Laser radar, control method thereof, and addressing circuit

Abstract

A laser radar, a control method thereof, and an addressing circuit. The control method of the laser radar includes: obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, generating a corresponding detection control signal, wherein the starting detection unit group address is determined based on the calibration processing result; decoding and performing logical operation on the detection control signal to determine the address of the corresponding calibrated starting detection unit group, as well as the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtaining a gating address, and generating a corresponding gating control signal; based on the gating control signal, activating the corresponding detection unit group to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal. The above scheme improves the echo detection accuracy of the laser radar and effectively ensures data integrity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this specification relate to the field of laser radar technology, and in particular to a laser radar, a control method thereof, and an addressing circuit. Background Art

[0002] At present, the transmitting module in the lidar emits a laser beam, and the receiving module detects the laser beam reflected back by the target object (i.e., the echo beam), converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and after data processing, point cloud data can be obtained.

[0003] During the hardware assembly and adjustment of the LiDAR, the gating control scheme between the transmitting module and the receiving module can be determined through the light alignment operation, so that the receiving module can activate the photoelectric detection area with the best light alignment for echo detection.

[0004] However, manufacturing errors can cause a field-of-view error between the transmitter and receiver modules. This can cause the receiver module's activated photodetection area to misalign with the return beam, leading to optical signal loss. While improving manufacturing precision can reduce this field-of-view error, this requires extremely high optical precision, making it difficult to achieve in actual production.

[0005] In addition, the gating control scheme determined during installation is an ideal scheme. When the lidar is working, its internal structure may be disturbed, which may cause a field of view error between the transmitting module and the receiving module, resulting in the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module failing to align with the echo light beam, causing the optical signal of the echo light beam to be lost.

[0006] Therefore, how to solve the problem of optical signal loss in the receiving module has become an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the embodiments of this specification provide a laser radar and its control method and addressing circuit to improve the echo detection accuracy of the laser radar and effectively ensure data integrity.

[0008] The present invention provides a method for controlling a laser radar, including:

[0009] A1) obtaining a starting detection unit group address corresponding to an activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, and generating a corresponding detection control signal, wherein the starting detection unit group address is determined based on a calibration result;

[0010] A2) performing decoding and logical operation on the detection control signal to determine the address of the corresponding calibrated starting detection unit group and the addresses of other detection unit groups to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a gating address, and generate a corresponding gating control signal;

[0011] A3) activating a corresponding detection unit group based on the gating control signal to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal.

[0012] Optionally, the calibration process comprises the following method steps:

[0013] B1) activating respectively the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group in the laser radar that have a calibration correspondence relationship;

[0014] B2) obtaining an electrical signal obtained by the detection unit group activated in step B1) by performing photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam, and calculating the strength of the electrical signal corresponding to the activated detection unit group;

[0015] B3) Acquiring the addresses corresponding to the detection unit groups whose electrical signal strengths meet the preset strength conditions, and obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

[0016] Optionally, the step B3) includes:

[0017] B31) determining, based on a preset signal reading order, whether the electrical signal strengths corresponding to the activated detection unit groups meet the strength conditions;

[0018] B32) Determine the address corresponding to the first detection unit group whose electrical signal strength meets the strength condition, and obtain the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

[0019] Optionally, before performing the calibration process, the method further includes: determining whether a preset calibration condition is met.

[0020] The embodiment of this specification further provides an addressing circuit for a laser radar, wherein the addressing circuit includes a decoding module and a combinational logic module, wherein:

[0021] The decoding module is adapted to decode the received detection control signal, determine the address of the starting detection unit group that has undergone calibration processing corresponding to the detection control signal, and send the corresponding decoding signal to the combinational logic module, wherein the detection control signal is generated based on the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, and the starting detection unit group address is determined based on the result of the calibration processing;

[0022] The combinational logic module is suitable for performing logical operations on the received decoding signals, determining the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forming a gating address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputting a corresponding gating control signal to the receiving module of the laser radar to control the activation of the corresponding detection unit group in the receiving module.

[0023] Optionally, the decoding module includes multiple input ports and multiple output ports, uses signals received in parallel through the input ports as detection control signals, decodes the detection control signals, determines the addresses of the starting detection unit groups to be activated corresponding to the detection control signals, and sends corresponding decoding signals to the combinational logic module;

[0024] The combinational logic module includes multiple input ports and multiple output ports. The input ports of the combinational logic module are respectively connected to different output ports of the decoding module, and the output ports of the combinational logic module are respectively connected to enable ports of different detection unit groups; the combinational logic module performs logical operation processing on the decoding signal output by the decoding module, determines the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forms a selection address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputs a corresponding selection control signal to the receiving module of the laser radar.

[0025] Optionally, the combinational logic module includes a plurality of OR gate circuits, each of which includes a plurality of input ports and an output port;

[0026] One input port of each OR gate circuit serves as an input port of the combinational logic module and is connected to an output port at a corresponding position of the decoding module. Furthermore, according to the order of connection with the output ports of the decoding module, the remaining different input ports of each OR gate circuit are also connected to the first x-1 output ports at the corresponding positions of the decoding module.

[0027] The output port of each OR gate circuit serves as the output port of the combinational logic module and is respectively connected to a detection unit group;

[0028] Where x is the number of detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously.

[0029] Optionally, one or more input ports of the multiple OR gate circuits that are not connected to the output port of the decoding module are all connected to a low level.

[0030] Optionally, the laser radar includes: n detection unit groups, where n = p*x+q, p and q are both positive integers, and p is the number of output ports of the addressing circuit, and q≥0.

[0031] The embodiment of this specification further provides a laser radar, comprising: a control module, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and an addressing circuit, wherein the transmitting module comprises a plurality of transmitting unit groups, and the receiving module comprises a plurality of detecting unit groups, wherein:

[0032] The control module is adapted to generate a transmission control signal and send it to the transmission module; generate a corresponding detection control signal according to a starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmission unit group, and send it to the addressing circuit, wherein the starting detection unit group address is determined based on a result of a calibration process;

[0033] The transmitting module is adapted to receive the transmitting control signal sent by the control module and activate the corresponding transmitting unit group to transmit the detection light beam;

[0034] The addressing circuit is adapted to perform decoding and logical operation processing on the detection control signal, determine the address of the corresponding calibrated starting detection unit group, and determine the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a gating address, and generate a corresponding gating control signal;

[0035] The receiving module is adapted to receive the gating control signal sent by the addressing circuit and activate the corresponding detection unit group to perform photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam.

[0036] Optionally, the control module is adapted to trigger calibration processing of the transmitting module and the receiving module when a preset calibration condition is met.

[0037] The laser radar control scheme of the embodiment of this specification is adopted. By obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, a corresponding detection control signal is generated, and by decoding and logically operating the detection control signal, the address of the starting detection unit group corresponding to the calibration process is determined, as well as the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, a gating address is obtained, and a corresponding gating control signal is generated. Based on the gating control signal, the corresponding detection unit group is activated to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal. It can be seen from the above scheme that the detection unit group in the receiving module is activated according to the starting detection unit group address determined by the result of the calibration process. The activation state of each detection unit group can be flexibly controlled according to the result of the calibration process, and the dynamic adjustment of the photoelectric detection area is realized, so that the receiving module can detect the echo light beam in the photoelectric detection area with the best light, reduce the loss of light signals, and improve the working stability of the laser radar. Therefore, the echo detection accuracy of the laser radar can be improved and the data integrity can be effectively guaranteed.

[0038] Using the laser radar addressing circuit solution of the embodiment of this specification, after receiving the detection control signal, the detection control signal can be decoded and logically processed to obtain the gating address corresponding to the detection control signal, and the corresponding gating control signal is output to the receiving module of the laser radar. As can be seen from the above solution, the decoding module can convert the number of bits of the acquired detection control signal into a decoding signal with more bits, thereby improving the gating control accuracy of the laser radar, and the combinational logic module can perform logical operations on the decoded signal to flexibly control the activation state of each detection unit group. Therefore, the addressing circuit can dynamically adjust the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module according to actual conditions, thereby effectively ensuring the accuracy and data volume of the laser radar detection results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of this specification or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0040] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of the connection between a detection unit array and a control module in an application scenario of this specification;

[0041] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of the use of a transmit and receive field of view matching in an application scenario of this manual;

[0042] Figure 1c This is a schematic diagram of a mismatch between the transmitting and receiving fields of view in the first application scenario of this manual;

[0043] Figure 1d This is a comparison diagram of the transmit and receive field of view matching and the transmit and receive field of view mismatch in an application scenario of this manual;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a control method of a laser radar according to an embodiment of this specification;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a laser radar calibration method according to an embodiment of this specification;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between a detection unit array and a decoding module in an embodiment of this specification;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of an addressing circuit in an embodiment of this specification;

[0048] Figure 6This is a connection diagram of an addressing circuit in an embodiment of this specification;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a connection diagram of another addressing circuit in the embodiment of this specification;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a connection diagram of another addressing circuit in the embodiment of this specification;

[0051] Figure 9 It is a structural diagram of a laser radar in an embodiment of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] As described in the background technology, although the gating control scheme between the transmitting module and the receiving module can be determined through light alignment operations during the assembly and adjustment of the laser radar hardware, due to processing errors and disturbances in actual operation, the fields of view between the transmitting module and the receiving module may not match. As a result, the light spot formed on the detection unit array after the receiving module converges the echo light beam has a position deviation from the activated photoelectric detection area. In other words, the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module fails to align with the echo light beam.

[0053] In the above situation, there is no light signal in some areas of the photoelectric detection area or the corresponding light signal intensity is weak, and the photoelectric signal conversion cannot be performed. However, there is a light signal suitable for detection outside the activated photoelectric detection area, resulting in the loss of the light signal of the echo light beam. If the position deviation between the light spot and the activated photoelectric detection area is large, it will cause serious loss of the light signal.

[0054] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the above technical issues, the following is an exemplary introduction with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific application scenarios.

[0055] In one application scenario, a LiDAR radar may include a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module may include an array of transmitting units, and the receiving module may include an array of detecting units. During LiDAR assembly and adjustment, an optical alignment operation may be used to determine the optimal gating scheme between the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group. During LiDAR operation, based on the optimal addressing correspondence obtained through the optical alignment operation, the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group at the corresponding address may be activated to implement transmission and reception gating control.

[0056] If in this application scenario, one column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array is set to correspond to three consecutive columns of detecting units in the detecting unit array, such as Figure 1a As shown, the detection units located in the same column can be used as a detection unit group, and the enable end of each detection unit group is connected to the control module of the laser radar respectively, so that the control module can control the activation or deactivation of each detection unit group respectively.

[0057] In other application scenarios, the detection units can be combined in other forms as a detection unit group, for example, the detection units located in the same row are regarded as a detection unit group, or the detection unit array can be divided into multiple rectangular arrays of e rows × f columns, and the multiple detection units in each rectangular array are regarded as a detection unit group, where e is a positive integer not greater than the total number of rows of the detection unit array, and f is a positive integer not greater than the total number of columns of the detection unit array.

[0058] For example, Figure 1a In the illustrated application scenario, each detection unit includes several single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays, and multiple detection units are arranged in a line, which can be regarded as a detection unit group. If the level signal output by the control module to the enable port can control the bias voltage of the corresponding detection unit group to be greater than the breakdown voltage, the corresponding detection unit group is activated, and each detection unit in the activated detection unit group is in the active state. If the level signal output by the control module to the enable port can control the bias voltage of the corresponding detection unit group to be less than the breakdown voltage, the corresponding detection unit group is deactivated, and each detection unit in the deactivated detection unit group is in the deactivated state.

[0059] As another embodiment, the control module outputs a level signal to the enable port to control the readout circuit of the corresponding detection unit group to turn on and output the detection signal, and the corresponding detection unit group is activated; the control module outputs another level signal to the enable port to control the readout circuit of the corresponding detection unit group to turn off and cut off the detection signal output path, and the corresponding detection unit group is deactivated.

[0060] In the case of matching field of view between the transmitting module and the receiving module, such as Figure 1b As shown, a column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array 11 is activated (refer to Figure 1b A column of emitting units (shown as filled with oblique lines) emits a laser beam, and the echo beam reflected by the target object 12 forms a light spot 13A on the detection unit array 13.

[0061] Activate three consecutive columns of detection cells in the detection cell array 13 (refer to Figure 1b The three columns of detection units shown in the grid filling in the middle) form the activated photodetection area (refer to Figure 1b The three columns of transmitting units shown in the grid filling are used to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal and detect the electrical signal corresponding to the echo light beam.

[0062] For ease of description, the column of transmitting units filled with oblique lines can be regarded as the first column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array 11, and they are sorted in descending order according to their distance from the first column of transmitting units; and the column of detecting units closest to the edge of the detecting unit array 13 among the three columns of detecting units filled with grids can be regarded as the first column of detecting units, and they are sorted in descending order according to their distance from the first column of detecting units. Figure 1b In the embodiment, the first column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array 11 corresponds to the first column to the third column of detecting units in the detecting unit array 13. When the first column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array 11 is activated, the first column to the third column of detecting units in the detecting unit array 13 are also activated accordingly.

[0063] In the case of field-of-view matching, the area where light spot 13A is located can be considered the ideal spot position. Because light spot 13A overlaps with the activated photoelectric detection area, the three activated detection units can detect sufficient echo light signals. However, in actual applications, due to factors such as production process deviations and module interference, field-of-view errors may exist between the transmitting and receiving modules, resulting in field-of-view mismatch between the transmitting and receiving modules.

[0064] like Figure 1c As shown, due to processing errors or disturbances in actual operation, the fields of view between the transmitting module and the receiving module do not match, and the first column of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array is activated (refer to Figure 1c The laser beam is emitted by a column of emitting units (shown as a filled column in the middle) and the echo beam reflected by the target 12 forms a light spot 13A' on the detection unit array. Figure 1b Compared with the light spot 13A in FIG, due to the field of view error between the transmitting module and the receiving module, the light spot 13A′ in FIG. Figure 1c In the picture shown, one column of detection units is offset from the first column of detection units to the second column of detection units. If the first to third columns of detection units in the detection unit array are activated according to the originally set location correspondence, some detection units in the formed photoelectric detection area do not coincide with the position of the light spot 13A', that is, the first column of detection units cannot detect the light signal, and part of the light spot 13A' falls into the inactivated detection unit, and no corresponding detection signal is output, resulting in the loss of the light signal of the echo light beam.

[0065] Based on the above description, due to the mismatch between the transmitting and receiving fields of view, the actual position of the light spot is offset by one column of detection units compared to the ideal position. Therefore, after the laser beam emitted by each column of transmitting units is reflected by the target, the position of the light spot formed on the detection unit array is deviated. Among the three consecutive columns of activated detection units, one column of detection units cannot detect the light signal, and only two columns of detection units can detect the light signal. Therefore, the problem of light signal loss occurs.

[0066] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figure 1d The diagram below shows a comparison of the field of view match and mismatch between the transmitting and receiving modules. The ideal position of the light spot corresponding to the first column of transmitting units coincides with the area of ​​the first to third columns of detection units in the detection unit array. However, the actual position of the light spot corresponding to the first column of transmitting units deviates by one detection unit column from the detection unit array, coinciding with the area of ​​the second to fourth columns of detection units in the detection unit array. At this point, of the first to third columns of detection units that are activated, only the second and third columns of detection units can detect the light signal. Similarly, the light spots corresponding to the second and third columns of transmitting units in the transmitting unit array also deviate by one detection unit column, meaning the first, fourth, and seventh columns of detection units, etc., cannot detect the light signal when activated.

[0067] To address the aforementioned optical signal loss issue, the field of view error between the transmitting and receiving modules can be reduced by improving the machining accuracy during the production phase. However, during the actual alignment process, the alignment accuracy between the actual and ideal positions of the detection unit is very high. For example, the alignment accuracy error needs to be controlled below 10μm. However, during actual production, the machining accuracy error typically reaches around 30μm, making it difficult to achieve the requirement of controlling the alignment accuracy error below 10μm. Furthermore, improving the machining accuracy during the production phase cannot compensate for the disturbances generated by the LiDAR during actual operation. Therefore, the field of view mismatch between the transmitting and receiving modules may still occur during operation.

[0068] In summary, how to solve the problem of optical signal loss in the receiving module has become an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art.

[0069] In response to the above problems, an embodiment of this specification provides a laser radar control solution, which generates a corresponding detection control signal by determining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmitting unit group through the calibration processing result, and obtains the selection address of the detection unit group that needs to be activated synchronously by decoding and logical operation processing on the detection control signal, and generates a corresponding selection control signal to activate the corresponding detection unit group to convert the echo light beam into photoelectric signal, thereby improving the echo detection accuracy of the laser radar and effectively ensuring data integrity.

[0070] In order to enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand and implement the concepts, implementation schemes and advantages of the embodiments of this specification, the following detailed description is given through specific application scenarios with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] Reference Figure 2 The flowchart of a control method of a laser radar in an embodiment of this specification is shown. In this embodiment of this specification, the control method may include:

[0072] A1) obtaining a starting detection unit group address corresponding to an activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, and generating a corresponding detection control signal, wherein the starting detection unit group address is determined based on a calibration result.

[0073] A2) performing decoding and logic operation on the detection control signal to determine the address of the corresponding calibrated starting detection unit group and the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a gating address, and generate a corresponding gating control signal.

[0074] A3) activating a corresponding detection unit group based on the gating control signal to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal.

[0075] It can be seen from the above scheme that the detection unit group in the receiving module is activated according to the starting detection unit group address determined by the result of the calibration processing. The activation state of each detection unit group can be flexibly controlled according to the calibration processing result, and the dynamic adjustment of the photoelectric detection area can be realized, so that the receiving module can detect the echo light beam in the photoelectric detection area with the best light, reduce the loss of light signal, and improve the working stability of the laser radar. Therefore, the echo detection accuracy of the laser radar can be improved and the data integrity can be effectively guaranteed.

[0076] In a specific implementation, the control module of the laser radar can determine the address of the emission unit group that needs to be activated currently according to the preset emission cycle and emission sequence, thereby generating an emission control signal to control the activation state of each emission unit group. The emission module of the laser radar responds to the emission control signal to activate the emission unit group corresponding to the emission control signal in the emission module to emit a detection beam, and the remaining emission unit groups that do not correspond to the emission control signal are deactivated, that is, no detection beam is emitted.

[0077] Accordingly, based on the calibrated addressing correspondence between the transmitting unit and the detection unit, the starting detection unit group address that best matches the field of view of the transmitting unit group activated by the transmitting control signal can be determined, and the detection control signal can be generated to control the activation state of each detection unit group. After decoding and logical operation of the detection control signal, the selection control signal corresponding to the detection control signal is obtained to activate the detection unit group corresponding to the detection control signal in the receiving module to perform photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam, and the remaining detection unit groups that do not correspond to the detection control signal are deactivated, that is, no photoelectric signal conversion is performed.

[0078] The initial detection unit group address obtained after the calibration process can be set in the preset address configuration parameters to facilitate the control module to call. In order to facilitate understanding and implementation by those skilled in the art, the calibration process is described in detail below.

[0079] In specific implementation, Figure 3 As shown, the calibration process may include the following method steps during execution:

[0080] B1) activating respectively the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group in the laser radar that have a calibration correspondence relationship;

[0081] B2) obtaining an electrical signal obtained by the detection unit group activated in step B1) by performing photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam, and calculating the strength of the electrical signal corresponding to the activated detection unit group;

[0082] B3) Acquiring the addresses corresponding to the detection unit groups whose electrical signal strengths meet the preset strength conditions, and obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

[0083] During the calibration processing of the embodiments of this specification, by activating the transmitting unit group and the detection unit group that have a calibration correspondence in the laser radar, and calculating the intensity of the electrical signal converted by the currently activated detection unit group, the actual distribution of the echo light beam in the activated photoelectric detection area can be determined, and then the detection unit group that meets the intensity condition is determined from the currently activated detection unit group, and the position information of the optimal starting detection unit group actually corresponding to the currently activated transmitting unit group is determined in the laser radar, and then the photoelectric detection area with the best light in actual application can be determined. By obtaining the corresponding address as the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the currently activated transmitting unit group, the position deviation between the photoelectric detection area and the echo light beam can be corrected, and dynamic adjustment of the photoelectric detection area can be realized, so that the receiving module can detect the echo light beam in the photoelectric detection area with the best light, reduce the loss of light signal, and improve the working stability of the laser radar, so that the echo signal utilization of the laser radar can be improved and the detection accuracy can be improved.

[0084] In a specific implementation, the calibration correspondence is used to represent the address of the transmitting unit group and the address of the detecting unit group that need to be activated during the calibration process. When the laser radar is calibrated, the transmitting unit group and the corresponding detecting unit group can be activated respectively according to the calibration correspondence.

[0085] The calibration correspondence can represent a one-to-many relationship between the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group, or a many-to-many relationship between the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group. The embodiments of this specification do not limit the specific representation of the calibration correspondence. To facilitate understanding and implementation by those skilled in the art, several examples are provided below to illustrate.

[0086] For example, there is a calibration correspondence between the transmitting unit group 1 and the detection unit groups 1 to 4. Therefore, when the transmitting unit group 1 is activated, the detection unit groups 1 to 4 are correspondingly activated.

[0087] For another example, there is a calibration correspondence between the transmitting unit groups 1~2 and the detection unit groups 1~2. When the transmitting unit group 1 is activated, the detection unit groups 1~2 are activated accordingly; when the transmitting unit group 2 is activated, the detection unit groups 1~2 are activated accordingly; when the transmitting unit group 1~2 is activated, the detection unit groups 1~2 are activated accordingly.

[0088] In a specific implementation, based on different calibration requirements, the number of detection unit groups that have a calibration correspondence relationship with the emission unit group can be set.

[0089] For example, in order to accurately correct the position deviation between the photoelectric detection area and the echo light beam, a calibration correspondence can be set between an emitting unit group and all detection unit groups. Thus, when an emitting unit group is activated, all detection unit groups are activated accordingly, thereby reducing the complexity of setting the calibration correspondence. In addition, activating all detection unit groups to perform photoelectric signals on the echo light beam can ensure that the accurate starting detection unit group address is obtained.

[0090] For example, in order to quickly correct the position deviation between the photoelectric detection area and the echo light beam, a calibration correspondence can be set between an emitting unit group and part of the detection unit group. Thus, when an emitting unit group is activated, the corresponding part of the detection unit group is activated, thereby improving the efficiency of obtaining the starting detection unit group address.

[0091] In a specific implementation, the laser radar is provided with transceiver location configuration parameters for characterizing the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group that have a location correspondence relationship. In other words, the transceiver location configuration parameters may include location correspondence information between the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group. When the laser radar is operating, the transmitting unit group and the corresponding detecting unit group may be activated respectively according to the transceiver location configuration parameters. To ensure the reliability of the calibration correspondence, the calibration correspondence information may be set based on the location correspondence information included in the transceiver location configuration parameters.

[0092] Optionally, the detection unit groups that have a calibration correspondence with the transmitting unit groups may include at least detection unit groups that have a location correspondence with the transmitting unit groups. For example, if the detection unit groups that have a location correspondence with transmitting unit group 1 are detection unit groups 1 to 3, then the detection unit groups that have a calibration correspondence with transmitting unit group 1 may include detection unit groups 1 to F, where F ≥ 3.

[0093] In a specific implementation, the intensity of each signal may be calculated using the formula 201g (U), where U is the electrical signal obtained by photoelectric conversion.

[0094] In a specific implementation, the strength condition may be any one of the following:

[0095] 1) Obtain the detection unit group with the strongest electrical signal strength.

[0096] 2) Acquire a detection unit group whose electrical signal strength exceeds a preset strength threshold.

[0097] In a specific implementation, there may be multiple detection unit groups whose electrical signal strengths meet the strength condition, and it is impossible to determine which detection unit group address should be selected. If the addresses of all detection unit groups that meet the strength condition are selected, data oversaturation and hardware resource waste will result. To solve the above problem, step B3) may include:

[0098] B31) Based on a preset signal reading order, it is determined in sequence whether the electrical signal strength corresponding to the currently activated detection unit group meets the strength condition.

[0099] In a specific implementation, the signal reading order can be set according to the hardware connection method of the output end of the detection unit group.

[0100] In an optional example, the output end of the detection unit group can output signals in a serial connection manner, such as when the output end of the detection unit group is connected to a signal readout circuit with a multiplexing structure. At this time, the signals of the detection unit group are output in sequence, and the selection order of the signal readout circuit can be set to the signal reading order.

[0101] In another optional example, the output end of the detection unit group can use a parallel connection method to output signals. At this time, the signal reading order can be set according to the number corresponding to the output port of the detection unit group, such as reading the signal in order from small to large numbers; or reading the signal in order from large to small numbers of the input port.

[0102] B32) Determine the address corresponding to the first detection unit group whose electrical signal strength meets the strength condition, and obtain the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

[0103] In a specific implementation, the laser radar is suitable for triggering the calibration of the transmitting module and the receiving module when a preset calibration condition is met.

[0104] Specifically, the control module of the laser radar can generate the field of view calibration instruction and trigger the calibration process when the preset calibration conditions are met. Among them, any of the following methods can be used to determine whether the calibration conditions are met:

[0105] 1) Determine whether the laser radar has been installed and adjusted. If so, the calibration condition is met.

[0106] 2) Based on the electrical signals detected by the activated detection unit group, determine whether more than a preset threshold number of detection units fail to perform photoelectric conversion. If so, the calibration condition is met. The preset threshold number can be set according to the specific scenario.

[0107] Furthermore, the laser radar can be put into an adjustment state through manual operation. Moreover, the calibration condition can be determined in response to a preset calibration cycle or manual operation.

[0108] In a specific implementation, after obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the currently activated emission unit group through calibration processing, the detection unit group corresponding to the starting detection unit group address can be used as the starting detection unit group activated corresponding to the currently activated emission unit group, that is, the starting detection unit group of the currently activated emission unit group is adjusted, and according to the starting detection unit group address, the remaining detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group are determined, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the photoelectric detection area.

[0109] Therefore, when the transmitting unit group is activated, the address of the adjusted starting detection unit group (i.e., the starting detection unit group address determined by the calibration processing result) and the addresses of the remaining detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously are obtained, and the activated detection unit group forms a photoelectric detection area that is optimal for light, thereby ensuring the accuracy of echo detection and effectively protecting data integrity.

[0110] In a specific implementation, the transceiver location configuration parameters can be adjusted based on the starting detection unit group address determined by the calibration processing result, so that the adjusted transceiver location configuration parameters include the location correspondence between the starting detection unit group determined by the calibration processing result and the currently activated transmitting unit group. Specifically, the method of adjusting the transceiver location configuration parameters may include:

[0111] C1) Acquire the transceiver location configuration parameters, determine the address of the starting detection unit group that has a location corresponding relationship with the currently activated transmission unit group, and obtain the starting detection unit group address before calibration.

[0112] C2) Matching the starting detection unit group address determined as a result of the calibration process with the starting detection unit group address before calibration. If the two do not match, determining the address deviation between the two.

[0113] C3) Based on the address deviation, adjusting the transceiver site selection configuration parameters so that a site selection correspondence is established between the starting detection unit group determined by the calibration processing result and the currently activated transmission unit group.

[0114] By adopting the above scheme, by matching the starting detection unit address before calibration with the starting detection unit address after calibration, it is possible to determine whether there is a deviation between the actual optimal detection position and the ideal optimal detection position. If it is determined that the two do not match, the transceiver location configuration parameters are adjusted according to the address deviation between the two, and a location correspondence relationship is established between the detection unit group determined after calibration and the currently activated transmitting unit group. In this way, the gating control scheme between the transmitting unit group and the detection unit group is corrected by the address deviation, and the photoelectric detection area actually activated by the receiving module is dynamically adjusted to compensate for the position deviation between the activated photoelectric detection area and the echo beam. In actual application, the control module may include a control module, which is adapted to output a transmission control signal to the transmitting module according to the transceiver location configuration parameters to control the activation or deactivation of each transmitting unit group, and determine, according to the location correspondence relationship set between the transmitting unit and the detection unit, that the transmitting unit group activated by the transmission control signal corresponds to the detection unit group to be activated, and output a detection control signal to the receiving module to control the activation or deactivation of each detection unit group.

[0115] After the control module calibrates the emission unit group and the detection unit group that have a calibration correspondence relationship and obtains the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the currently activated emission unit group, the control module can use the detection unit group corresponding to the starting detection unit group address as the starting detection unit group activated corresponding to the currently activated emission unit group, that is, adjusts the starting detection unit group of the currently activated emission unit group, and determines the remaining detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group according to the activation timing of each emission unit group, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the photoelectric detection area.

[0116] As another embodiment, in actual applications, the location correspondence between the transmitting unit group and the detection unit group can be set in the laser radar, and the location correspondence can be updated based on the calibration processing results. The activation status of each detection unit group can be flexibly controlled according to the calibration processing results. For each activated transmitting unit group, the corresponding one or more detection unit groups with the best activation light can be determined according to the updated location correspondence to perform echo signal detection.

[0117] It is understood that in actual applications, the control module of the lidar may include a calibration unit, that is, the control module implements the calibration function by performing the above-mentioned calibration process; or the control module may establish a communication connection with the calibration module, that is, the control module triggers the calibration module to perform the above-mentioned calibration process steps to implement the calibration function. The embodiments of this specification do not specifically limit the entity that performs the calibration process steps in actual applications.

[0118] In addition, when the control module includes a correction unit, the control module is implemented using a processor; when the control module establishes a communication connection with the correction module, the control module and the correction module can be respectively implemented by different processor cores of a processor, or the control module and the correction module can be respectively implemented by different processors.

[0119] Among them, the processor can be a processing chip such as a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a specific integrated circuit ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this specification.

[0120] In a specific implementation, the lidar includes a time-to-digital conversion unit that collects electrical signals from the corresponding detection unit group. The signal strength determination unit obtains the electrical signals collected by the time-to-digital conversion unit and calculates the corresponding intensities. Optionally, the strength of each signal is calculated using the formula 20lg(U), where U is the electrical signal collected by the time-to-digital conversion unit.

[0121] The electrical signals collected by the time-to-digital conversion unit can be stored according to the hardware structure of the laser radar for access by the signal strength determination unit of the correction module. For example, the electrical signals collected by the time-to-digital conversion unit can be stored in the memory of the laser radar or in a corresponding storage area of ​​the correction module. The embodiments of this specification do not specifically limit the storage method of the electrical signals collected by the time-to-digital conversion unit.

[0122] In the prior art, the laser radar may include a decoding module, which may receive a detection control signal, address the detection control signal, determine a gating address corresponding to the detection control signal, and output a corresponding gating control signal to the receiving module.

[0123] The detection control signal may be generated by a control module based on configuration parameters, or may be generated by other devices based on corresponding configuration parameters. This specification does not specifically limit the source of the detection control signal.

[0124] The decoding module is typically implemented by a decoder, which receives and decodes the detection control signal and outputs a corresponding gating control signal to activate the detection unit group of the corresponding path. However, the decoding characteristics of the decoder show that the decoder can only control the bias voltage of one detection unit group to be greater than the breakdown voltage. In other words, the decoder can only activate one detection unit group at a time, which is quite limited.

[0125] In order to achieve the simultaneous activation of multiple detection unit groups, the hardware connection method of the detection unit group must be changed, for example, refer to Figure 4 A column of detection units can be regarded as a detection unit group. The enable ports of three consecutive columns of detection units are connected in parallel and share an output port of a decoding module (that is, the three detection unit groups share one enable signal). By changing the level signal input to the parallel enable port, the corresponding three consecutive columns of detection units can be controlled to be activated or deactivated synchronously.

[0126] However, the hardware connection method is fixed during production and cannot be flexibly changed according to actual conditions. Therefore, the decoder still has limitations during the operation of the lidar. Figure 1b to Figure 1d 、 Figure 4 As well as the related description content, when performing the calibration process, since the hardware connection method is fixed and cannot be changed, you can only select detection units separated by two columns in the direction of the light spot offset, such as adjusting the starting detection unit group corresponding to the first column of emitting units from the first column of emitting units to the fourth column of detection units, but you cannot adjust the location correspondence to: the first column of emitting units corresponds to the second column of detection units.

[0127] In order to solve the limitations of the above-mentioned decoder, this specification provides an addressing scheme for a laser radar. After receiving the detection control signal, the detection control signal can be decoded and processed with logical operations. By outputting the corresponding decoding logic level signal to the receiving module, the activation state of each detection unit group can be controlled.

[0128] In order to enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand and implement the concepts, implementation schemes and advantages of the embodiments of this specification, the following detailed description is given through specific application scenarios with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0129] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the addressing circuit 50 may include a decoding module 51 for performing decoding processing and a combination logic module 52 for performing logic operation processing, wherein:

[0130] The decoding module 51 is adapted to decode the received detection control signal, determine the address of the calibrated starting detection unit group corresponding to the detection control signal, and send the corresponding decoding signal to the combinational logic module 52, wherein the detection control signal is generated based on the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmitting unit group in the laser radar, and the starting detection unit group address is determined based on the calibration result;

[0131] The combinational logic module 52 is suitable for performing logical operations on the received decoding signal, determining the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forming a selection address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputting a corresponding selection control signal to the receiving module of the laser radar to control the activation of the corresponding detection unit group in the receiving module.

[0132] In a specific implementation, the decoding module 51 may include multiple input ports and multiple output ports, such as Figure 5 As shown in FIG, there are N input ports A1 to AN and M output ports B1 to BM, where N and M can be positive integers greater than 1, and M=2 N .

[0133] Depending on the number N of input ports selected for the decoding module, N bits of signals can be received. The decoding module 51 uses the signals received in parallel by input ports A1-AN as the detection control signals, decodes the detection control signals, determines the addresses of the starting detection unit groups to be activated corresponding to the detection control signals, and transmits the corresponding decoded signals to the combinational logic module 52 via output ports B1-BM.

[0134] For example, if the decoding module 51 selects the 2 / 4 decoding module, the decoding module 51 can receive a 2-bit signal as a detection control signal, and the 2 / 4 decoding module decodes the 2-bit detection control signal and outputs a 4-bit decoding signal; if the decoding module 51 selects the 3 / 8 decoding module, the decoding module 51 can receive a 3-bit signal as a detection control signal, and the 3 / 8 decoding module decodes the 3-bit detection control signal and outputs an 8-bit decoding signal.

[0135] Specifically, after the decoding module decodes the detection control signal, it can obtain the decoding path indicated by the detection control signal and obtain the output port corresponding to the starting detection unit group. The output port corresponding to the starting detection unit group outputs a first decoding level signal, and the remaining output ports output a second decoding level signal.

[0136] The first decoding level signal is different from the second decoding level signal. According to the model of the decoding module 51, the first decoding level signal can be a high level signal or a low level signal, and correspondingly, the second decoding level signal can be a low level signal or a high level signal.

[0137] In a specific implementation, the combinational logic module 52 may include multiple input ports and multiple output ports, such as Figure 5 As shown in FIG, there are M input ports C1-CM and Y output ports D1-DY.

[0138] The input ports of the combinational logic module 52 are respectively connected to different output ports of the decoding module, and the output ports of the combinational logic module 52 are respectively connected to the enable ports of different detection unit groups; the combinational logic module 52 receives the decoding signals (including the first decoding level signal and the second decoding level signal) output by the decoding module in parallel through the input ports C1~CM, and performs logical operation processing on the decoding signals output by the decoding module, determines the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forms a selection address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputs the selection control signal obtained by the logical operation processing at the output ports D1~DY.

[0139] Specifically, after the combinational logic module performs logical operation processing, it can obtain the selection path indicated by the detection control signal, and obtain the output ports corresponding to the starting detection unit group and other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously, that is, the output port corresponding to the detection unit group that needs to be activated. The output port corresponding to the detection unit group that needs to be activated outputs the first selection level signal, and the remaining output ports output the second selection level signal.

[0140] In which, the first selection level signal is different from the second selection level signal, the first selection level signal is used to control the activation of the connected detection unit group, and the second selection level signal is used to control the deactivation of the connected detection unit group; the number Y of output ports of the combinational logic module 52 is not less than the number M of input ports of the combinational logic module 52.

[0141] In a specific implementation, according to the activation mode of the detection unit group, the first strobe level signal may be a high level signal or a low level signal, and correspondingly, the second strobe level signal may be a low level signal or a high level signal.

[0142] Optionally, the number of input ports of the combinational logic module 52 is not greater than the number of output ports of the decoding module 51 , and the number of output ports of the combinational logic module 52 is not less than the number of the detection unit groups.

[0143] Compared to Figure 1a In the gating control scheme, the embodiments of this specification can achieve more gating control combinations through detection control signals with fewer bits.

[0144] Specifically, in Figure 1a In the embodiment, one detection unit group corresponds to one enable signal, and an N-bit detection control signal controls N detection unit groups. By using the addressing circuit provided in the embodiment of this specification, an N-bit detection control signal can control M detection unit groups, and since the output port and input port of the decoding module have M=2 N As N increases, the number of detection unit groups that can be controlled by the addressing circuit provided in the embodiment of this specification can achieve exponential growth, which is much greater than Figure 1a The number of detection unit groups controlled by the gating control scheme in . And, when multiple detection unit groups need to be activated synchronously, Figure 1a The control module in the program needs to obtain the corresponding address location information, and through Figure 5 The addressing circuit shown only needs to determine the address position information of the starting detection unit group, and can obtain the address position information of all detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously through combinational logic processing, thereby increasing the addressing efficiency.

[0145] Compared to Figure 4 In the gating control scheme, the embodiments of this specification can achieve more precise gating control by detecting the control signal.

[0146] Reference Figure 4 As well as the related description, when calibrating the laser radar, due to the limitation of the hardware connection, only three consecutive columns of detection units can be selected in the direction of the light spot offset, such as adjusting the addressing correspondence to: the first column of transmitting units corresponds to the fourth column of detection units to the sixth column of detection units, but the addressing correspondence cannot be adjusted to: the first column of transmitting units corresponds to the second column of detection units to the fifth column of detection units. However, by using the addressing circuit provided in the embodiment of this specification, since the detection unit group is connected to an output port of the addressing circuit and is not controlled by the parallel enable port, the addressing circuit can independently control the activation state of each detection unit group, so that according to the calibration processing result, the address of the starting detection unit group can be offset by one or more bits to adjust the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module. During the operation of the laser radar, the optimal photoelectric detection area can be activated according to the calibrated starting detection unit group.

[0147] To sum up, by using the addressing circuit provided in the embodiments of this specification, the decoding module can convert the number of bits of the acquired detection control signal into a decoding signal with more bits, thereby improving the selection control accuracy of the laser radar, and the combinational logic module can perform logical operations on the decoding signal, thereby flexibly controlling the activation state of each detection unit group. Therefore, the addressing circuit can dynamically adjust the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module according to actual conditions, thereby effectively ensuring the accuracy and data volume of the laser radar detection results.

[0148] In a specific implementation, the combinational logic module may include various types of gate circuits. According to the logic type, the gate circuits may include: AND gate circuits, OR gate circuits, and NOT gate circuits, etc.; according to the semiconductor process, the gate circuits may include: MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor) gate circuits, TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) gate circuits, ECL (Emitter Coupled Logic) gate circuits, and MESFET (Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) gate circuits, etc.

[0149] Taking the OR gate circuit as an implementable example, the combinational logic module may include multiple OR gate circuits, each OR gate circuit respectively including multiple input ports and one output port, one input port of each OR gate circuit may serve as the input port of the combinational logic module, connected to the output port at the corresponding position of the decoding module, and according to the connection sequence with the output port of the decoding module, the remaining different input ports of each OR gate circuit are also respectively connected to the first x-1 output ports at the corresponding position of the decoding module (that is, the remaining different input ports of each OR gate circuit are also respectively connected to the input ports of the first x-1 gate circuits serving as the input ports of the combinational logic module); the output port of each OR gate circuit serves as the output port of the combinational logic module, and may be respectively connected to a detection unit group.

[0150] According to the connection sequence with the output ports of the decoding module, at least one remaining output port of the first OR gate circuit is connected to a low-level signal, and x is the number of detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously.

[0151] according to Figure 4 And related descriptions show that in Figure 4In the provided gating control scheme, the gating relationship between the detection unit groups is fixed. For example, only the first column of detection units, the second column of detection units, and the third column of detection units can be synchronously activated, while the second column of detection units, the third column of detection units, and the fourth column of detection units cannot be synchronously activated. For the addressing circuit provided in the embodiments of this specification, the corresponding detection unit groups can be gated according to the detection control signal. For example, the first detection unit group to the xth detection unit group can be synchronously activated, and the second detection unit group to the x+1th detection unit group can also be synchronously activated. This allows for various gating control combinations to be arranged and combined, allowing for refined gating control of the detection unit array.

[0152] By adopting the above scheme, an OR logic operation can be performed on the decoding signal output by the decoding module. According to the position of the output port that outputs the first decoding level signal in the output port of the decoding module, the selection address of the x detection unit group that needs to be synchronously activated can be determined, thereby being able to synchronously activate the corresponding x detection unit groups, flexibly control the activation state of each detection unit group, and realize selection control through gate circuits of the same logic type, which is beneficial to hardware design and device procurement.

[0153] It will be understood that the embodiments provided in this specification are merely illustrative. In actual applications, the decoding module and the combinational logic module may also include other input and output ports, such as an enable port for switching the working state, etc. This specification does not limit the specific structure of the decoding module and the combinational logic module.

[0154] In a specific implementation, based on the actual number of decoding ports required, a decoding module model that meets the requirements can be selected; if the number of ports of a decoding module does not meet the requirements, a decoding module with a larger number of input and output ports can be replaced, or multiple decoding modules can be combined to obtain more decoding paths, which can be combined with corresponding combinational logic modules to control a larger number of detection unit groups. To facilitate understanding and implementation by those skilled in the art, the following detailed description is provided through specific embodiments.

[0155] In one embodiment of this specification, Figure 6 As shown, it is a connection diagram of an addressing circuit. The addressing circuit 60 may include a 3 / 8 decoding module 61 and a combinational logic module 62, wherein the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 may include 3 input ports A1~A3 and 8 output ports B1~B8, and the combinational logic module 62 may include 8 input ports C1~C8 and 8 output ports D1~D8. The number of detection unit groups that need to be synchronously activated is 3, and the addressing circuit 60 can control at most 8 detection unit groups through three input ports.

[0156] In the embodiment of this specification, if both the input and output of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 are valid high-level signals, the first decoding level signal is a high-level signal and the second decoding level signal is a low-level signal. For ease of description, the value "1" represents a high-level signal and the value "0" represents a low-level signal.

[0157] The input ports A1~A3 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 receive the signals from the control module in parallel as the detection control signals. After decoding the detection control signals, the output ports corresponding to the detection control signals can output the first decoding level signal "1", and the remaining output ports can output the second decoding level signal "0".

[0158] For example, Figure 6 As shown, the signals received in parallel by the input ports A1~A3 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 are "1", "1", and "0" respectively. Then, the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 decodes the detection control signal "110", and the fourth output port B4 corresponding to the detection control signal outputs the first decoding level signal "1", and the remaining output ports B1~B3 and B5~B8 output the second decoding level signal "0". In other words, the 8-bit decoding level signal output in parallel by the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 is: "00010000".

[0159] Combination logic module 62 may include eight OR gate circuits 621-628. One input port of each OR gate circuit serves as an input port of the combination logic module 62 and is connected to an output port at a corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 41. The output port of each OR gate circuit serves as an output port of the combination logic module 62 and is respectively connected to a detection unit group. Based on the logical relationship implemented by the OR gate circuits, the first selection level signal output by the combination logic module 62 is a high-level signal "1," and the second selection level signal output by the combination logic module 62 is a low-level signal "0."

[0160] For ease of description, the OR gate circuits are sorted according to the connection sequence with the output port of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61. For example, the OR gate circuit 621 connected to the output port B1 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 is called the first OR gate circuit.

[0161] like Figure 6 As shown, the first OR gate circuit 621 may include two input ports, one input port of the first OR gate circuit 621 serves as the input port C1 of the combinational logic module 62, and is connected to the output port B1 at the corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61, and the other input port of the first OR gate circuit 621 is connected to a low-level signal.

[0162] The second OR gate circuit 622 may include two input ports. One input port of the second OR gate circuit 622 serves as the input port C2 of the combinational logic module 62 and is connected to the output port B2 at the corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61. The other input port of the second OR gate circuit 622 is connected to the first output port at the corresponding position of the decoding module 61, that is, to the output port B1. Figure 6 , the other input port of the second OR gate circuit 622 can be connected to the input port of the first OR gate circuit 621 as the input port C1, thereby achieving connection with the output port B1.

[0163] The third OR gate circuit 623 may include three input ports. One input port of the third OR gate circuit 623 serves as the input port C3 of the combinational logic module 62 and is connected to the output port B3 at the corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61. The remaining two input ports of the third OR gate circuit 623 are connected to the first two output ports at the corresponding positions of the decoding module 61, namely, the output ports B1 and B2. Figure 6 The remaining two input ports of the third OR gate circuit 623 can be connected to the input port of the first OR gate circuit 621 as the input port C1 and the input port of the second OR gate circuit 622 as the input port C2, respectively, thereby achieving connection with the output ports B1 and B2.

[0164] The connection manner of the fourth OR gate circuit 624 to the eighth OR gate circuit 628 may refer to the description of the third OR gate circuit 623 and will not be repeated here.

[0165] Continue to refer Figure 6 According to the logical relationship implemented by the OR gate circuit, when the output port of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 outputs the first decoding level signal "1", the output port at the corresponding position in the combinational logic module 62 outputs the first selection level signal, and the last two output ports at the corresponding positions in the combinational logic module 62 also output the first selection level signal, thereby controlling the activation of the three groups of detection units.

[0166] For example, Figure 6As shown, when the output port B4 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61 outputs the first decoding level signal “1”, the output port of the fourth OR gate circuit 624 (i.e., the output port D4 of the combinational logic module 62) outputs the first selection level signal “1”, the output port of the fifth OR gate circuit 625 (i.e., the output port D5 of the combinational logic module 62) outputs the first selection level signal “1”, and the output port of the sixth OR gate circuit 626 (i.e., the output port D6 of the combinational logic module 62) outputs the first selection level signal “1”, and the output ports of the OR gate circuits 621-623, the OR gate circuit 627, and the OR gate circuit 628 (i.e., the output ports D1-D3 and the output ports D7 to D8 of the combinational logic module 62) output the second selection level signal “0”.

[0167] It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely illustrative. In actual applications, other gate circuits may be combined according to specific requirements to obtain corresponding combinational logic modules to implement gating control of the detection unit array. The embodiments of this specification do not impose any specific restrictions on the type and combination of gate circuits.

[0168] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the number of input ports of the selected OR gate circuits may not be exactly the same, and thus the corresponding hardware circuits may also be different. To improve hardware design efficiency, the gate circuits may adopt the same hardware circuit design.

[0169] In a specific implementation, one or more input ports of the multiple OR gate circuits that are not connected to the output port of the decoding module are all connected to a low level. Specifically, for an OR gate circuit with m input ports (m ≥ 2), if the number of ports connected to the decoding module is less than m, the remaining input ports are all connected to a low level. If an OR gate circuit corresponds to at least two input ports, then if there is only one input port between the OR gate circuit and the decoding module, the number of input ports of the OR gate circuit can be padded with at least one input terminal connected to a low level, so that the number of input ports of the OR gate circuit is ≥ 2.

[0170] Reference Figure 7 The first OR gate circuit 711 shown in the figure includes three input ports, one of which serves as the input port C1 of the combinational logic module 71 and is connected to the output port B1 at the corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61. The other two input ports of the first OR gate circuit 711 are connected to low-level signals.

[0171] Reference Figure 7The second OR gate circuit 712 shown in the figure includes three input ports, one of which serves as the input port C2 of the combinational logic module 71 and is connected to the output port B2 at the corresponding position of the 3 / 8 decoding module 61; another input port of the second OR gate circuit 712 is connected to the input port serving as the input port C1 of the first OR gate circuit 711, thereby achieving connection with the output port B1; the remaining input port of the second OR gate circuit 712 is connected to a low-level signal.

[0172] In a specific implementation, multiple decoding modules can be used together to obtain more decoding paths. In order to reduce the occupancy rate of the decoding module on the output port of the control module and release the port of the control module for other controls, the decoding module can reuse the output port of the same control module, and by controlling the enable end of each decoding module, the decoding module for decoding processing can be selected.

[0173] like Figure 8 As shown in the figure, it is a connection diagram of another addressing circuit. Figure 8 In the embodiment, the addressing circuit 80 may include a 3 / 8 decoding module 81A, a 3 / 8 decoding module 81B and a combination logic module 82.

[0174] Among them, the 3 / 8 decoding module 81A may include three input ports A1-A3, one enable port EN1 and eight output ports B1-B8, and the 3 / 8 decoding module 81B may include three input ports A4-A6, one enable port EN2 and eight output ports B9-B16. The input ports of the 3 / 8 decoding module 81A and the input ports of the 3 / 8 decoding module 81B are correspondingly connected to receive the same detection control signal. The enable port EN1 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 81A is respectively connected to an output port of the control module and is also connected to the input port of a NOT gate circuit 83. The output port of the NOT gate circuit 83 is connected to the enable port EN2 of the 3 / 8 decoding module 81B; the combinational logic module 82 may include 16 OR gate circuits 821-836, resulting in 16 input ports C1-C16 and 16 output ports D1-D16; the number of detection unit groups that need to be synchronously activated is 3.

[0175] Since the enable ports between the 3 / 8 decoding module 81A and the 3 / 8 decoding module 81B are connected via a NOT gate circuit, one of the 3 / 8 decoding module 81A and the 3 / 8 decoding module 81B is triggered to work and decode the detection control signal. The specific signal flow of the addressing circuit 80 can be referred to. Figure 6 、 Figure 7 The related descriptions are omitted here. The addressing circuit 80 can control at most 16 detection unit groups through 4 input ports.

[0176] In a specific implementation, the light spot formed by the echo light beam on the detection unit array may be larger than the effective detection range of the detection unit array. In the case of a field of view mismatch between the transmitting module and the receiving module, the light spot will be offset on the detection unit array. Due to hardware connection limitations and spatial limitations of the detection unit array, there may be a problem of no detection unit in a suitable position to detect the offset light spot.

[0177] For example, refer to Figure 4 From the relevant description, it can be seen that three consecutive columns of detection units can only be selected as a whole. For example, the last column of emitting units corresponds to the last three consecutive columns of detection units. Since the light spot is offset by one column of detection units, only two columns of detection units in the three consecutive columns of detection units can detect the echo light beam. However, there are no extra three consecutive columns of detection units in the detection unit array for adjustment, which results in the light spot corresponding to the last column of emitting units cannot be fully detected, resulting in the loss of optical signal.

[0178] To address the aforementioned hardware connection limitations and the spatial constraints of the detection unit array, the detection unit array may include n detection unit groups, where n = p*x+q, where p and q are both positive integers, p is the number of output ports of the addressing circuit, and q ≥ 0. Furthermore, to control the volume of the detection unit array, q can be smaller than x.

[0179] Therefore, by using the addressing circuit provided in the embodiments of this specification, the activation state of each detection unit group can be flexibly controlled, thereby avoiding the problem of hardware connection limitations. In addition, since alternative detection unit groups are reserved for the detection unit array, when adjusting the site selection correspondence, there can be enough detection unit groups to choose from, effectively ensuring the number of light signals detected by the laser radar.

[0180] This specification also provides a laser radar corresponding to the control method of the above-mentioned laser radar, which is described in detail below through specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the content of the laser radar described below can be referenced in correspondence with the content of the control method described above.

[0181] This specification also provides a laser radar corresponding to the addressing circuit and control method of the above-mentioned laser radar, which is described in detail below through specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the content of the laser radar described below can be referenced in conjunction with the content of the addressing circuit and control method described above.

[0182] In one embodiment of this specification, reference is made to Figure 9The laser radar 90 includes: a control module 91, an addressing circuit 92 as described in any of the above embodiments, a transmitting module 93, and a receiving module 94. The control module 91 is connected to the transmitting module 93, the receiving module 94, and the addressing circuit 92, respectively. The addressing circuit 92 is also connected to the receiving module 94.

[0183] The control module 91 is adapted to generate a transmission control signal and send it to the transmission module 93; generate a corresponding detection control signal according to the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated transmission unit group, and send it to the addressing circuit 92, wherein the starting detection unit group address is determined based on the calibration processing result;

[0184] The transmitting module 93 includes a transmitting unit array, and the transmitting unit array includes a plurality of transmitting unit groups, such as Figure 9 The transmitting unit groups 1 to V shown are configured such that the transmitting modules receive the transmitting control signal sent by the control module 91 and activate the corresponding transmitting unit groups to transmit the detection beams.

[0185] The addressing circuit 92 is adapted to perform decoding and logical operation processing on the detection control signal, determine the address of the corresponding calibrated starting detection unit group, and determine the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a strobe address, and generate a corresponding strobe control signal;

[0186] The receiving module 94 includes a detection unit array, and the detection unit array includes a plurality of detection unit groups, such as Figure 9 In the detection unit groups 1 to W shown, the receiving module 94 is adapted to receive the gating control signal sent by the addressing circuit 92 and activate the corresponding detection unit group to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal.

[0187] By adopting the above scheme, the activation state of each detection unit group can be flexibly controlled, and the decoding processing of the addressing circuit can reduce the number of bits of the detection control signal, thereby reducing the number of input ports of the addressing circuit, improving the selection control accuracy of the laser radar, and being able to dynamically adjust the photoelectric detection area activated by the receiving module according to actual conditions. The addressing efficiency is faster, which is conducive to ensuring the accuracy and data volume of the laser radar detection results.

[0188] In a specific implementation, the control module is adapted to trigger calibration of the transmitting module and the receiving module when preset calibration conditions are met. Furthermore, the steps of the calibration method can be executed by a functional unit (e.g., a calibration unit) within the control module 91, or by triggering other functional modules (e.g., a calibration module) to execute the steps.

[0189] In practical applications, the laser radar can be a solid-state laser radar, for example, a flash laser radar. The emitting unit can include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and an edge-emitting laser (EEL); the detecting unit can include a single-photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) array, a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), and an avalanche photodiode (APD).

[0190] In a specific implementation, each detection unit in the detection unit group is synchronously activated or deactivated according to the received decoding logic level signal; each transmitting unit in the transmitting unit group is synchronously activated or deactivated according to the received transmission control signal.

[0191] In a specific implementation, the detection units within the detection unit group can be arranged according to actual needs, for example, in a linear or matrix arrangement. The linear arrangement can be arranged in rows or columns, and the matrix arrangement can be in a regular geometric shape (such as a rectangle, triangle, etc.) or an irregular geometric shape. The embodiments of this specification do not specifically limit the arrangement of the detection units in the detection unit group.

[0192] Similarly, the transmitting units in the transmitting unit group can be arranged according to actual needs. For example, they can be arranged in a linear manner or a matrix manner, etc. The linear arrangement can be arranged in rows or columns, and the shape of the matrix arrangement can be a regular geometric figure (such as a rectangle, triangle, etc.) or an irregular geometric figure. The embodiments of this specification do not impose specific restrictions on the arrangement of the transmitting units in the transmitting unit group.

[0193] The embodiments of this specification also provide a storage medium that can store one or more computer-executable instructions. These one or more computer-executable instructions can be used to execute the lidar control method provided in the aforementioned embodiments of this specification. Furthermore, corresponding functional modules in the lidar can call the computer-executable instructions in the storage medium to execute the lidar control method provided in the aforementioned embodiments of this specification. The corresponding functional modules can be implemented by a processor. For details, please refer to the description of the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0194] It will be understood that the embodiments provided in this specification are merely illustrative. Depending on the actual application scenario, the laser radar may also include other hardware modules, hardware circuits, etc. For example, the laser radar may also include a receiving optical module, a transmitting optical module, a processing module, a scanning module, various adaptation circuits, etc., wherein the adaptation circuit may include: a signal reading circuit adapted to the detection unit array and a power supply circuit for providing power to each module, etc. This specification does not limit the specific structure of the laser radar.

[0195] It is understandable that the above describes multiple embodiment schemes provided in this specification, and the various optional methods introduced in each embodiment scheme can be combined and cross-referenced with each other without conflict, thereby extending a variety of possible embodiment schemes, which can all be considered as embodiment schemes disclosed and open in this specification.

[0196] It should be noted that "one embodiment" or "embodiment" referred to in this specification refers to a specific feature, structure or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation method of this specification. And in the description of this specification, terms such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined by terms such as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Moreover, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or to express importance. It is understood that the terms used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0197] Although the embodiments of this specification are disclosed above, they are not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this specification. Therefore, the scope of protection of the embodiments of this specification shall be based on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a laser radar, characterized in that: The laser radar includes: a control module, a transmitting module, a receiving module and an addressing circuit, the transmitting module includes a plurality of transmitting unit groups, the transmitting unit group includes a plurality of transmitting units, the receiving module includes a plurality of detecting unit groups, the detecting unit group includes a plurality of detecting units, the detecting unit includes a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes, and the control method includes: A0) the control module generates a transmission control signal to control the transmission module to activate the transmission unit group corresponding to the transmission control signal to transmit the detection light beam; A1) the control module determines, based on a calibrated location correspondence between the plurality of transmitting unit groups and the plurality of detecting unit groups, a starting detecting unit group address corresponding to an activated transmitting unit group in the transmitting module, and generates a detecting control signal; A2) the addressing circuit decodes and performs logical operations on the detection control signal to determine the address of the starting detection unit group and the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a gating address, and generate corresponding gating control signals; the calibration is suitable for ensuring that the field of view of the activated emitting unit group matches that of the starting detection unit group and that of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group; A3) The receiving module activates the corresponding detection unit group based on the gating control signal to convert the echo light beam into a photoelectric signal.

2. The control method of the laser radar according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calibration process comprises the following method steps: B1) activating respectively the transmitting unit group and the detecting unit group in the laser radar that have a calibration correspondence relationship; B2) obtaining an electrical signal obtained by the detection unit group activated in step B1) by performing photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam, and calculating the strength of the electrical signal corresponding to the activated detection unit group; B3) Acquiring the addresses corresponding to the detection unit groups whose electrical signal strengths meet the preset strength conditions, and obtaining the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

3. The control method of the laser radar according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step B3) includes: B31) determining, based on a preset signal reading order, whether the electrical signal strengths corresponding to the activated detection unit groups meet the strength conditions; B32) Determine the address corresponding to the first detection unit group whose electrical signal strength meets the strength condition, and obtain the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group.

4. The control method of the laser radar according to claim 2, characterized in that: Before performing the calibration process, the process also includes: determining whether preset calibration conditions are met.

5. An addressing circuit for a laser radar, characterized in that: The laser radar includes a transmitting module and a receiving module, wherein the transmitting module includes a plurality of transmitting unit groups, wherein the transmitting unit group includes a plurality of transmitting units, the receiving module includes a plurality of detecting unit groups, wherein the detecting unit group includes a plurality of detecting units, wherein the detecting unit includes a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes, and the addressing circuit includes a decoding module and a combinational logic module, wherein: The decoding module is adapted to decode a received detection control signal, determine an address of a starting detection unit group that has undergone calibration corresponding to the detection control signal, and send a corresponding decoding signal to the combinational logic module, wherein the detection control signal is generated based on a starting detection unit group address corresponding to an activated transmitting unit group in the transmitting module, and the starting detection unit group address is determined based on a result of the calibration process; The combinational logic module is suitable for performing logical operations on the received decoded signals, determining the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forming a gating address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputting a corresponding gating control signal to the receiving module of the laser radar to control the activation of the corresponding detection unit group in the receiving module. The calibration processing is suitable for determining that the activated transmitting unit group matches the field of view of the starting detection unit group and the other detection unit groups.

6. The addressing circuit of the laser radar according to claim 5, characterized in that: The decoding module includes multiple input ports and multiple output ports, and uses the signals received in parallel through the input ports as detection control signals, decodes the detection control signals, determines the addresses of the starting detection unit groups to be activated corresponding to the detection control signals, and sends the corresponding decoding signals to the combinational logic module; The combinational logic module includes multiple input ports and multiple output ports. The input ports of the combinational logic module are respectively connected to different output ports of the decoding module, and the output ports of the combinational logic module are respectively connected to enable ports of different detection unit groups; the combinational logic module performs logical operation processing on the decoding signal output by the decoding module, determines the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, and forms a selection address with the address of the starting detection unit group, and outputs a corresponding selection control signal to the receiving module of the laser radar.

7. The addressing circuit of the laser radar according to claim 6, characterized in that: The combinational logic module includes a plurality of OR gate circuits, each of which includes a plurality of input ports and an output port; One input port of each OR gate circuit serves as an input port of the combinational logic module and is connected to an output port at a corresponding position of the decoding module. Furthermore, according to the order of connection with the output ports of the decoding module, the remaining different input ports of each OR gate circuit are also connected to the first x-1 output ports at the corresponding positions of the decoding module. The output port of each OR gate circuit serves as the output port of the combinational logic module and is respectively connected to a detection unit group; Where x is the number of detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously.

8. The addressing circuit of the laser radar according to claim 7, characterized in that: One or more input ports of the multiple OR gate circuits that are not connected to the output port of the decoding module are all connected to a low level.

9. The addressing circuit of the laser radar according to claim 7, characterized in that: The laser radar includes: n detection unit groups, wherein n=p*x+q, p and q are both positive integers, and p is the number of output ports of the addressing circuit, and q≥0.

10. A laser radar, characterized in that: include: A control module, a transmitting module, a receiving module and an addressing circuit, wherein the transmitting module includes a plurality of transmitting unit groups, the transmitting unit group includes a plurality of transmitting units, the receiving module includes a plurality of detecting unit groups, the detecting unit group includes a plurality of detecting units, and the detecting unit includes a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes, wherein: The control module is adapted to generate an emission control signal and send it to the emission module; determine the starting detection unit group address corresponding to the activated emission unit group in the emission module based on the calibrated addressing correspondence between the multiple emission unit groups and the multiple detection unit groups, generate a detection control signal, and send it to the addressing circuit The transmitting module is adapted to receive the transmitting control signal sent by the control module and activate the corresponding transmitting unit group to transmit the detection light beam; The addressing circuit is adapted to perform decoding and logical operation processing on the detection control signal, determine the address of the corresponding starting detection unit group that has undergone calibration processing, and determine the addresses of other detection unit groups that need to be activated synchronously with the starting detection unit group, obtain a gating address, and generate corresponding gating control signals; the calibration processing is adapted to determine whether the field of view of the activated emission unit group matches that of the starting detection unit group and the other detection unit groups; The receiving module is adapted to receive the gating control signal sent by the addressing circuit and activate the corresponding detection unit group to perform photoelectric signal conversion on the echo light beam.

11. The laser radar according to claim 10, characterized in that The control module is adapted to trigger calibration processing of the transmitting module and the receiving module when a preset calibration condition is met.

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