Launch device, lidar including same, and control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a transmitting device applicable to a lidar, comprising: a plurality of power supply units configured to input a primary voltage and output a high voltage, and at least two power supply units output the high voltage at different times, wherein the high voltage is a voltage higher than the primary voltage; a laser unit including a plurality of lasers, wherein an anode of each laser is connected to an output end of the power supply unit, such that at least two lasers are connected to different power supply units; and at least one switching device, cathodes of some lasers that do not share the high voltage are connected to one of the switching devices, and the switching device is configured to selectively control the on / off of a current loop formed by a corresponding power supply unit, the laser connected thereto, and the ground.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of lidar, and particularly to a transmitting device of a lidar, a control unit for controlling the same, and a control method therefor. Background Art

[0002] In a lidar transmitting system, lasers are usually driven in a common anode manner. For example, as Figure 1A shown, in the transmitting system of a lidar in the prior art, multiple lasers LAS1…LASN share a common power supply HV, and HV is continuously supplied. The cathode of each laser is respectively connected to a switching device (J1…JN in the figure), and the emission of this path of lasers is determined by the gating of this path of switching devices. Ideally, each laser is equipped with a discharge capacitor (C1…CN shown in the figure). Limited by the size of the switching devices and capacitors in the prior art, multiple lasers cannot be arranged more densely, resulting in limited vertical resolution of the lidar.

[0003] Figure 1B Shows the power supply of a single laser LAS1 and its driving circuit. The switching device used is GaN, and its specific working process is as follows: When the high-side switch is closed (conducted), the power supply HV charges the capacitor C. After a period of time, the high-side switch is opened (power cannot be supplied, and the charging circuit of the capacitor C is disconnected). After the driving signal of the GaN switch is sufficient to turn on the GaN switch tube, a discharge circuit is formed between the capacitor C, the laser LAS1, the GaN switch, and the ground, causing the laser LAS1 to emit light.

[0004] Figure 2A Shows the relative arrangement relationship of multiple lasers, GaN switching devices, and capacitors on a PCB board. Refer to Figure 2A shown. Due to the limitations of the size of the GaN switch and the capacitor (the GaN switch and the capacitor are both relatively large. For example, in the actual packaging process, for the discharge capacitor: when selecting, parameters such as capacitance value and capacitor withstand voltage need to be considered, and the capacitor that can be selected is 0402 (EIA nominal), with a size of 1000um*500um. Considering the SMT (Surface Mount Technology) process, the packaging size is generally recommended to be 1400um*900um; for the GaN switching device: when selecting, withstand voltage and current-carrying capacity are considered, and the minimum size that can be achieved by the existing process is about 680um*680um. Considering the SMT process, the packaging is generally recommended to be 800um*800um.), the capacitor and the GaN switch can only be separately arranged on both sides of the laser, and due to the requirement of one GaN switch driving one laser (i.e., the ratio of the number of lasers to the number of GaN switching devices is 1:1), the GaN switches themselves also need to be arranged in two columns and staggered.

[0005] Figure 2AThe arrangement is simplified as follows Figure 2B as shown, refer to Figure 2A and Figure 2B It can be seen that, compared with the distance between the laser LAS1 and its corresponding GaN switch, the distance between the laser LAS2 and its corresponding GaN switch is greater. Staggering the placement of GaN switches results in different discharge loop lengths between every two lasers (such as LAS1 and LAS2), which may cause differences in the emission power of every two lasers. Moreover, the GaN switches cannot fit well with the lasers, which also has a certain impact on the response speed of the lasers.

[0006] Lidar used in driverless vehicles, logistics carts, and floor cleaning robots are usually multi-line lidars, which means the emission system has multiple lasers. If arranged according to the relative relationship as Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B shown, the distance between each laser and its corresponding GaN switch is relatively inconsistent, resulting in different parameters such as detection accuracy for each channel or wire harness, which is not conducive to the consistency of detection and further affects the overall performance of the lidar.

[0007] In addition, as shown in Figure 1A , the power supply HV is provided to the circuit at a fixed value (for example, HV = 20V) and cannot be adjusted quickly. This is because after the power supply adjustment speed is too fast, various capacitance and inductance effects accumulate on the circuit and cannot be changed as expected. Additionally, since the current high-voltage supply usually adopts the DC-DC power supply or LDO (low dropout regulator) method, the switching speed is slow, so it also causes the light intensity of the laser to not be adjustable quickly. However, the lidar faces a diverse external environment. If the same fixed light intensity is used for detection, due to the difference in the reflectivity of external targets, it is easy to cause the detector to saturate or not detect signals, and it cannot meet the requirements of various scenarios. Moreover, the detection indicators of each wire harness of the radar, such as detection distance, may also be different and there is also a need for adjustment.

[0008] The content in the background art section is only the technology known to the applicant and does not necessarily represent the prior art in this field. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] To solve the problems that in the emission device under a single-bus power system, the emission powers of each laser are inconsistent and the vertical angular resolution is limited by the size of the GaN switch device, the present invention provides an emission device applicable to a lidar, including:

[0010] Multiple power supply units, configured to input a primary voltage and output a high voltage, and at least two power supply units output the high voltage at different times relatively, wherein the high voltage is a voltage higher than the primary voltage;

[0011] A laser unit, including multiple lasers, wherein the anode of each laser is connected to the output terminal of the power supply unit, such that at least two lasers are connected to different power supply units;

[0012] At least one switching device, the cathodes of some lasers that do not share the high voltage are connected to one of the switching devices, and the switching device is configured to selectively turn on and off the current loop formed by the corresponding power supply unit, the lasers connected thereto, and the ground.

[0013] The present invention also provides a method for controlling the emission of light by the emission device as described above, including:

[0014] Controlling one of the power supply units to output a voltage;

[0015] Through the switching device, controlling the conduction of the current loops of some of the lasers, so that the lasers connected to the power supply unit with the output voltage emit light under the action of the voltage.

[0016] The present invention also provides a lidar, including the emission device, the reception device, and the control device as described above, wherein:

[0017] The emission device is adapted to drive the lasers to emit detection laser beams according to a certain time sequence under the control of the control device;

[0018] The reception device is adapted to receive the echo reflected by an external obstacle relative to the lidar;

[0019] The control device is adapted to generate a voltage control signal according to the detection requirements of the lidar, control the power supply unit to output a voltage, generate a drive signal to selectively turn on some of the lasers to emit light; and is adapted to process the echo received by the reception device and calculate the distance and / or reflectivity between the external obstacle and the lidar according to the echo signal.

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a transmitting device for lidar. By respectively gating the lasers connected thereto through multiple power supply units sharing a primary voltage source, multiple lasers with non-shared voltages can achieve individually and one-by-one gating of a certain laser, a certain row of lasers, or a certain column of lasers through a shared GaN switching device, saving the cost and volume of the transmitting end, and making the size of the GaN switching device no longer a limitation on the vertical angular resolution of the lidar. Moreover, the GaN switching device can be arranged at both ends of multiple lasers or adopt a wiring method of routing behind the PCB, enabling the transmitting powers and various parameters of multiple lasers to tend to be consistent, thereby improving the performance of the radar. In addition, by arranging multiple lasers in a staggered manner, the angular resolution in the vertical direction is also increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the present invention. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1A Schematically shows the transmitting device of the lidar under a single-bus power supply system;

[0023] Figure 1B Schematically shows the circuit structure of a GaN switching device driving a laser;

[0024] Figure 2A Schematically shows the layout of each component on the PCB under a single-bus power supply system;

[0025] Figure 2B Schematically shows the layout of each component on the PCB under a single-bus power supply system;

[0026] Figure 3 Schematically shows the transmitting device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4A Schematically shows the transmitting device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4B Schematically shows the specific implementation structure of a 3-bus transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4C Shows Figure 4B The output voltage waveform of the shown preferred embodiment;

[0030] Figure 4D Schematically shows the specific implementation structure of a 2-bus transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4E shows Figure 4D the output voltage waveform of the preferred embodiment shown;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematically shows the arrangement of components on a PCB board under a two-bus power supply system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematically shows the wiring method of components on a PCB board under a two-bus power supply system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 Schematically shows the arrangement of components on a PCB board under a four-bus power supply system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 Schematically shows the power supply unit of a laser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 9A Schematically shows the specific implementation structure of a power supply unit;

[0037] Figure 9B Schematically shows Figure 9A the simulation curve of the power supply unit working in;

[0038] Figure 9C Schematically shows the specific implementation structure of a power supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 10A Schematically shows the first charging process of a high-voltage generating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10B shows the change curves of the first inductor and output voltage of a power supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11A Schematically shows the second charging process of a high-voltage generating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 11B shows the change curves of the first inductor and output voltage of a power supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 12A Schematically shows the first discharging process of a high-voltage generating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 12BShows the change curves of the first inductor of the power supply unit and the output voltage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 13A Schematically shows the second discharge process of the high-voltage generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 13B Shows the change curves of the first inductor of the power supply unit and the output voltage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 14A Schematically shows the reset process of the high-voltage generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 14B Shows the change curves of the first inductor of the power supply unit and the output voltage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 15 Shows a method of controlling the laser emission using the power supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 16 Schematically shows a lidar according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 17 Schematically shows an application scenario of the lidar according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0052] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are simply described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection: it may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection or a connection capable of mutual communication; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0056] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and / or reference letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0057] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0058] The first aspect

[0059] It is reasonably speculated that due to the upgrade of lidar products, considering various aspects such as the ease of assembly, cost, and miniaturization, the radar tends to be chip-based design. The lasers used in future lidar can be encapsulated as a single chip, and the drive circuit for driving the lasers can also be encapsulated as a chip. Also, due to current process limitations, most lasers are common cathode, so the cathodes of multiple lasers encapsulated in the laser chip are made together and then grounded (GND). Therefore, no other devices can be set between the cathode of each laser and GND. If the drive circuit is set between the cathode of the laser and GND, and since the cathodes of multiple lasers are connected, multiple lasers need to share a single switching device to input the drive. To achieve the individual gating of these multiple lasers (for example, laser 1 can be individually gated to emit light while laser 2 does not emit light; or laser 2 can be individually gated to emit light while laser 1 does not emit light; rather than necessarily gating laser 1 and laser 2 simultaneously), one solution is to drive by setting the switching device at the anode of the laser, but this solution requires a high-side switch and the implementation of this regulation is relatively complex. Based on the purpose of achieving the independent gating of multiple lasers and the motivation of saving GaN, the present application proposes a technical solution in which multiple lasers are respectively provided with a power supply instead of sharing a power supply. The following will be combined with the attached Figure 3 - attached Figure 17 Describe and introduce the solution of the present application in detail.

[0060] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 3As shown, the present invention provides a transmitting device 10 for lidar, which includes a plurality of power supply units 11, such as the power supply units 11-1, 11-2... 11-N shown in the figure, a laser unit 12, and at least one switching device 13.

[0061] The plurality of power supply units 11 are configured to convert the primary voltage into a high voltage output (such as HV1, HV2... HVN shown in the figure, hereinafter the high voltage HVx refers to any one of the high voltages HV1, HV2... HVN, and the high voltage HVx is a voltage higher than the primary voltage), and at least two power supply units 11 do not output high voltages simultaneously. For example, the power supply unit 11-1 can output the high voltage HV1 at time t1, and the power supply unit 11-2 can output the high voltage HV2 at time t2, where t1≠t2.

[0062] The laser unit 12 includes a plurality of lasers 121, such as the lasers 121-1, 121-2... 121-N shown in the figure. Moreover, the laser unit 12 can be a one-dimensional laser or a two-dimensional laser array. Correspondingly, Figure 3 the lasers 121-x shown in the figure (including the lasers 121-1, 121-2... 121-N) can be 1 laser, or 1 column of lasers, or 1 row of lasers. In terms of the connection relationship, the anode of each laser 121-x is connected to the output terminal of the power supply unit 11, and at least two lasers 121-x can be connected to different power supply units 11. For example, the anode of the laser 121-1 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply unit 11-1, and the anode of the laser 121-2 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply unit 11-2. For at least one switching device 13, the cathodes of some lasers that do not share the high voltage (such as the lasers 121-1, 121-2... 121-N shown in the figure) are connected to the same switching device 13. The switching device 13 is configured to selectively turn on and off the discharge circuit formed by a selected high voltage HVx, the laser connected thereto, and the ground (GND). For example, when the power supply unit 11-1 outputs the high voltage HV1 at time t1, if the switching device 13 is also turned on at time t1, the discharge circuit formed by the high voltage HV1, the laser 121-1 connected thereto, and the ground can be selected.

[0063] By adopting the solution provided by the present invention, even if multiple lasers share the same switching device 13, by outputting high voltages at different times by at least two power supply units 11 (including power supply unit 11-1, power supply unit 11-2... power supply unit 11-N), it is still possible to individually select some of the lasers 121-x in the laser unit 12 one by one (the laser unit 12 includes lasers 121-1, lasers 121-2... lasers 121-N). Moreover, those skilled in the art can easily understand that currently Figure 3 the lasers 121 in the laser unit 12 shown in it are all single lasers. In another embodiment, the laser 121 can also be a row of multiple lasers or a column of multiple lasers, so as to overcome the defect of insufficient light intensity of a single laser and further improve the ranging ability of the lidar. In addition, by outputting different high voltages (such as HV1 = 20V, HV2 = 40V) by different power supply units 11 to control some of the lasers 121 in the laser unit 12 to detect with different emission intensities is also within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0064] For ease of understanding, in the present invention, each component constituting the power supply unit and the lines connecting the corresponding components are collectively referred to as a voltage bus. Multiple voltage buses (BUS) connect the various functional components of the power supply unit 11 together to form an HV BUS. Specifically, 1 Vbase + 1 boost circuit together constitute a power supply unit 11. The output of this power supply 11 is, for the lidar, to supply the high voltage HV1, thus constituting 1 voltage bus HV BUS; 1 Vbase and another boost circuit together constitute another power supply unit 11. The output of this power supply 11 is, for the lidar, to supply the high voltage HV2, thus constituting another 1 voltage bus HV BUS. Figure 4A An embodiment of a two-bus power supply system provided by the present invention is shown. The two buses share a primary voltage source 112. Specifically, the transmitting device 10 includes multiple voltage buses 14 corresponding to multiple power supply units 11. The input end of the voltage bus 14 inputs a primary voltage (VBASE shown in the figure), and the output end outputs a voltage higher than the primary voltage (HV1, HV2 in the figure). Each laser 121-x is connected to the output end of the corresponding power supply unit 11 through one of the voltage buses 14.

[0065] Those skilled in the art can easily understand that although Figure 4A a two-bus situation is shown, the transmitting device 10 includes multiple voltage buses 14 that respectively output voltages HV1, HV2... HVN higher than the primary voltage (VBASE), that is, HVx > VBASE, and the multiple voltage buses 14 may not share the primary voltage source 112, which is also within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0066] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4A shown, the power supply unit 11 of the transmitting device 10 includes a capacitor unit 111, which is connected to the voltage bus 14 and configured to be charged through the voltage bus 14, and when the switching device 13 is turned on, discharge to one or more lasers 121-x connected to the voltage bus 14 and gated by the switching device 13 to drive the one or more lasers 121-x to emit light.

[0067] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4A shown, the power supply unit 11 further includes a primary voltage source 112 and a high-voltage generating unit 113. The primary voltage source 112 is configured to output a primary voltage (VBASE). The high-voltage generating unit 113 is connected to the primary voltage source 112, and the primary voltage source 112 is adapted to input the primary voltage (VBASE) into the high-voltage generating unit 113, and the high-voltage generating unit 113 is configured to generate a voltage HVx higher than the primary voltage (VBASE).

[0068] For better understanding and implementation of the present invention by those skilled in the art, 9C shows a circuit of a voltage bus, Figure 4B shows a laser circuit of a 3-way voltage bus, Figure 4D shows a laser circuit of a 2-way voltage bus. Referring to Figure 4B shown, the inductor Lx (including inductor L1, inductor L2 and inductor L3), gatex signal (including gate1, gate2 and gate3), switching transistor Mx (including switching transistor M1, switching transistor M2 and switching transistor M3) and diode Dx (including D1, D2 and D3) constitute an energy storage circuit, the high-side transistor Px (including high-side transistor P1, high-side transistor P2 and high-side transistor P3) and the high-side transistor driver (including driver 1, driver 2 and driver 3) constitute a gating circuit, and LD1-Ldx (including LD1, LD2 and LD3) and the trigger signal constitute a laser circuit. In addition, diodes D11, D21 and D31 are used to protect the respective parallel switching transistors, such as diode D11 protecting M1. Among them, the energy storage circuit 1 includes inductor L1, gate1, switching transistor M1 and diode D1, and the specific constitution of the other energy storage circuit x and gating circuit x can be analogized and will not be elaborated here one by one.

[0069] The general working process of the laser emission is as follows: The energy storage circuit is used to receive the input primary voltage VBase and store electrical energy. Then, the gating circuit conducts, and the energy storage inductor can charge the boost capacitor C, establishing a high voltage across the boost capacitor C. Usually, the input voltage is not very high, such as 5V or 12V, and cannot be directly used to drive the laser. Boosting is required. The high voltage established across the boost capacitor C can be significantly higher than the input voltage VBase, such as 60V, and thus can be used to drive the laser LD. After the high voltage is established, the boost capacitor C can drive the laser LDx to emit a laser beam. The 3 HV buses share 1 primary voltage source VBase, and 3 lasers LD share 1 driving device S3. The 3 HV buses HV1, HV2, and HV3 do not output at the same time point. At a certain moment, only one of HV1, HV2, and HV3 outputs, thereby gating the discharge loop of the capacitor C, HV, S3, and ground of the selected output path (it can be understood that for a certain energized loop, whether it is a charging loop or a discharging loop is a relative concept. For the laser, it is a charging loop, and for the capacitor C, it is a discharging loop), and driving the laser LD connected to this path and this path of HV to emit light. The above-mentioned laser LD can be various types of lasers, such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers VCSEL or edge emitting lasers EEL. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the type of the laser.

[0070] The following reference Figure 4B , specifically, taking the energy storage circuit 1, the gating circuit 1, and LD1 as examples, to illustrate how the specific energy storage circuit, gating circuit, and laser circuit cooperate with each other. The energy storage circuit 1 includes an inductor L1, a diode D1 connected to the inductor L1 respectively, and a switch M1. One end of the inductor L1 is connected to the input voltage VIN (generally very small, such as 5V), and the other end is connected to the diode D1 and the switch M1.

[0071] If HV1 is selected for output at a certain moment, during the energy storage stage, the switch M1 is controlled to close through gate1. The closed switch M1 is equivalent to a short circuit in the circuit. Therefore, the current generated by the input voltage VI N flows through the inductor L1 and grounds through the switch M1. As the inductor current increases, electrical energy is stored in the inductor L1.

[0072] When the energy storage stage is completed, the switch M1 is disconnected, and the high-side driver in the gating circuit 1 gates P1. At this time, due to the current-holding characteristic of the inductor L1, the current flowing through the inductor L1 does not immediately become zero, but slowly changes from the current value at the end of charging to zero. During this process, since the switch M1 has been disconnected and P1 is conducting, the inductor L charges the boost capacitor C1, and thus the voltage across the boost capacitor C1 increases.

[0073] After a high voltage (e.g., 60V) has been established on the boost capacitor C1, if the drive switch S3 in the laser circuit is selected to conduct (it can be gated or turned off through the trigger3 signal), due to the one-way conductivity of the diode D1, the capacitor C1 cannot discharge through the diode D1 and can only discharge through the loop of the laser LD1 and the switch S3. Therefore, current flows through the laser LD1, and the capacitor C1 drives the laser LD1 to emit light.

[0074] At the next moment, if the laser LD2 is to be driven to emit light, the energy storage circuit 2, the gating circuit 2, and the LD2 can repeat the working process of the energy storage circuit 1, the gating circuit 1, and the LD1; at the next moment, if the laser LD3 is to be driven to emit light, the energy storage circuit 3, the gating circuit 3, and the LD3 can repeat the working process of the energy storage circuit 1, the gating circuit 1, and the LD1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0075] Figure 4C There is provided Figure 4B A simulation diagram showing the operation of the laser circuit is presented. The horizontal axis is time t, and the vertical axis is voltage V. The curve 401 represents the change of HV1, the curve 402 represents the change of HV2, and the curve 403 represents the change of HV3. It can be seen from the figure that HV1 has an output in the time period of 0.5 μs - 3.5 μs, HV2 has an output in the time period of 5.5 μs - 8.5 μs, and HV3 has an output in the time period of 10.5 μs - 13.5 μs. The output times of HV1, HV2, and HV3 do not overlap, and one or more lasers connected to the voltage buses outputting HV1, HV2, and HV3 can be selectively gated to emit light.

[0076] For the convenience of those skilled in the art to understand the present invention, Figure 4D A laser circuit scheme with 2 buses is shown. Next, refer to Figure 4D and Figure 9CAnother embodiment of the present application is introduced. As shown in the figure, the high-voltage generating unit 113 includes a first inductor 1131, a first switching tube 1132, and a second switching tube 1133. The first end of the first inductor 1131 is connected to the primary voltage source 112 and is configured to input electrical energy from the primary voltage source 112. The first end of the first switching tube 1132 is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is grounded. When it is turned on, it is configured to form a charging circuit between the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 to charge the first inductor 1131. The first end of the second switching tube 1133 is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is connected to the capacitor unit 111. When it is turned on, it is configured to form a discharging circuit between the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 to charge the capacitor unit 111. In addition, the diode D1 is used to protect the respective parallel-connected switching tubes. For example, the diode D1 protects the switching tube 1132. The diode D2 is used to accelerate conduction and power supply. For example, the diode D2 accelerates the supply of HV2. Compared with the solution in Figure 4B In this embodiment, the capacitance value of the capacitor C for charging the laser that can be selected is relatively larger.

[0077] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4D shown, the high voltages output by the two voltage buses are HV1 and HV2 respectively. A certain number of lasers 121 are mounted on each bus (specifically, as Figure 4D shown, lasers 121-1, 121-3, and 121-5 are mounted on the voltage bus with the output voltage of HV1, and lasers 121-2, 121-4, and 121-6 are mounted on the voltage bus with the output voltage of HV2). Adjacent two-way lasers share a GaN switch as a driver (specifically, as Figure 4D shown, lasers 121-1 and 121-2 share the GaN switch 13-1, lasers 121-3 and 121-4 share the GaN switch 13-2, and lasers 121-5 and 121-6 share the GaN switch 13-3). The drive signal DRV1 shown in the figure is used to drive the GaN switch 13-1 to determine the on / off and on / off duration of the GaN switch 13-1; similarly, the drive signal DRV2 shown in the figure is used to drive the GaN switch 13-2 to determine the on / off and on / off duration of the GaN switch 13-2; DRV3 is used to drive the GaN switch 13-3 to determine the on / off and on / off duration of the GaN switch 13-2.

[0078] As Figure 4D and Figure 9CAs shown, the high-voltage generation unit 113 of the power supply unit 11 has three control signals, namely the low-side drive DRVL_HV1 (driving the first switching transistor 1132), the high-side drive DRVH_HV1 (driving the second switching transistor 1133), and the reset drive DRVRST_HV1 (driving the reset switching transistor 1134) as shown in the figure. The control signal input terminals of the low-side drive DRVL_HV1, the high-side drive DRVH_HV1, and the reset drive DRVRST_HV1 together form the voltage control terminal of the power supply unit 11. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this voltage control terminal can receive an external voltage control signal to control the output voltage of the power supply unit 11.

[0079] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4A shown, each switching device 13 includes a control terminal (the input terminals of the drive signals DRV1, DRV2, and DRV3 shown in the figure), a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal is configured to receive a drive signal to control the on / off between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal is connected to the cathodes of one or more lasers 121 selected by this switching device, and the second terminal is grounded. This voltage control signal and this drive signal cooperate to control the lasers 121 to emit light. Preferably, the switching device 13 includes one or more of a GaN switch and a CMOS switching transistor.

[0080] Figure 4E There is provided Figure 4D a working simulation diagram of the laser circuit shown. The horizontal axis is time t, and the vertical axis is voltage V. The relatively thin curve 404 represents the change of HV1, and the relatively thick curve 405 represents the change of HV2. It can be seen from the figure that HV1 has an output in the time period of 0.5 μs - 3.5 μs, and HV2 has an output in the time period of 5.5 μs - 8.5 μs. The output times of HV1 and HV2 do not coincide, and one or more lasers connected to the voltage buses of HV1 and HV2 can be selectively gated to emit light.

[0081] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the present invention also provides a method for controlling the emission device 10 as described above (as Figure 4A shown in) to emit light, which may include:

[0082] In step S201, control a power supply unit 11 to output a high voltage;

[0083] In step S202, through the switching device 13, control the current circuits of some of the lasers 121 to conduct, so that the lasers 121 connected to this power supply unit 11 emit light under the action of the high voltage.

[0084] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmitting device 10 further includes a plurality of voltage buses 14 corresponding to the plurality of power supply units 11. Each voltage bus 14 is connected to the components on the corresponding power supply unit 11. The input end of the voltage bus 14 inputs a primary voltage, and the output end outputs a voltage higher than the primary voltage. Each laser 121 is connected to the output end of the corresponding power supply unit 11 through one of the voltage buses 14. The power supply unit 11 includes a capacitor unit 111 connected to the voltage bus 14. The control method further includes:

[0085] Charging the capacitor unit 111 through the voltage bus 14, and discharging through the capacitor unit 111 to the corresponding laser 121 connected to the same voltage bus 14 to drive the corresponding laser 121 to emit light.

[0086] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 11 further includes a primary voltage source 112 and a high-voltage generating unit 113. The control method further includes:

[0087] Outputting a primary voltage through the primary voltage source 112;

[0088] Generating a voltage higher than the primary voltage through the high-voltage generating unit 113 and outputting the voltage through the voltage bus 14.

[0089] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the high-voltage generating unit 113 includes: a first inductor 1131, the first end of which is connected to the primary voltage source 112; a first switching tube 1132, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is grounded; a second switching tube 1133, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is connected to the capacitor unit 111. The control method further includes:

[0090] Inputting electrical energy from the primary voltage source 112 through the first inductor 1131;

[0091] By turning on the first switching tube 1132, a charging circuit is formed between the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 to charge the first inductor 1131;

[0092] By turning on the second switching tube 1133, a discharging circuit is formed between the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 to charge the capacitor unit 111.

[0093] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 11 further includes a voltage control terminal. The control method further includes:

[0094] Receiving a voltage control signal through the voltage control terminal to control the output voltage of the power supply unit 11.

[0095] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each switching device 13 includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The control terminal is configured to receive a driving signal to control the on / off between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal is connected to the cathode of the laser selected to be turned on, and the second terminal is grounded. The control method further includes:

[0096] Cooperating the voltage control signal and the driving signal to control one or more corresponding lasers to emit light.

[0097] The present invention provides a method for arranging the emission device 10 as described above on a PCB: As Figure 5 shown, multiple lasers 121 are arranged in a single column. The GaN switching devices corresponding to adjacent lasers can be respectively arranged on both sides. As shown in the figure: lasers 121-1 and 121-2 correspond to GaN switch 13-1, and lasers 121-3 and 121-4 correspond to GaN switch 13-2. Lasers 121-0 and 121-1 are supplied with high voltage HV3 through capacitor 111-3, lasers 121-2 and 121-3 are supplied with high voltage HV1 through capacitor 111-1, and laser 121-4 is supplied with high voltage HV2 through capacitor 111-2. Among them, high voltages HV1, HV2, and HV3 can be supplied non-simultaneously, that is, at different times, so that any one of the multiple lasers 121 can be individually selected and controlled. The ratio of the number of lasers to the number of GaN switching devices is 2:1, which is equivalent to two lasers sharing one GaN switching device and using this GaN device to drive for light emission. In the above-mentioned multiple preferred embodiments, it is easy to implement the emission device of the present invention. Arranging the switching devices on both sides of the single-column lasers makes the distances from the multiple lasers to the switching devices that select them approximately equal, and no inconsistency in test parameters will occur, so that the consistency of each detection channel is better. Compared with the layout where one GaN switching device drives one laser (as Figure 2A , Figure 2B shown), the discharge loop lengths are basically equal, and the emission powers of the lasers are also relatively consistent.

[0098] As Figure 6As shown, the present invention also provides another method of arranging the above-described transmitting device 10 on a PCB board: multiple lasers 121 are arranged in a single column, and the GaN switching device and the capacitor C are arranged on the same side of this column of lasers. The traces are divided into three layers. The first layer is grounded and connected to the GaN switch and the capacitor; the second layer is connected to the GaN switching device and the lasers, and the third layer is connected to all the capacitors. The capacitor units mounted on the voltage bus of the output voltage HV1 are connected to their corresponding lasers on the first-layer traces, and the capacitor units mounted on the voltage bus of the output voltage HV2 are connected to their corresponding lasers on the second-layer traces. Since the number of GaN devices is less than the number of lasers, such a wiring method can also make the distances from each laser to the GaN switching device driving it equal, so that the discharge loops of each laser are roughly equal and there will be no difference in the emission power.

[0099] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 7 shown, a method of arranging the transmitting device 10 of a 4-bus power system on a PCB board: two columns of lasers are arranged in a staggered manner. The lasers 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, and 121-4 shown in the figure are respectively connected to four different power supply units (as shown, the output voltages of the four power supply units are HV1, HV2, HV3, and HV4). The four lasers 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, and 121-4 share a GaN switch 13-1, saving the number of GaN switching devices. Among them, the GaN switch 13-1 is connected to the lasers 121-1 and 121-3 by traces on the PCB board, and is connected to the lasers 121-2 and 121-4 by traces on the back of the PCB board, so that the distances from the four lasers 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, and 121-4 to the GaN switch 13-1 driving them are roughly equal, their discharge loops are equal, and the emission powers of multiple lasers are consistent. Moreover, the layout of the two columns of lasers arranged in a staggered manner can double the density of the lasers placed, thereby doubling the vertical angular resolution of the lidar.

[0100] This preferred embodiment arranges all the GaN switching devices on one side, and each GaN switching device corresponds to multiple lasers, which can not only ensure the consistency of the connection lines between multiple lasers and their corresponding GaN switching devices, but also because the distance between two GaN switching devices, such as the GaN switch 13-1 and the GaN switch 13-2 shown in the figure, is farther apart, there is more space in the arrangement. As Figure 7 shown, the four lasers 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, and 121-4 respectively correspond to different capacitors 111-1, 111-4, 111-2, and 111-5. Each laser and its corresponding capacitor and GaN switching device together form an energized circuit, so these four lasers can emit light separately according to a certain time sequence.

[0101] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 16 shown, the present invention further provides a lidar 20, including the transmitting device 10, the receiving device 21 and the control device 22 as described above, wherein: the transmitting device 10 is adapted to drive the laser to emit a detection laser beam according to a certain time sequence under the control of the control device 22. The receiving device 21 is adapted to receive the echo reflected by an external obstacle relative to the lidar. The control device 22 is adapted to generate a voltage control signal (such as Figure 4D DRVH_HV1, DRVL_HV1, DRVRST_HV1 shown in Figure 4A ) according to the detection requirements of the lidar, control the power supply unit to output voltage, and generate a drive signal (such as

[0102] DRV1, DRV2, DRV3 shown in Figure 17 ) to select and turn on some of the lasers to emit light; and is adapted to process the echo received by the receiving device 21, and calculate the distance and / or reflectivity between the external obstacle and the lidar according to the echo signal.

[0103] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a transmitting device of a lidar and its control method. By respectively selecting and turning on the lasers connected thereto through multiple power supply units, multiple lasers with non-shared voltages can share GaN switching devices, realizing individually and one-by-one selection of a certain laser, a certain row or a certain column of lasers, saving the cost and volume of the transmitting end, and making the size of the GaN switching device no longer a limitation on the vertical angular resolution of the lidar. Moreover, the GaN switching devices can be arranged at both ends of multiple lasers or adopt a wiring method of routing behind the PCB, so that the emission power of multiple lasers is consistent, multiple lasers are arranged in a staggered manner, and the angular resolution in the vertical direction is increased.

[0104] The second aspect

[0105] To achieve rapid voltage regulation of the power supply HV, rapidly boost the primary voltage, and quickly adjust the output voltage to rapidly adjust the light intensity of the laser, as Figure 9C shown, the present invention further provides a power supply unit 11 for a laser, including: a capacitor unit 111, a primary voltage source 112, and a high-voltage generation unit 113. The primary voltage source 112 is configured to output a primary voltage. The high-voltage generation unit 113 is coupled to the primary voltage source 112, configured to input the primary voltage, generate an output voltage higher than the primary voltage, and output the high voltage through an output terminal. The capacitor unit 111 is coupled to the output terminal of the high-voltage generation unit 113. The capacitor unit 111 and the high-voltage generation unit 113 are configured to cooperatively adjust the output voltage through charging and discharging.

[0106] Figure 9C Illustrates a specific implementation structure of the power supply unit 11 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The primary voltage source 112 outputs a primary voltage (VBASE1 shown in the figure). The high-voltage generation unit 113 is coupled to the primary voltage source 112, converts the primary voltage VBASE1 into a high voltage for output (HV1 shown in the figure). The capacitor unit 111 is coupled to the output terminal of the high-voltage generation unit 113, and cooperates with the high-voltage generation unit 113 to adjust the output voltage HV1 through charging and discharging.

[0107] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 9C shown, wherein the high-voltage generation unit 113 includes a first inductor 1131, a first switching transistor 1132, and a second switching transistor 1133. The first end of the first inductor 1131 is connected to the primary voltage source 112, configured to input electrical energy from the primary voltage source 112. The first end of the first switching transistor 1132 is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is grounded, configured to form a charging circuit for the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 to charge the first inductor 1131 when conducting. The first end of the second switching transistor 1133 is connected to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is connected to the capacitor unit 111, serving as the output terminal of the high-voltage generation unit 113.

[0108] As Figure 10A shown, the current flow direction in the charging stage 1, the first switching transistor 1132 is conducting, the second switching transistor 1133 is off, and the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 form a charging circuit. As Figure 10BAs shown, the horizontal axis is time. The upper curve is the curve of the current of the first inductor 1131 changing with time, and the lower curve is the curve of the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 changing with time. The first switching transistor 1132 is turned on. At this time, the current of the first inductor 1131 linearly rises at a slope of VBASE / L, where L is the inductive reactance of the first inductor 1131, and the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 remains unchanged at the initial value (equal to VBASE).

[0109] As Figure 11A shown, for the current flow direction in the charging stage 2, the first switching transistor 1132 is turned off. Since the current in the first inductor 1131 cannot change instantaneously, a reverse electromotive force Vls is generated on the inductor Ls to maintain the passing current unchanged. At this time, the second switching transistor 1133 is turned on. After the primary voltage source 112 and the two voltages of the first inductor 1131 are connected in series, the capacitor unit 111 is charged with a voltage exceeding VBASE, so that the voltage of the capacitor unit 111 rises to VBASE + Vls. As Figure 11B shown, the horizontal axis is time. The upper curve is the curve of the current of the first inductor 1131 changing with time, and the lower curve is the curve of the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 changing with time. The first switching transistor 1132 is turned off, and the second switching transistor 1133 is turned on. At this time, the first inductor 1131 and the capacitor unit 111 form a resonance, and the voltage of the capacitor unit 111 resonantly rises from the initial voltage VBASE; when the current of the first inductor 1131 drops to 0, the second switching transistor 1133 is turned off. At this time, the capacitor of the capacitor unit is charged to the target voltage.

[0110] As Figure 12A shown, for the current flow direction in the discharging stage 1, the first switching transistor 1132 is turned off, and the second switching transistor 1133 is turned on. The capacitor unit 111 discharges to the first inductor 1131 as a power source. At this time, if one or some lasers do not need to emit light or need to reduce the light emission intensity, some energy stored in the already fully charged capacitor unit 111 is released back to the first inductor 1131, thereby saving energy. As Figure 12B shown, the horizontal axis is time. The upper curve is the curve of the current of the first inductor 1131 changing with time, and the lower curve is the curve of the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 changing with time. The first switching transistor 1132 is turned off, and the second switching transistor 1133 is turned on. The capacitor unit 111 and the first inductor 1131 form a resonance, and the voltage of the capacitor unit 111 resonantly drops; when it drops to the target voltage, the second switching transistor 1133 is turned off.

[0111] As Figure 13A shown, for the current flow direction in the discharging stage 2, the first switching transistor 1132 is turned on, and the second switching transistor 1133 is turned off. The primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 form a discharging circuit. AsFigure 13B As shown, the horizontal axis represents time. The upper curve is the curve of the current of the first inductor 1131 changing with time, and the lower curve is the curve of the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 changing with time. The current of the first inductor decreases at a slope of -VBASE / L.

[0112] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 9C shown, the power supply unit 10 further includes a reset switch tube 1134. The reset switch tube 1134 is connected across the primary voltage source 112 and the capacitor unit 111, and is configured to pull the output voltage HV1 back to the primary voltage VBASE. Preferably, the first switch tube 1132, the second switch tube 1133, and the reset switch tube 1134 include one or more of GaN switches and CMOS switch tubes. The reset switch tube 1134 can be built with discrete devices such as MOS tubes and GaN switch tubes, or a gated switch can be used.

[0113] As Figure 14A shown, the reset switch tube 1134 conducts, resetting the first inductor 1131 to avoid the parasitic capacitance of the first inductor 1131 and the first switch tube 1132 from resonating again, which will affect the capacitor unit 111 and the next charging process. As Figure 14B shown, the horizontal axis represents time. The upper curve is the curve of the current of the first inductor 1131 changing with time, and the lower curve is the curve of the output voltage HV1 of the power supply unit 11 changing with time. The output voltage HV1 quickly rises to the primary voltage VBASE.

[0114] It can be seen from the above-mentioned multiple embodiments that the fast bus power supply system provided by the present invention requires three control signals, namely the low-side drive signal for controlling the first switch tube 1132 (such as Figure 9C DRVL_HV1 shown in Figure 9C ), the high-side drive signal for controlling the second switch tube 1133 (such as Figure 9C DRVH_HV1 shown in

[0115] ), and the reset signal for controlling the reset switch tube 1134 (such as Figure 9C DRVRST_HV1 shown in ). The reasonable cooperation of these three signals can achieve an adjustment time of <1 us, and can meet the ability to adjust the laser light intensity pixel by pixel. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the present invention further provides a control unit for controlling the power supply unit 11 as described above. The high-voltage generation unit 113 includes a first switch tube 1132, a second switch tube 1133, and a reset switch tube 1134. The control unit includes: generating a voltage control signal according to the light emission timing of the laser, and outputting the voltage control signal to the control electrodes of the first switch tube 1132, the second switch tube 1133, and the reset switch tube 1134 (that isFigure 9C DRVL_HV1, DRVH_HV1, DRVRST_HV1 shown in FIG. are used to control the high-voltage generating unit 113 to output an output voltage higher than the primary voltage, and control the capacitor unit 111 and the high-voltage generating unit 113 to adjust the output voltage through charge and discharge cooperation.

[0116] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4A shown, the present invention further provides a transmitting device 10 of a lidar, including: a plurality of power supply units 11 as described above, configured to input a primary voltage and output a high voltage, and at least two power supply units 11 output high voltages relatively non-simultaneously, wherein the high voltage is a voltage higher than the primary voltage. A laser unit 12, including a plurality of lasers 121, wherein the anode of each laser 121 is connected to the output end of one of the power supply units 11, so that at least two lasers 121 are connected to different power supply units 11. At least one switching device 13, the other ends of some lasers 121 with non-shared voltages are connected to one of the switching devices 13, and the switching device 13 is configured to selectively turn on and off the current loop formed by the corresponding power supply unit 11, the laser 121 connected thereto, and the ground.

[0117] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 15 shown, the present invention further provides a method 30 for controlling the laser to emit light using the power supply unit 11 as described above, including:

[0118] In step S301, a primary voltage is output through the primary voltage source 112;

[0119] In step S302, an output voltage higher than the primary voltage is generated through the high-voltage generating unit 113;

[0120] In step S303, the output voltage is adjusted through the charging and discharging of the capacitor unit 111 and the high-voltage generating unit 113 in cooperation.

[0121] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the high-voltage generating unit 113 includes: a first inductor 1131, the first end of which is coupled to the primary voltage source 112, a first switching tube 1132, the first end of which is coupled to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is grounded, a second switching tube 1133, the first end of which is coupled to the second end of the first inductor 1131, and the second end is coupled to the capacitor unit 111, and the method 30 further includes:

[0122] Input electrical energy from the primary voltage source 112 through the first inductor 1131;

[0123] When the first switching transistor 1132 is closed and the second switching transistor 1133 is open, the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 form a charging circuit, and the primary voltage source 112 charges the first inductor 1131.

[0124] When the first switching transistor 1132 is open and the second switching transistor 1133 is closed, the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 form a discharging circuit, and the primary voltage source 112 and the first inductor 1131 charge the capacitor unit 111, so that the output voltage is higher than the primary voltage.

[0125] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, method 30 further includes:

[0126] When the first switching transistor 1132 is open and the second switching transistor 1133 is closed, the capacitor unit 111 discharges, and the first inductor 1131 inputs electrical energy from the capacitor unit 111, so that the output voltage drops.

[0127] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 11 further includes a reset switching transistor 1134, and the reset switching transistor 1134 is connected across the primary voltage source 112 and the capacitor unit 111. Method 30 further includes:

[0128] Pull the output voltage back to the primary voltage through the reset switching transistor 1134.

[0129] The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a power supply unit including an LC resonance circuit. Due to the characteristics of the LC resonance circuit, the charging and discharging speeds of the capacitor mounted on the power supply unit are greatly improved. Compared with the feedback circuit solution used in another embodiment, the speed is increased by a thousand times. In order to reflect the effect of the HV supply circuit in this application, Figure 9A shows the structure of an existing HV supply circuit. Figure 9A The power supply outputs high voltage HV. After sampling, it is compared with the reference voltage Vref to obtain an error signal. A control signal u is generated through a PID controller. The PWM comparator compares u with a sawtooth wave of a fixed frequency (the specific numerical value is related to the system using this HV circuit), and outputs a set of control pulses to control the on and off of the power switching transistor to maintain the relative stability of the output voltage. From the perspective of the circuit structure, the components of the entire circuit are relatively many. Moreover, due to the need for negative feedback in its working process, the HV switching speed is also slow. Figure 9B shows the use of Figure 9A The working simulation diagram of the power supply for HV. Comparing Figure 9B and Figure 10B , the output high voltage HV1 is 30V in both cases. Figure 9BIt takes 0.9 ms = 1.9 ms - 1 ms, but it takes less than 0.2 μs ≈ 0.8 μs - 0.6 μs in 10B, with a speed increase of a thousand times. Therefore, by using the power supply unit 11 in this application, HV can be quickly output and the switching of HV can also be quickly carried out. Furthermore, the light intensity of multiple lasers of the lidar can be adjusted relatively faster to match the situation of external obstacles or the usage scenario, thereby improving the accuracy of point cloud detection.

[0130] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, for those skilled in the art, they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmitting device applicable to lidar, comprising: A plurality of power supply units configured to input a primary voltage and output a high voltage, and at least two power supply units output the high voltage at different times. Wherein, the high voltage is a voltage higher than the primary voltage; A laser unit including a plurality of lasers, wherein the anode of each laser is connected to the output terminal of the power supply unit, such that at least two lasers are connected to different power supply units; At least one switching device, the cathodes of some lasers that do not share the high voltage are connected to the same switching device, and the switching device is configured to selectively turn on and off the current loop formed by the corresponding power supply unit, the lasers connected thereto, and the ground; Wherein the plurality of lasers of the laser unit are arranged in a multi-array, two laser arrays are staggered with each other, and the number of the at least one switching device is less than the number of the plurality of lasers.

2. The transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of voltage buses corresponding to the plurality of power supply units. The voltage buses are connected to the components on the corresponding power supply units. The input end of the voltage bus inputs the primary voltage, and the output end outputs a voltage higher than the primary voltage. Each laser is connected to the output terminal of the corresponding power supply unit through one of the voltage buses.

3. The transmitting device according to claim 2, further comprising a capacitor unit connected between the voltage bus and the ground, configured to be charged through the voltage bus and discharge to the lasers on the selected current loop when the switching device is turned on, so as to drive the lasers to emit light.

4. The transmitting device according to claim 3, wherein the power supply unit further comprises: A primary voltage source configured to output a primary voltage; A high voltage generating unit connected to the primary voltage source, the primary voltage source is adapted to input the primary voltage into the high voltage generating unit, and the high voltage generating unit is configured to generate a high voltage higher than the primary voltage.

5. The transmitting device according to claim 4, wherein the high voltage generating unit comprises: A first inductor, the first end of the first inductor is connected to the primary voltage source, and is configured to input electrical energy from the primary voltage source; A first switching tube, the first end is connected to the second end of the first inductor, and the second end is grounded, and is configured to form a charging loop of the primary voltage source and the first inductor to charge the first inductor when turned on; A second switching tube, the first end is connected to the second end of the first inductor, and the second end is connected to the capacitor unit, and is configured to form a discharging loop of the primary voltage source and the first inductor to charge the capacitor unit when turned on.

6. The transmitting device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the power supply unit further comprises a voltage control terminal configured to receive a voltage control signal to control the output voltage of the power supply unit.

7. The transmitting device according to claim 6, wherein each switching device includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, the first terminal is connected to the cathode of the laser, and the second terminal is grounded; the control terminal is configured to receive a driving signal to control the on / off between the first terminal and the second terminal, and the voltage control signal and the driving signal cooperate to control the corresponding laser to emit light.

8. The transmitting device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the distance between each laser and the corresponding switching device is relatively substantially the same.

9. The transmitting device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the switching device includes one or more of a GaN switch and a CMOS switching tube.

10. A method for controlling the light emission of the transmitting device according to any one of claims 1-9, comprising: Controlling one of the power supply units to output a voltage; Controlling the current loop of some of the lasers to conduct through the switching device, so that the lasers connected to the power supply unit of the output voltage emit light under the action of the voltage.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting device further includes a plurality of voltage buses corresponding to the plurality of power supply units, each voltage bus is connected to the output terminal of a corresponding power supply unit, each laser is connected to the output terminal of the corresponding power supply unit through one of the voltage buses, the power supply unit includes a capacitor unit connected to the voltage bus, and the method further includes: Charging the capacitor unit through the voltage bus and discharging the capacitor unit to the lasers connected to the same voltage bus to drive the lasers to emit light.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the power supply unit further comprises: Primary voltage source, high-voltage generating unit, and the method further includes: Outputting a primary voltage through the primary voltage source; Generating a voltage higher than the primary voltage through the high-voltage generating unit and outputting the voltage through the voltage bus.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the high-voltage generating unit comprises: A first inductor, the first end of which is connected to the primary voltage source, a first switching tube, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the first inductor, the second end of which is grounded, a second switching tube, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the first inductor, and the second end of which is connected to the capacitor unit, and the method further includes: Inputting electrical energy from the primary voltage source through the first inductor; By turning on the first switching tube, forming a charging loop between the primary voltage source and the first inductor to charge the first inductor; By turning on the second switching tube, forming a discharging loop between the primary voltage source and the first inductor to charge the capacitor unit.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, wherein the power supply unit further includes a voltage control terminal, and the method further includes: Receiving a voltage control signal through the voltage control terminal to control the output voltage of the power supply unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein each switching device includes a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal, the control terminal is configured to receive a driving signal to control the on / off between the first terminal and the second terminal, the first terminal is connected to the cathode of the laser, and the second terminal is grounded, and the method further includes: The laser is controlled to emit light by the cooperation of the voltage control signal and the drive signal.

16. A lidar, comprising a transmitting device, a receiving device and a control device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein: The transmitting device is adapted to drive the laser to emit a detection laser beam according to a certain time sequence under the control of the control device; The receiving device is adapted to receive the echo reflected by an external obstacle relative to the lidar; The control device is adapted to generate a voltage control signal according to the detection requirements of the lidar, control the power supply unit to output a voltage, generate a drive signal to selectively turn on some of the lasers to emit light; and is adapted to process the echo received by the receiving device and calculate the distance and / or reflectivity between the external obstacle and the lidar according to the echo signal.

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