transparent member 104 to prevent dust, weeds, etc. from entering the interior of the main body 101, causing pollution to the optical sensor assembly 102, which is not conducive to obtaining clear images.

In this embodiment, the optical sensing assembly 102 is disposed at a position close to the front 20% of the front of the main body 101 , that is, at a position in the front 20% of the length of the main body 101 , by placing the optical sensing assembly 102 close to the front of the main body 101 Installation can avoid wasting the space in the main body 101 of the self-moving device, so that the internal structure of the main body 101 of the self-moving device is compact, and the installation positions of other internal components are more reasonable.

Second Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 2 , the difference from the first embodiment is that the optical sensor assembly 102 includes a camera 1021 and a mirror 1022 , that is, the optical sensor assembly 102 is formed by the cooperation of the camera 1021 and the mirror 1022 . The projection direction is toward the shooting direction of the camera 1021 , and the incident direction of the mirror 1022 is toward the opening 103 . By setting the mirror 1022 , the optical path can be increased, so that the optical sensing assembly 102 can capture wider and wider objects without causing distortion of the field of view of the camera 1021 .

In this embodiment, the camera 1021 is mounted on the bottom wall 1011, and the shooting direction of the camera 1021 faces the top wall 1010. Specifically, the shooting direction of the camera 1021 is perpendicular to the top wall 1010, and the mirror 1022 is located above the camera 1021. One end extension line of 1022 intersects with the top wall 1010, and the angle B formed in the direction close to the opening 103 is an obtuse angle, and the obtuse angle B is 100-130 degrees. The height of the opening 103 does not exceed 2/3 of the height of the front side wall of the front part, the main body 101 has a front part along the driving direction, the vertical distance D between the center of the mirror 1022 and the opening 103 is 3-6CM, and the The vertical distance H1 between the bottom end and the camera 1021 is 2-5 cm, the vertical height H2 of the mirror 1022 is 4-8 cm, and the effective field angle C formed by the shooting direction of the camera 1021 and the mirror 1022 is 35-65 degrees, As shown in Figure 2, the field of view of the camera 1021 itself is very large. For the convenience of understanding, the field of view is divided into left and right sides. The field angle cannot be projected into the reflector, the image of the top wall 1010 is captured, and the image outside the opening 103 cannot be captured. This part of the field angle cannot be used for effective identification and positioning, and can be ignored, while the right side of the camera 1021 The field of view is staggered with the reflector, and can be projected to the reflector. The interlaced part of the field of view can capture the external image from the opening 103. This part of the field of view is the effective field of view C. It is understood that the camera 1021 The most edge of the right field of view can be projected to the mirror, and the maximum use of the right field of view of the camera 1021 can increase the range of the camera 1021's field of view, resulting in a larger range of effective field of view C. In this way, the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 through the opening 103 in the vertical direction can reach 45-100 degrees. 102 can capture a larger field of view, and finally obtain a higher, wider and wider image in front, for example, the body of an adult can be captured, within this angle range, the optical sensing component 102 can directly obtain more effective use. Identify and locate objects. Specifically, the center axis of the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 in the vertical direction is approximately horizontal. In other embodiments, the central axis of the field of view may also be offset by a small distance above and below the horizontal line. Specifically, the angle between the central axis of the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 and the horizontal line may be in the range of ±15 degrees Inside. The optical sensor assembly 102 in this embodiment of the present invention can be used to capture images from the driving direction of the mobile device to identify objects ahead, such as obstacles in the grass, adults, animals and other information, and can also be used to capture Objects that are above the horizontal line, that is to say, an image at a certain angle from the top surface of the mobile device can be taken at a certain angle, so that the optical sensing component can obtain more objects for positioning, such as a picture frame hanging on the wall, in the grass. tree trunks, etc. For a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the optical sensing assembly 102 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning. If the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the optical sensing assembly is obtained The image of the boundary area between the ceiling and the wall can be used to locate fewer objects. This angle range can not only ensure the field of view of the optical sensor assembly, but also avoid excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view. Light interferes too much with the optical sensor assembly taking pictures.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a sealing member 106 is also provided between the opening 103 and the optical sensor assembly 102. The setting of the sealing member 106 is slightly different from that in the first embodiment. A sealing member 106 is connected to one end of the mirror 1022. At the same time, a sealing member 106 is also provided between the other end of the mirror 1022 and the camera 1021. The sealing member 106 is made of, for example, a rubber strip. Sexual materials can be substituted. Through the arrangement of the three rubber strips, a sealed space can be formed between the camera 1021 , the mirror 1022 and the transparent member 104 , that is, the optical sensor assembly 102 can be sealed, for example, dust and weeds under the base can be prevented from entering. Inside the optical sensing assembly 102, the optical sensing assembly 102 is polluted, which is not conducive to obtaining a clear image.

Similarly, the optical sensor assembly 102 is also arranged at the front 20% position near the front of the main body 101, so that the space in the main body 101 of the self-moving device is not wasted, so that the main body 101 of the self-moving device has a compact internal structure, and other internal components The installation location is more reasonable.

The structures and effects of the transparent member 104 , the height of the opening 103 , and the protective component 105 (not shown) are the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

Third Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 3 , the optical sensor assembly 102 also includes a camera 1023 and a mirror 1024 . The projection direction of the mirror 1024 faces the shooting direction of the camera 1023 , and the incident direction of the mirror 1024 faces the opening 103 . Different from the second embodiment, the positions of the camera 1023 and the mirror 1024 are slightly different. Likewise, by setting the mirror 1024, the optical path can be increased, so that the camera 1023 can capture wider and wider objects without causing distortion of the camera 1023's field of view.

In this embodiment, the angle formed by the shooting direction of the camera 1023 and the top wall 1010 in the direction close to the opening 103 is an acute angle. The body of the camera 1023 intersects with the bottom wall 1011, and the angle E formed in the direction close to the opening 103 is 8-12 degrees. The mirror 1024 is located above the camera 1023 , an extension line of one end of the mirror 1024 intersects with the top wall 1010 , and the angle formed in the direction close to the opening 103 is an obtuse angle B. The obtuse angle B is 100-130 degrees. For the convenience of labeling, the figure is labelled as the inner staggered angle of this angle. The main body 101 has a front part along the driving direction, the vertical distance between the center of the mirror 1024 and the opening 103 is also 3-6 cm, the vertical distance H1 between the bottom end of the mirror 1024 and the camera 1023 is 2-5 cm, and the The vertical height H2 is 4-8 cm, and the effective field of view C formed by the shooting direction of the camera 1023 and the mirror 1024 is 35-65 degrees. As shown in Figure 3, the field of view of the camera 1023 itself is very large, for convenience It is understood that the field of view is divided into left and right sides to explain that the left field of view is not staggered with the reflector 1024, that is, the left field of view cannot be projected into the reflector 1024, and the top wall 1010 is photographed. Image, the image outside the opening 103 cannot be captured, and this part of the field of view cannot be used for effective identification and positioning, and can be ignored, while the right field of view of the camera 1023 is interlaced with the mirror 1024, and can be projected to the mirror 1024, staggered The part of the field of view can be captured from the opening 103 to the outside image, and this part of the field of view is the effective field of view C. It is understandable that the most edge of the field of view on the right side of the camera 1023 can be projected to the mirror 1024 , the maximum use of the right field of view angle of the camera 1023 can increase the field of view angle range of the camera 1023 , and finally form a larger range of the effective field of view angle C. In this way, the field of view of the optical sensing assembly 102 through the opening 103 in the vertical direction can reach 45-100 degrees, so that the optical sensing assembly 102 can capture a larger field of view, and finally obtain a higher and wider image ahead , for example, the body of an adult can be photographed. Specifically, the center axis of the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 in the vertical direction is approximately horizontal. In other embodiments, the central axis of the field of view may also be offset by a small distance above and below the horizontal line. Specifically, the angle between the central axis of the field of view of the optical sensor assembly 102 and the horizontal line may be in the range of ±15 degrees Inside. The optical sensor assembly 102 in this embodiment of the present invention can be used to capture images from the driving direction of the mobile device to identify objects ahead, such as obstacles in the grass, adults, animals and other information, and can also be used to capture An image with an upper horizontal line, that is to say, an image at an angle obliquely above the top surface of the mobile device can be taken, so that the optical sensing component 102 can acquire more objects for positioning, such as a picture frame hung on the wall, grass tree trunks, etc. For a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 1023 is the image of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning. If the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 1023 is the boundary between the ceiling and the wall. The image of the area, which can be used to locate less objects. This angle range can not only ensure the field of view of the camera 1023, but also avoid excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view. Camera 1023 shoots causing too much distraction.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a sealing member 106 is also provided between the opening 103 and the optical sensor assembly 102 , and the sealing members 106 at both ends of the opening 103 are respectively connected with one end of the camera and one end of the mirror 1024 , and at the same time, the other end of the mirror 1024 A sealing member 106 is also provided between the camera and the camera. The material of the sealing member 106 is, for example, a rubber strip. Of course, other materials that can play a sealing effect and have certain sturdiness can be substituted. Through the arrangement of the three rubber strips, a sealed space can be formed between the camera, the reflector 1024 and the transparent member 104 to prevent dust, weeds, etc. image.

Other settings are the same as those in the second embodiment, and are not repeated here. In the third embodiment, the camera is set obliquely to avoid the excessive distortion caused by the large field of view of the camera. While reducing the field of view of the camera, a large field of view can also be formed at the opening 103 .

The self-moving device of the present invention can work both indoors and outdoors. Likewise, the optical sensing assembly 102 can be applied indoors or outdoors. The working system of the optical sensing assembly is mainly composed of a light sensor, an optical sensing assembly, an optional polarizing filter and Polarizing filter installation device, fill light and other components. Due to the complex outdoor environmental conditions, optical sensing components may be affected by various factors such as light, weather, temperature, and pollution when working outdoors.

For example, under the illumination of sunlight or other light sources, outdoor optical sensing components are easily disturbed by strong light, and backlight phenomenon occurs, which makes the bright areas of the captured image overexposed and the darker areas underexposed, resulting in the inability to identify the target object. In weak light conditions, such as cloudy days, evenings, etc., or in heavily occluded shadow environments, outdoor cameras will also show low image brightness and unclear target objects due to poor light transmission conditions.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes an image processing method for an optical sensing assembly, which solves the problem that the outdoor ambient light is complex and affects the operation of the optical sensing assembly.

In a specific embodiment, the self-mobile device includes a processing unit, and the processing unit improves the captured original image S, that is, the processing unit uses an image enhancement algorithm adaptive to the ambient light intensity to perform the improvement. The algorithm simulates the human visual system. It is assumed that the original image S captured by the optical sensing component is composed of the product of the illumination image L and the object reflection image R. Since the color of the object is determined by its own reflection ability to red, green and blue light, not its reflection The absolute value of the light intensity is determined, so the color of the object is not affected by the non-uniformity of the illumination, that is, the reflected image R has invariance. The core of the algorithm is that the processing unit estimates the illumination L from the original image S, thereby decomposing R, and eliminating the influence of uneven illumination. Therefore, the algorithm can achieve a balance in three aspects of dynamic range compression, edge enhancement and color constancy, and achieve adaptive enhancement effects for various types of images. Finally, clear and accurate image information is obtained.

In addition to the algorithm approach, in another specific embodiment, a hardware-level optimization method can also be used to improve, for example, the current ambient light intensity is judged by a light sensor, and a corresponding processing strategy is carried out according to the judgment result:

1) When the ambient light is strong, the polarizing filter is activated by the control component to reduce reflection and haze to improve the color quality of the image and the contrast of the image; when the ambient light is extremely strong, the working system of the optical sensing component stops The light sensor continues to detect the ambient light until the light intensity is normal and starts the optical sensor component to work again, or the light sensor continues to detect ambient light in different directions, and controls the optical sensor component to turn to work in the direction of normal light intensity.

2) When the ambient light is weak, the working system of the optical sensing component automatically turns on the intelligent supplementary light function to enhance the illumination of the ambient light and improve the quality of the acquired images.

Fourth Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , the self-moving device 100 of the fourth embodiment includes a main body 10 and a camera 11 disposed on the main body. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The body 10 has a top surface 12 and a bottom surface 13 opposite the top surface 12 . The camera 11 has an optical axis 14, the camera 11 is mounted inclined upward relative to the top surface 12 such that the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 is aligned with the top surface 12 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera 11 is opposite to the driving direction 15, the aiming direction of the camera 11 Inclined towards the rear upwards with respect to the top surface 12 . By setting the aiming direction of the camera 11 toward the rear, the field of view can be directed toward the area that has been passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness.

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of a can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-mobile device 100 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the camera's field of view when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the camera's field of view has the highest angular resolution.

By arranging the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 at an inclination relative to the top surface 12, the camera 11 is enabled to capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above the mobile device 100 (such as a picture frame hanging on a wall in a home and no displacement). other features), which is more helpful for positioning from the mobile device 100. The self-mobile device 100 may use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a specific height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 at an angle relative to the top surface 12 enables the self-moving device 100 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 100 to focus in which the feature does not change ( Areas within a typical indoor environment, such as those imaged around door frames, picture frames, and other static furniture and objects), allow the self-mobile device 100 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

In this embodiment, the main body 10 has a front part along the driving direction, the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 has an axis, and the projection of the axis of the optical axis 14 is close to the front part of the main body 10 and is located within 20% of the length of the main body 10. The position, that is, the axis of the optical axis 14, is set within the first 20% of the value of the length of the machine in the front-rear direction. By installing the camera 11 close to the front of the main body 10, it is possible to avoid a large range of occlusion of the field of view of the camera 11 by a relatively close object, because if the camera 11 is installed close to the rear of the main body 10, when the image obtained by the camera 11 is larger than the field of view or When it occupies most of the field of view, it will affect the positioning of the mobile device.

As shown in FIG. 5, the angle a1 between the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 and the top surface 12 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 11 obtains images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 11 captures the ceiling and the wall The image of the body junction area can be used to locate less objects.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a1 between the optical axis 14 of the camera 11 and the top surface 12 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. This angle range is obtained by combining the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device, and within this angle range, the camera 11 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the camera 11 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b1 of the field of view of the camera 11 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. This angle range can ensure the field of view of the camera 11 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, there is a protruding structure 16 on the top surface 12. The protruding structure 16 can be integrally protruded upward from the top surface 12. Of course, the protruding structure 16 can also be an independent structure. , by drilling holes on the protruding structure 16 and the top surface 12 and then fixing the protruding structure 16 and the top surface 12 together by fixing bolts.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the camera 11 is disposed within the protruding structure 16 . The camera 11 has a lens that at least partially protrudes from the top surface 12 .

Fifth Embodiment

The fifth embodiment is basically the same as the fourth embodiment, the difference between the fifth embodiment and the fourth embodiment is that the camera is not disposed in a convex structure above the top surface, but is disposed in a concave structure below the top surface Inside.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the self-moving device 200 of the fifth embodiment includes a main body 20 and a camera 21 disposed on the main body. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The body 20 has a top surface 22 and a bottom surface 23 opposite the top surface 22 . The camera 21 has an optical axis 24, the camera 21 is mounted obliquely upward relative to the top surface 22 such that the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 is aligned with the top surface 22 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera 21 is opposite to the driving direction 25, the aiming direction of the camera 21 It slopes upward and rearward with respect to the top surface 22 . By setting the aiming direction of the camera 21 toward the rear, the field of view can be directed toward the area that has been passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness.

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-mobile device 200 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; Axis 24 is inclined relative to top surface 22, enabling camera 11 to capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above mobile device 200 (such as picture frames and other features without displacement) hanging on a wall in a home, and more Facilitates positioning from the mobile device 200 . The self-mobile device 200 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a specific height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 at an angle relative to the top surface 22 enables the self-moving device 200 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 200 to focus in which the feature does not change ( Areas within a typical indoor environment, such as those imaged around door frames, picture frames, and other static furniture and objects), allow the self-mobile device 200 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

In this embodiment, the main body 20 has a front portion along the driving direction, the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 has an axis, and the projection of the axis center of the optical axis 24 is close to the front of the main body 20 and is located within 20% of the length of the main body 20. The position, that is, the axis of the optical axis 24, is set within the first 20% of the value of the length of the machine in the front-to-rear direction. By installing the camera 21 close to the front of the main body 20, it can avoid a large range of occlusion of the field of view of the camera 21 by a relatively close object, because if the camera 21 is installed close to the rear of the main body 20, when the image obtained by the camera 21 is larger than the field of view or When it occupies most of the field of view, it will affect the positioning of the mobile device.

As shown in FIG. 7, the angle a2 between the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 and the top surface 22 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 21 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 21 acquires the ceiling and the wall The image of the body junction area can be used to locate less objects.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a2 between the optical axis 24 of the camera 21 and the top surface 22 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the camera 21 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the camera 21 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b2 of the field of view of the camera 21 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the camera 21 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, a concave structure 26 is concave below the top surface 22 , and the concave structure 26 can be integrally formed from the top surface 22 downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the camera 21 is disposed within the concave structure 26 . The camera 21 has a lens that does not protrude from the top surface 22 ie the lens of the camera 21 may be completely below the top surface 22 or the lens of the camera 21 may be just flush with the top surface 22 .

Sixth Embodiment

The sixth embodiment is basically the same as the fourth embodiment, and the difference between the sixth embodiment and the fourth embodiment is that the aiming direction and the driving direction of the camera are the same.

As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , the self-moving device 300 of the sixth embodiment includes a main body 30 and a camera 31 disposed on the main body. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The body 30 has a top surface 32 and a bottom surface 33 opposite the top surface 32 . The camera 31 has an optical axis 34, the camera 31 is mounted inclined upward relative to the top surface 32 such that the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 is aligned with the top surface 32 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera 31 is the same as the driving direction 35, the aiming direction of the camera 31 It is inclined upward and forward with respect to the top surface 32 . By setting the aiming direction of the camera 31 toward the front and upward, the camera 31 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 300 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 300 .

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of a can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-moving device 300 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; Axis 34 is inclined relative to top surface 32, enabling camera 31 to capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above mobile device 300 (such as picture frames and other features without displacement) hanging on a wall in a home, and more Facilitates positioning from the mobile device 300 . The self-mobile device 300 may use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a certain height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 at an angle relative to the top surface 32 enables the self-moving device 300 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 300 to focus in which the feature does not change ( Areas within a typical indoor environment, such as those imaged around door frames, photo frames, and other static furniture and objects), allow the self-mobile device 300 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

In the present embodiment, the main body 30 has a front part along the driving direction, the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 has an axis, and the projection of the axial center of the optical axis 34 is close to the front part of the main body 30 and is located in the range of 20% of the length of the main body 30 The position, that is, the axis of the optical axis 34, is set within the first 20% of the value of the length of the machine in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the angle a3 between the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 and the top surface 32 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 31 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 31 acquires the ceiling and the wall The image of the body junction area can be used to locate less objects.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a3 between the optical axis 34 of the camera 31 and the top surface 32 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device, and within this angle range, the camera 31 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the camera 31 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b3 of the field of view of the camera 31 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the camera 31 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 9 , in this embodiment, there is a protruding structure 36 on the top surface 32, and the protruding structure 36 can be integrally formed to protrude upward from the top surface 32. Of course, the protruding structure 36 can also be an independent structure. , by drilling holes on the protruding structure 36 and the top surface 32 and then fixing the protruding structure 36 and the top surface 32 together with fixing bolts.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the camera 31 is disposed within the protruding structure 36 . The camera 31 has a lens that at least partially protrudes from the top surface 32 .

Seventh Embodiment

The seventh embodiment is basically the same as the sixth embodiment, the difference between the seventh embodiment and the sixth embodiment is that the camera is not disposed in a convex structure above the top surface, but is disposed in a concave structure below the top surface Inside.

As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the self-moving device 400 of the seventh embodiment includes a main body 40 and a camera 41 disposed on the main body. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The body 40 has a top surface 42 and a bottom surface 43 opposite the top surface 42 . The camera 41 has an optical axis 44, the camera 41 is mounted obliquely upward relative to the top surface 42 such that the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 is aligned with the top surface 42 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the camera 41 is the same as the driving direction 45, the aiming direction of the camera 41 It is inclined upward and forward with respect to the top surface 42 . By slanting the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 upward, the camera can capture more objects above the self-moving device 400 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 400 .

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of a can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-moving device 400 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; Axis 44 is inclined relative to top surface 42, enabling camera 41 to capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above mobile device 400 (such as picture frames and other features without displacement) hanging on a wall in a home, and more Facilitates positioning from the mobile device 400 . The self-moving device 400 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a certain height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 at an angle relative to the top surface 42 enables the self-moving device 400 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 400 to focus in which the feature does not change ( Areas within a typical indoor environment, such as those imaged around door frames, picture frames, and other static furniture and objects), allow the self-mobile device 400 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

In the present embodiment, the main body 40 has a front part along the driving direction, the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 has an axis, and the projection of the axial center of the optical axis 44 is close to the front part of the main body 40 and is located within 20% of the length of the main body 40. The position, ie the axis of the optical axis 44, is set within the first 20% of the value of the length of the machine in the front-to-rear direction. By installing the camera 41 close to the front of the main body 40, it can avoid a large range of occlusion of the field of view of the camera 41 by a relatively close object, because if the camera 41 is installed close to the rear of the main body 40, when the image obtained by the camera 41 is larger than the field of view or When it occupies most of the field of view, it will affect the positioning of the mobile device.

As shown in FIG. 11, the angle a4 between the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 and the top surface 42 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 41 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 41 acquires the ceiling and the wall The image of the body junction area can be used to locate less objects.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a4 between the optical axis 44 of the camera 41 and the top surface 42 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the camera 41 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the camera 41 has a field of view for capturing images, and an angle b4 of the field of view of the camera 41 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the camera 41 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 11 , in this embodiment, a concave structure 46 is concave below the top surface 42 , and the concave structure 46 can be integrally formed from the top surface 42 downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the camera 41 is disposed within the recessed structure 46 . The camera 41 has a lens that does not protrude from the top surface 42 ie the lens of the camera 41 may be completely below the top surface 42 or the lens of the camera 41 may be just flush with the top surface 42 .

Eighth Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , the self-moving device 500 of the eighth embodiment includes a main body 50 and a camera 51 disposed on the main body. The camera is used to acquire images with a predetermined field of view. The body 50 has a top surface 52 and a bottom surface 53 opposite the top surface 52 . The camera 51 has an optical axis 54 and is mounted upwardly relative to the bottom surface 53 and perpendicular to the top surface 52 . The aiming direction of the camera 51 is perpendicular to the driving direction 55 . The camera 51 is provided with a mirror 57 arranged at an acute angle to the top surface 52 in the aiming direction. By using the mirror 57, the optical path can be increased compared to the solution of aiming the camera directly in front, so that the camera 51 can capture a wider and wider object for positioning, ie, the width and breadth can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the camera is mounted on the bottom surface 53 , and the mirror 57 is provided above the camera 51 and close to the top surface 52 .

In this embodiment, the main body 50 has a front part along the driving direction, the optical axis 54 of the camera 51 has an axis, and the projection of the axial center of the optical axis 54 is close to the front part of the main body 50 and is located in the range of 20% of the length of the main body 50 The position, that is, the axis of the optical axis 54, is set within the first 20% of the value of the length of the machine in the front-to-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, the angle a5 between the mirror 57 and the top surface 52 is in the range of 30-45 degrees. Since the bottom surface 53 is considered to be parallel to the top surface 52 in this embodiment, the angle between the mirror 57 and the bottom surface 53 is indicated in the drawings. The angle range of the mirror 57 can enable the camera 51 to acquire more objects for positioning, such as a picture frame hung on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the camera 41 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 41 acquires the ceiling and the wall The image of the body junction area can be used to locate less objects.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the camera 51 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b5 of the field of view of the camera 51 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 45-60 degrees. This angle range can ensure the field of view of the camera 51 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

Ninth Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 , the self-moving device 600 of the ninth embodiment includes a main body 60 and a camera disposed on the main body. The body 60 has a top surface 62 and a bottom surface 63 opposite the top surface 62 . The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The cameras include a first camera 61 and a second camera 68 . The first camera 61 has a first optical axis 641 , and the second camera 68 has a second optical axis 642 .

As shown in FIG. 15 , the second camera 68 is mounted upward with respect to the bottom surface 63 and perpendicular to the top surface 62 . The aiming direction of the second camera 68 is perpendicular to the driving direction 65 . The second camera 68 is provided with a mirror 67 arranged at an acute angle to the top surface 62 in the aiming direction. A mirror 67 is positioned above the second camera 68 and close to the top surface 62 . The first camera 61 is disposed adjacent to the mirror 67 and the first camera 61 is located above the mirror 67 . By using the mirror 67, compared to the solution of directly aiming the second camera 68 directly in front, the optical distance can be increased, so that the second camera 68 can capture a wider and wider object for positioning, that is, the width can be increased and breadth.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the second camera 68 is mounted on the bottom surface 63 , and the mirror 67 is provided above the second camera 68 and close to the top surface 62 .

In this embodiment, the main body 60 has a front part along the driving direction, the second optical axis 642 of the second camera 68 has an axis, and the projection of the axis of the second optical axis 642 is close to the front part of the main body 60 and is located at the length of the main body 60 The position within the range of 20%, that is, the axis of the second optical axis 642 is set within the range of the first 20% of the length of the machine in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the angle c1 between the mirror 67 and the top surface 62 is in the range of 30-45 degrees. Since the bottom surface 63 is considered to be parallel to the top surface 62 in this embodiment, the angle between the mirror 67 and the bottom surface 63 is indicated in the drawing. The angle range of the mirror 67 can enable the first camera 61 to acquire more objects for positioning, such as a picture frame hung on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the second camera 68 obtains images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the second camera 68 is obtained. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the second camera 68 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle d1 of the field of view of the second camera 68 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 45-60 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the second camera 68 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the first camera 61 is installed obliquely upward with respect to the top surface 62 so that the first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 is aligned with the top surface 62 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the first camera 61 is aligned with the driving direction 65 On the contrary, the aiming direction of the first camera 61 is inclined toward the rear and upward with respect to the top surface 62 . By setting the aiming direction of the first camera 61 toward the rear, the field of view can be directed toward the area that has been passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. The first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 is inclined upward, so that the first camera 61 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 600 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 600 .

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of the can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-moving device 600 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the camera's field of view when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the camera's field of view has the highest angular resolution; The first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 is disposed obliquely with respect to the top surface 62, so that the first camera 61 can capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above the mobile device 600 (such as those hanging on the wall of the home). photo frame and other features without displacement), further assisting in positioning from the mobile device 600. The self-mobile device 600 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a certain height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 at an angle relative to the top surface 62 enables the self-moving device 600 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 600 to focus therein Areas within a typical indoor environment with invariant features, such as those imaged around door frames, picture frames, and other static furniture and objects, allow self-mobile device 600 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately locating and map.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the angle a6 between the first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 and the top surface 62 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the first camera 61 captures images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 61 captures the ceiling The image of the area bordering the wall has fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a6 between the first optical axis 641 of the first camera 61 and the top surface 62 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the first camera 61 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the first camera 61 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b6 of the field of view of the first camera 61 in the vertical direction spans a 90-120 degree frustum. This angular range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 61 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 15 , in this embodiment, there is a protruding structure 66 on the top surface 62. The protruding structure 66 can be integrally formed from the top surface 62 and protrude upwards. Of course, the protruding structure 66 can also be an independent structure. , by drilling holes on the protruding structure 66 and the top surface 62 and then fixing the protruding structure 66 and the top surface 62 together by fixing bolts.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the first camera 61 is disposed within the protruding structure 66 . The first camera 61 has a lens, and the lens of the first camera 61 protrudes at least partially from the top surface 62 .

In this embodiment, by setting two cameras, the first camera 61 is used for positioning, the second camera 68 is used for identifying objects, and the two cameras can be arranged in the vertical direction, especially the installation of the mirror 67 is directly located on the first camera 61 Between the second camera 68 and the second camera 68, the parts are centrally arranged to make full use of the space.

Tenth Embodiment

The tenth embodiment is basically the same as the ninth embodiment, except that in the tenth embodiment, the first camera 61 is disposed in the concave structure.

As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 , the self-moving device 700 of the tenth embodiment includes a main body 70 and a camera disposed on the main body 70 . The body 70 has a top surface 72 and a bottom surface 73 opposite the top surface 72 . The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The cameras include a first camera 71 and a second camera 78 . The first camera 76 has a first optical axis 741 and the second camera 78 has a second optical axis 742 .

As shown in FIG. 17 , the second camera 78 is mounted upward with respect to the bottom surface 73 and perpendicular to the top surface 72 . The aiming direction of the second camera 78 is perpendicular to the driving direction 75 . The second camera 78 is provided with a mirror 77 arranged at an acute angle to the top surface 72 in the aiming direction. A mirror 77 is positioned above the second camera 78 and close to the top surface 72 . The first camera 71 is disposed adjacent to the mirror 77 and the first camera 71 is located above the mirror 77 . By using the mirror 77, compared to the solution of directly aiming the second camera 78 directly in front, the optical distance can be increased, so that the second camera 78 can capture a wider and wider object for positioning, ie, the width can be increased and breadth.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the second camera 78 is mounted on the bottom surface 73 , and the mirror 77 is provided above the second camera 78 and close to the top surface 72 .

In this embodiment, the main body 70 has a front part along the driving direction, the second optical axis 742 of the second camera 78 has an axis, and the projection of the axis of the second optical axis 742 is close to the front part of the main body 70 and is located at the length of the main body 70 The position within the range of 20%, that is, the axis of the second optical axis 742 is set within the range of the first 20% of the length of the machine in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 17, the angle c2 between the mirror 77 and the top surface 72 is in the range of 30-45 degrees. Since the bottom surface 73 is considered to be parallel to the top surface 72 in this embodiment, the angle between the mirror 77 and the bottom surface 73 is indicated in the drawings. The angle range of the reflector 77 can enable the first camera 71 to acquire more objects for positioning, such as a picture frame hung on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the second camera 78 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the second camera 78 is acquired. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the second camera 78 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle d2 of the field of view of the second camera 78 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 45-60 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the second camera 78 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the first camera 71 is installed obliquely upward relative to the top surface 72 so that the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 is aligned with the top surface 72 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the first camera 71 is aligned with the driving direction 75 On the contrary, the aiming direction of the first camera 71 is inclined toward the rear and upward with respect to the top surface 72 . By arranging the aiming direction of the first camera 71 to the rear, the field of view can be directed towards the area that has passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. At the same time, the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 The inclined upward setting enables the first camera 71 to capture more objects above the self-moving device 700 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 700 .

For the prior art scheme where the camera optical axis is set parallel to the forward drive direction, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves towards the feature, features within the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size The 3D structure of can be difficult to determine from a series of images captured as the self-moving device 700 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; The first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 is disposed obliquely with respect to the top surface 72, so that the first camera 71 can capture more reliable static feature-rich objects from above the mobile device 700 (such as those hanging on a wall in a home). photo frame and other features without displacement), further assisting in positioning from the mobile device 700. The self-moving device 700 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a specific height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 at an angle relative to the top surface 72 enables the self-moving device 700 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging on the wall, allowing the self-moving device 700 to focus therein Areas within typical indoor environments with invariant features, such as those imaged around door frames, photo frames, and other static furniture and objects, allow self-mobile device 700 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately locating and map.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the angle a7 between the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 and the top surface 72 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the first camera 71 captures images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the camera 71 captures the ceiling The image of the area bordering the wall has fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a7 between the first optical axis 741 of the first camera 71 and the top surface 72 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the first camera 71 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the first camera 71 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b7 of the field of view of the first camera 71 in the vertical direction spans a 90-120 degree frustum. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 71 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 17 , in this embodiment, a concave structure 76 is concave below the top surface 72 , and the concave structure 76 can be integrally formed from the top surface 72 downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the first camera 71 is disposed within the concave structure 76 . The first camera 71 has a lens, and the lens of the first camera 71 does not protrude from the top surface 72 ie, the lens of the first camera 71 can be located completely below the top surface 72, and the lens of the first camera 71 can also be just flush with the top surface 72 .

In this embodiment, by setting two cameras, the first camera 71 is used for positioning, the second camera 78 is used for identifying objects, and the two cameras can be arranged in the vertical direction, especially the installation of the mirror 77 is directly located on the first camera 71 Between the second camera 78 and the second camera 78, the parts are centrally arranged to make full use of the space.

Eleventh Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 , the self-moving device 800 of the eleventh embodiment includes a main body 80 and a camera disposed on the main body 80 . The body 80 has a top surface 82 , a bottom surface 83 opposite the top surface 82 , and side walls 84 connecting the top surface 82 and the bottom surface 83 . The body 80 has a front in the drive direction 85, a rear opposite the front. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The camera is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface 82 so that the optical axis of the camera is aligned with the top surface 82 at an acute angle. The camera includes two cameras, a first camera 81 and a second camera 88 respectively, and the two cameras are respectively arranged on the top surface. 82 and near the side wall.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the first camera 81 has a first optical axis 841 . The first camera 81 is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface 82 so that the optical axis 841 of the first camera 81 is aligned with the top surface 82 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the first camera 81 is inclined upward relative to the top surface 82 and is perpendicular to the driving direction. tilt. By slanting the aiming direction of the first camera 81 toward the obliquely upward direction perpendicular to the driving direction, the field of view can be directed toward the area on the side of the driving direction of the mobile device 800, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. The optical axis 841 of a camera 81 is inclined upward, so that the first camera 81 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 800 , which is more helpful for positioning the self-moving device 800 .

As shown in FIG. 19, the angle a8 between the optical axis 841 of the first camera 81 and the top surface 82 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the first camera 81 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the first camera 81 is acquired. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a8 between the optical axis 841 of the first camera 81 and the top surface 82 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the first camera 81 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the first camera 81 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b8 of the field of view of the first camera 81 in the vertical direction spans a 90-120 degree frustum. This angular range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 81 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the second camera 88 has a second optical axis 842 . The second camera 88 is mounted obliquely upward relative to the top surface 82 so that the optical axis 842 of the second camera 88 is aligned with the top surface 82 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the second camera 88 is directed obliquely upward relative to the top surface 82 perpendicular to the driving direction tilt. By slanting the aiming direction of the second camera 88 toward the obliquely upward direction perpendicular to the driving direction, the field of view can be directed toward the area on the side of the driving direction of the mobile device 800, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. The optical axis 842 of the two cameras 88 is inclined upward, so that the second camera 88 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 800 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 800 .

In scenarios where the camera optical axis is parallel to the top surface, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves toward the feature, and the 3D structure of features within the center of the camera's field of view may be difficult to understand from the self-movement. Determined from a series of images captured as device 800 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis of the camera is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; The top surface is inclined so that the camera can capture more reliable static feature-rich objects above the mobile device 800 (such as picture frames hanging on the wall of the home and other features without displacement), which is more helpful from the mobile device 800 positioning. The self-mobile device 800 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a certain height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the camera's optical axis at an angle relative to the top surface enables the self-moving device 800 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from a wall, allowing the self-moving device 800 to focus in which the feature does not change (such as in a door frame). , photo frames, and other features imaged around static furniture and objects) within a typical indoor environment, allowing self-mobile device 800 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

As shown in FIG. 19, the angle c3 between the optical axis 842 of the second camera 88 and the top surface 82 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the second camera 88 acquires images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the second camera 88 is acquired. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In one embodiment, further, the angle c3 between the optical axis 842 of the second camera 88 and the top surface 82 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the second camera 88 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the second camera 88 has a field of view for capturing an image, and the angle d3 of the field of view of the second camera 88 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. This angular range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 81 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 18 , the aiming directions of the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 are set opposite to each other. A line connecting the optical axes of the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 passes through a vertical plane from the center 89 of the mobile device 800 . In this way, when the self-mobile device 800 is rotated, the loss of features can be avoided, and in addition, repositioning of the self-mobile device 800 is facilitated.

As shown in FIG. 19 , in this embodiment, there is a protruding structure 86 on the top surface 82. The protruding structure 86 can be integrally protruded upward from the top surface 82. Of course, the protruding structure 86 can also be an independent structure. , by drilling holes on the protruding structure 86 and the top surface 82 and then fixing the protruding structure 86 and the top surface 82 together by fixing bolts.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the protruding structure 86 includes two, and the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 are respectively disposed in the two protruding structures 86 . Both the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 have lenses, and the lenses of the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 protrude at least partially from the top surface 82 .

In this embodiment, two cameras for positioning, namely the first camera 81 and the second camera 88 are arranged on both sides of the driving direction 85 of the self-moving device 800, and the aiming directions of the two cameras are set opposite to each other, thereby increasing the number of self-moving devices. 800 positioning accuracy, and at the same time, when one of the cameras fails to capture an object that can be used for positioning, the other camera can be used for positioning from the mobile device 800 according to its own capture situation, which can maximize the self-mobile device. 800 positioning.

Twelfth Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 , the self-moving device 900 of the twelfth embodiment includes a main body 90 and a camera disposed on the main body 90 . The body 90 has a top surface 92 , a bottom surface 93 opposite the top surface 92 , and side walls 94 connecting the top surface 92 and the bottom surface 93 . The body 90 has a front in the drive direction 95, a rear opposite the front. The camera is used to shoot with a predetermined field of view. The camera is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface 92 so that the optical axis of the camera is aligned with the top surface 92 at an acute angle. The camera includes two cameras, a first camera 91 and a second camera 98 respectively, and the two cameras are respectively arranged on the top surface. 92 and near the side wall.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the first camera 91 has a first optical axis 941 . The first camera 91 is installed inclined upward relative to the top surface 92 so that the optical axis 941 of the first camera 91 is aligned with the top surface 92 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the first camera 91 is perpendicular to the driving direction, and the aiming direction of the first camera 91 is It slopes obliquely upward with respect to the top surface 92 perpendicular to the driving direction. By slanting the aiming direction of the first camera 91 toward the obliquely upward direction perpendicular to the driving direction, the field of view can be directed toward the area on the side of the driving direction of the mobile device 900, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. The optical axis 941 of a camera 91 is inclined upward, so that the first camera 91 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 900 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 900 .

As shown in FIG. 21, the angle a9 between the optical axis 941 of the first camera 91 and the top surface 92 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the first camera 91 obtains images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the first camera 91 is obtained. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In scenarios where the camera optical axis is parallel to the top surface, features visible in the center of the camera's field of view may increase in size as the robot moves toward the feature, and the 3D structure of features within the center of the camera's field of view may be difficult to understand from the self-movement. Determined from a series of images captured as device 900 moves forward toward the feature. This situation is especially serious for indoor cleaning robots. The positional accuracy of the camera can be improved by increasing the field of view of the camera. However, increasing the field of view reduces the angular resolution of the image data captured for a given image sensor resolution. In addition, increasing the field of view causes severe distortion of the lens and is The angular resolution of the captured image is minimal. However, in this embodiment, the optical axis of the camera is inclined upward to increase the parallax observed across the field of view of the camera when the camera moves toward the object, and the part of the field of view of the camera has the highest angular resolution; The top surface is inclined so that the camera can capture more reliable static feature-rich objects above the mobile device 900 (such as picture frames hanging on the wall of the home and other features without displacement), which is more helpful from the mobile device 900 positioning. The self-mobile device 900 can use the characteristics of reliable static objects located at a certain height range above the floor to map the environment and navigate using vision-based sensors and vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (or VSLAM).

Placing the camera's optical axis at an angle relative to the top surface enables the self-moving device 900 to more accurately determine the 3D structure of the underside of an object hanging from the wall, allowing the self-moving device 900 to focus in which the feature does not change (such as in a door frame). , photo frames, and other features imaged around static furniture and objects) within a typical indoor environment, allowing the self-mobile device 900 to repeatedly identify reliable landmarks, thereby accurately localizing and mapping within the environment.

In one embodiment, further, the angle a9 between the optical axis 941 of the first camera 91 and the top surface 92 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the first camera 91 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the first camera 91 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle b9 of the field of view of the first camera 91 in the vertical direction spans a 90-120 degree frustum. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 91 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the second camera 98 has a second optical axis 942 . The second camera 98 is mounted inclined upward relative to the top surface 92 such that the optical axis 942 of the second camera 98 is aligned with the top surface 92 at an acute angle, and the aiming direction of the second camera 98 is perpendicular to the driving direction, the aiming direction of the second camera 98 It slopes obliquely upward with respect to the top surface 92 perpendicular to the driving direction. By slanting the aiming direction of the second camera 98 toward the obliquely upward direction perpendicular to the driving direction, the field of view can be directed toward the area on the side of the driving direction of the mobile device 900, which is more conducive to improving the positioning accuracy and robustness. The optical axes 942 of the two cameras 98 are inclined upward, so that the second camera 98 can capture more objects above the self-moving device 900 , which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device 900 .

As shown in FIG. 21, the angle c4 between the optical axis 942 of the second camera 98 and the top surface 92 is in the range of 30-60 degrees. This angle range can acquire more obliquely above objects for positioning, such as picture frames hanging on the wall. For example, for a self-moving device located indoors, if the angle is too small, most of the field of view of the second camera 98 obtains images of the ground, which cannot be used for positioning, and if the angle is too large, most of the field of view of the second camera 98 is obtained. It is an image of the junction area between the ceiling and the wall, and there are fewer objects that can be used for localization.

In one embodiment, further, the angle c4 between the optical axis 942 of the second camera 98 and the top surface 92 is in the range of 40-50 degrees. The angle range is obtained in combination with the area and space height of the working environment of the mobile device. Within this angle range, the second camera 98 can directly obtain an effective object for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the second camera 98 has a field of view for capturing images, and the angle d4 of the field of view of the second camera 98 in the vertical direction spans a frustum of 90-120 degrees. The angle range can ensure the field of view of the first camera 91 while avoiding excessive distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

As shown in FIG. 20 , the aiming directions of the first camera 91 and the second camera 98 are set opposite to each other. A line connecting the optical axes of the first camera 91 and the second camera 98 passes through a vertical plane from the center 99 of the mobile device 900 . In this way, when the self-moving device 900 is rotated, the loss of features can be avoided, and in addition, the repositioning of the self-moving device 900 is facilitated.

As shown in FIG. 21 , in the present embodiment, two concave structures 96 are concave below the top surface 92 , and the concave structures 96 can be formed integrally downward from the top surface 92 .

As shown in FIG. 21 , the first camera 91 is disposed in one of the concave structures 96 . The first camera 91 has a lens, and the lens of the first camera 91 does not protrude from the top surface 92 , that is, the lens of the first camera 91 can be located completely below the top surface 92 , and the lens of the first camera 91 can also be just flat with the top surface 92 together.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the second camera 98 is disposed within another recessed structure 96 . The second camera 98 has a lens, the lens of the second camera 98 does not protrude from the top surface 92 , that is, the lens of the second camera 98 may be located completely below the top surface 92 , and the lens of the second camera 98 may also be exactly flush with the top surface 92 together.

In a further solution of each embodiment, a glass plate (not shown) can be arranged on the outer side of the lens of the camera. The glass plate can not only provide a transparent environment, but also have a good dust-proof effect, so that the direction of the field of view of the lens can be improved. Good cleaning to ensure the cleanability of the glass plate within the field of view. A closed space is formed between the glass plate and the lens, and the airtightness is ensured by the arrangement of soft structures between them. The angular range between the plane of the glass plate and the optical axis of the camera is 80-100 degrees.

In other embodiments, the self-moving device can be provided with multiple cameras, and the arrangement of the multiple cameras can be arbitrarily selected and combined in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, a camera with an optical axis inclined upward and a field of view direction opposite to the driving direction can be set and a pair of cameras located on both sides of the self-moving device in the driving direction, a mirror is arranged at the front end of the field of view of the camera with the same field of view as the driving direction, and a pair of cameras are located on both sides of the self-moving device in the driving direction. The use of combination methods can increase the positioning effect.

The general beneficial effects of each embodiment are: by arranging a reflector in front of the camera field of view for identification, the optical path can be increased compared to the solution of directly aiming the camera directly in front of the camera, so that the camera can capture wider and wider images. The width and breadth of the object used for positioning can be increased; by setting the aiming direction of the camera used for positioning to the rear, the field of view can be directed towards the area that has passed, and it is open and unobstructed, which is more conducive to improving positioning accuracy and robustness. At the same time, the optical axis of the camera is inclined upward, so that the camera can capture more objects above the self-moving device, which is more helpful for the positioning of the self-moving device; Cameras used for positioning, and the aiming directions of the two cameras are set relative to each other, which can increase the accuracy of positioning from the mobile device. At the same time, when one of the cameras does not capture an object that can be used for positioning, the other camera can The captured situation is used for the positioning of the self-mobile device, which can ensure the positioning of the self-mobile device to the greatest extent.

The above-mentioned embodiments only represent several embodiments of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are specific and detailed, but should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can also be made, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

a body having a top wall and a bottom wall;

the control component is used for controlling the self-moving equipment to automatically cruise and execute a work task in a work area;

the self-moving equipment comprises a main body, an optical sensing assembly and a protective barrier, wherein the optical sensing assembly is arranged in the front of the main body and located between a top wall and a bottom wall, an opening is formed in the front side wall of the main body, the optical sensing assembly detects an image in front of the self-moving equipment through the opening to provide reference information for cruising of the self-moving equipment, the self-moving equipment comprises the protective barrier, the optical sensing assembly is located in the protective barrier, the angle of view of the optical sensing assembly penetrating through the opening in the vertical direction is 45-100 degrees, and the height of the opening in the vertical direction is not more than 2/3 of the height of the front side wall.

2. The self-moving device according to claim 1, wherein a transparent member is arranged at the opening, and the optical sensing component captures images through the transparent member.

3. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a seal is provided between the opening and the optical sensing assembly.

4. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the vertical field angle is substantially horizontal.

5. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle between a central axis of the vertical field angle and a horizontal line is ± 15 degrees.

6. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing assembly is disposed proximate the front 20% of the front of the body.

7. The self-moving device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing component comprises a camera having a shooting direction disposed toward the opening.

8. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a shooting direction of the camera is perpendicular to the opening.

9. The self-moving device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the center of the camera is at a vertical distance of 2-5CM from the opening.

10. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensing assembly comprises a camera and a mirror, a projection direction of the mirror is toward a photographing direction of the camera, and an incident direction of the mirror is toward the opening.

11. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the mirror is located above the camera, an extension line of one end of the mirror intersects the top wall, and an angle formed in a direction approaching the opening is an obtuse angle.

12. The self-propelled device of claim 11, wherein the obtuse angle is 100 and 130 degrees.

13. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the camera is mounted on the bottom wall.

14. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an angle formed by a shooting direction of the camera perpendicular to the top wall or the top wall in a direction close to the opening is an acute angle.

15. The self-moving device of claim 10, wherein an effective field angle formed by a shooting direction of the camera and the reflector is 35-65 degrees.

16. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a vertical distance between a center of the mirror and the opening is 3-6 CM.

17. The self-moving device of claim 10, wherein a bottom end of the mirror is at a vertical distance of 2-5cm from the camera.

18. The self-moving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vertical height of the mirror is 4-8 centimeters.

19. The self-moving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the camera body intersects the bottom wall when an angle formed by a shooting direction of the camera and the top wall in a direction close to the opening is an acute angle, and the angle formed in the direction close to the opening is 8 to 12 degrees.

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