# US 2019/0168386 A1 · Self-moving robot, map building method, and map invoking method for combined robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168386 A1 - Document ID: US20190168386A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/303,100 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-19 - Assignees: Ecovacs Robotics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Ecovacs Robotics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jinju TANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168386A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/1666: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones} - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 11/0085: {Cleaning} - G01C 21/3833: {characterised by the source of data} - G01C 21/3867: {Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps} - G05D 1/02: Control of position or course in two dimensions - G05D 1/0238: {using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93)} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract The self-movement robot includes a robot body and a control center disposed on the body. The body includes a first distance sensor disposed in a horizontal direction used to collect two-dimensional map information and a second distance sensor disposed in a vertical direction used to collect spatial height information. While obtaining the two-dimensional map information of a working surface, the control center overlays the spatial height information to the two-dimensional map information and obtains three-dimensional map information of a working region. Through the distance sensors disposed on the self-movement robot, based on the generated two-dimensional map, the spatial height information is overlaid and the three-dimensional map information is generated. In a combined state, the robot invokes and plans a walking path in the working region based on the three-dimensional map, thereby helping to ensure smooth, safe and efficient operation of the combined robot in a complex environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A self-movement robot, comprising: a robot body and a control center disposed on the body, the robot body comprising a first distance sensor disposed in a horizontal direction and a second distance sensor disposed in a vertical direction, wherein: the first distance sensor collects two-dimensional map information of a working surface on which the self-movement robot is located, the second distance sensor collects spatial height information above the working surface on which the self-movement robot is located, and while obtaining the two-dimensional map information of the working surface, the control center overlays the spatial height information to the two-dimensional map information and obtains three-dimensional map information of a working region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The self-movement robot of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor comprise one or more of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor and a visual sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The self-movement robot of claim 2, wherein the spatial height information above the working surface is a distance from the working surface to a lower surface of an encountered obstacle in an up-down direction. ### Claim 4 A map building method, comprising: step 100: generating two-dimensional map information of a working surface; and step 200: collecting spatial height information above the working surface in real time and overlaying the spatial height information to the two-dimensional map information of the working surface to obtain and save three-dimensional map information of a working region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The map building method of claim 4, wherein the two-dimensional map information in the step 100 is obtained by the self-movement robot traversing, walking and scanning the working surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The map building method of claim 5, wherein the spatial height information above the working surface in the step 200 is a distance from the working surface to a lower surface of an encountered obstacle in an up-down direction; and overlaying the spatial height information to the pre-generated two-dimensional map information comprises: step 201: the self-movement robot walking in the working region, recording a coordinate of a discrete point N1 as (x1, y1), simultaneously detecting a spatial height above the point N1 as h1, and recording a three-dimensional coordinate of a highest point M1 of the space above the discrete point N1 as (x1, y1, h1); step 202: the self-movement robot continuing to walk, and continuing to record three-dimensional coordinates of highest points M2 to Mn of the spaces above discrete points N2 to Nn until the self-movement robot completes a traversal and walk in the working region; and step 203: fitting spatial information from a surface fitted by the discrete points N1 to Nn to a surface fitted by the points M1 to Mn into three-dimensional map information and saving. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The map building method of claim 6, further comprising building a three-dimensional map of the working region according to the three-dimensional map information saved in the step 203. ### Claim 8 A map invoking method comprising: a self-moving robot of a combined robot invoking two-dimensional map information and conducting a walking operation on a two-dimensional working surface, when the self-moving robot works individually, wherein: the combined robot comprises the self-movement robot and a functional module combined and connected with the self-movement robot; and a storage unit is configured to store the two-dimensional map information and three-dimensional map information of a working region. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The map invoking method of claim 8, further comprising: determining whether the self-moving robot is combined and connected with the functional module; when the self-moving robot is not combined and connected with the functional module, the self-moving robot works individually. ### Claim 12 A map invoking method comprising: a combined robot invokes three-dimensional map information and conducts a walking operation on a three-dimensional working region, when a self-moving robot of the combined robot is combined and connected with a functional module, wherein: the combined robot including the self-moving robot and the functional module combined and connected with the self-moving robot; and a storage unit configured to store two-dimensional map information and the three-dimensional map information of a working region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The map invoking method of claim 12, wherein when the self-moving robot of the combined robot is combined and connected with a functional module, the combined robot plans a walking path according to the three-dimensional map information and calculates a walkable working region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The map invoking method of claim 12, wherein: the combined robot calculates map information of a first plane according to body height of the combined robot and the three-dimensional map information; the combined robot plans the walking path according to the two-dimensional map information of the first plane; and a height difference between the first plane and the working surface is the body height of the combined robot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The map invoking method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether the self-moving robot is combined and connected with the functional module; when the self-moving robot is combined and connected with the functional module, the self moving robot works not individually.