A distance detector, a distance detection method and a distance detection device

Abstract

The present application is about a distance detector, a distance detection method and device, and specifically relates to the field of data detection. The distance detector includes a data processor, a laser emitter and a laser detector; the laser emitter is used to emit laser according to the indication signal of the data processor; the laser detector includes at least two different types of pixel areas; the at least two different types of pixel areas are located at different positions on the laser detector, so as to respectively receive the reflected light of objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals; the data processor is used to perform data processing on the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal generated by the laser detector, and obtain the distance information corresponding to the electrical signal. When performing distance detection, the above-mentioned distance detector takes into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of data detection, and in particular to a distance detector, a distance detection method and a distance detection device. Background Art

[0002] Laser has the characteristics of high brightness, high directionality, high monochromaticity and high coherence, which can greatly improve measurement accuracy and is widely used in ranging devices.

[0003] In related technologies, the TOF (Time of Flight) method is usually used for distance measurement. That is, a laser emits a light pulse with a short duration but high instantaneous power, and the light pulse reaches the object to be measured, produces diffuse reflection, and then returns to produce a light spot on the distance measurement module. At this time, the distance value between the distance measurement unit and the object to be measured can be obtained based on the time interval between the light pulse emission and the light spot reaching the distance measurement module.

[0004] However, in the above scheme, the parameters of the light spot in different areas of the ranging module are different, and the generated electrical signals are quite different, resulting in low distance measurement accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a distance detector, a distance detection method and a device, which improve the accuracy of distance measurement. The technical solution is as follows.

[0006] In one aspect, a distance detector is provided, the distance detector comprising a data processor, a laser transmitter and a laser detector;

[0007] The laser emitter is used to emit laser according to the instruction signal of the data processor;

[0008] The laser detector comprises at least two different types of pixel regions; the at least two different types of pixel regions are located at different positions on the laser detector so as to respectively receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals;

[0009] The data processor is used to perform data processing on the electrical signal generated by the laser detector according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal, so as to obtain the distance information corresponding to the electrical signal.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first pixel region is located on a side of a reverse extension line of a line connecting the second pixel region and the laser emitter.

[0012] In another aspect, a distance detection method is provided, the method being executed by a data processor in a distance detector, the distance detector comprising the data processor, a laser emitter, and a laser detector; the laser detector comprising at least two different types of pixel areas; the at least two different pixel areas being located at different positions on the laser detector, respectively, so as to receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals; the method comprising:

[0013] sending an instruction signal to the laser transmitter so that the laser transmitter emits laser light according to the instruction signal;

[0014] Acquire a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and position information of a target pixel area generating the first electrical signal;

[0015] The first electrical signal is processed according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0016] In another aspect, a distance detection device is provided, the device comprising:

[0017] an indication signal sending module, used for sending an indication signal to the laser emitter in the distance detector, so that the laser emitter emits laser according to the indication signal; the distance detector comprises a data processor, a laser detector and the laser emitter; the laser detector comprises at least two different types of pixel areas; the at least two different pixel areas are respectively located at different positions on the laser detector, so as to receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals;

[0018] A first electrical signal acquisition module, used to acquire a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and position information of a target pixel area generating the first electrical signal;

[0019] The distance information acquisition module is used to perform data processing on the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the first pixel area satisfies a first specified condition, an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area is determined as an available pixel area;

[0022] The distance information acquisition module is used to acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; the unit data information is used to indicate the distance information acquired by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area;

[0023] Data processing is performed on unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes:

[0025] An available pixel acquisition module, configured to determine an overlapped area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area as an available pixel area when a correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies a second specified condition;

[0026] The distance information acquisition module is further used to:

[0027] Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the reflected light transmission time corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the reflected light transmission time is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser emitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser;

[0028] The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is acquired according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the first electrical signal acquisition module is used to:

[0030] Acquire candidate electrical signals generated by respective pixel regions of the laser detector;

[0031] A first electrical signal among the candidate electrical signals is acquired according to optical path information corresponding to the candidate electrical signals; the optical path information is used to indicate a transmission condition of the reflected light received when the pixel region generates the candidate electrical signal.

[0032] On the other hand, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein at least one instruction is stored in the storage medium, and the at least one instruction is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned distance detection method.

[0033] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided. A computer program product or a computer program is also provided, the computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the computer device performs the above-mentioned distance detection method.

[0034] Beneficial Effects

[0035] When it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance detector according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance detector according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a position relationship of pixel regions involved in the illustrated embodiment;

[0040] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a pixel area size involved in the illustrated embodiment;

[0041] Figure 5 is a method flow chart of a distance detection method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Figure 6 is a method flow chart of a distance detection method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0043] Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a laser detector spot involved in the illustrated embodiment;

[0044] Figure 8 Shows Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a short-distance ranging signal processing involved in the illustrated embodiment;

[0045] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a long-distance ranging signal processing involved in the illustrated embodiment;

[0046] Fig.10 The figure is a schematic diagram of a distance detection device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The technical solution of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0048] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association relationship. For example, A indicates B, which can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association relationship between A and B.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two items, or an association relationship between the two items, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, and the like.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present application, "predefinition" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (for example, including a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit its specific implementation method.

[0051] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a distance detector according to an exemplary embodiment. The system includes a data processor 110 , a laser transmitter 120 and a laser detector 130 .

[0052] The laser emitter 120 is used to emit laser according to the instruction signal of the data processor.

[0053] Optionally, the laser emitter 120 can be a fiber laser emitter or a semiconductor laser emitter; the semiconductor laser includes at least one of EEL (Edge Emitting Lasers), VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser), and PCSEL (Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers).

[0054] The laser detector 130 includes at least two different types of pixel regions; the at least two different types of pixel regions are at different positions on the laser detector so as to respectively receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals.

[0055] Optionally, the laser detector includes at least one of PD (Photo-Diode), PiN photodiode, APD (Avalanche Photo Diode), SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode), and SiPM (Silicon photomultiplier).

[0056] The data processor 110 is used to perform data processing on the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal generated by the laser detector to obtain the distance information corresponding to the electrical signal.

[0057] Optionally, the data processing unit includes at least one of TDC (Time-to-Digital Converter), SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory), DSP (Digital Signal Processing), ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), and ISP (Image Signal Processing).

[0058] like Figure 1 The distance detector shown can instruct the driving module in the laser transmitter to send a driving signal through the indication signal given by the data processor 110, so as to drive the laser transmitter to continuously emit a modulated laser beam to the object to be measured. After the light beam is irradiated on the object to be measured and reflected, it is received by the laser detector 130 after passing through a converging lens. After receiving the reflected light from the object to be measured, the laser detector 130 converts it into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal and the position information of the pixel generating the electrical signal to the data processor 110 to realize the demodulation and calculation of the electrical signal, such as calculating the time difference, phase difference, intensity, confidence, etc., so as to calculate the distance between the distance detector and the object to be measured.

[0059] In summary, when it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0060] Figure 2 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a distance detector according to an exemplary embodiment. The system includes a data processor 210 , a laser transmitter 220 and a laser detector 230 .

[0061] The laser emitter 230 is used to emit laser according to the instruction signal of the data processor.

[0062] The laser detector 220 includes a first pixel region 221 and a second pixel region 222 ; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region 221 is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region 222 .

[0063] The first pixel region 221 is located on a side of a reverse extension line of a line connecting the second pixel region 222 and the laser emitter 230 .

[0064] The data processor 210 is used to perform data processing on the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal generated by the laser detector to obtain the distance information corresponding to the electrical signal.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, for an object 1 that is relatively close, after the laser emitter 230 emits a laser to the object 1, the light diffusely reflected by the laser irradiating the object 1 is converged on the laser detector 220 through the lens. At this time, the angle formed by the laser emitted by the laser emitter 230 to the object 1 and the reflected light reflected by the laser back to the laser detector is relatively large. Therefore, when the reflected light is converged to the detector through the lens, the angle of refraction is also larger. For an object 2 that is relatively far away, after the laser emitter 230 emits a laser to the object 2, the light diffusely reflected by the laser irradiating the object 2 is converged on the laser detector 220 through the lens. At this time, the angle formed by the laser emitted by the laser emitter 230 to the object 2 and the reflected light reflected by the laser back to the laser detector is relatively small. Therefore, when the reflected light is converged to the detector through the lens, the angle of refraction is also smaller.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 3 , which shows a schematic diagram of the position relationship of a pixel area involved in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the laser emitter 310 emits laser in the direction of its axis, that is, the laser emission direction of the laser emitter 310 is the axis direction of the laser emitter 310. At this time, the intersection of the axis of the laser emitter 310 and the detection plane of the laser detector 320 is determined as the emission point of the laser emitter 310. It can be approximately considered that the laser of the laser emitter extends from the emission point 311 to the first target object 330. When the laser is transmitted from the emission point 311 to the first target object 330, and the first target object diffusely reflects the laser back to the detection plane of the laser detector 320, for a light path in the diffuse reflection of the first target object, the light path can be transmitted to the detection point 321 in the detection plane through the lens. At this time, the emission point 311, the first target object 330 and the detection point 331 form a triangle. And for the second target object 340 that is farther away, a second triangle can also be formed in the above manner, which will not be repeated here.

[0067] At this time by Figure 3It can be seen that the detection point 331 of the first target object 330 on the detection plane is located in the reverse extension direction of the line connecting the detection point 341 of the second target object 340 on the detection plane and the emission point 311. Therefore, when the detection point of the first target object on the detection plane is determined to be the second pixel area, and the detection point of the second target object on the detection plane is determined to be the first pixel area, the first pixel area can be used to receive the reflected light of the object at a closer distance; and the second pixel area can be used to receive the reflected light of the object at a farther distance.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 4 , which shows a schematic diagram of the size of a pixel area involved in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the detection plane includes first pixel regions 401 to 404 and second pixel regions 411 to 414. For the first pixel regions 401 to 404, it is easier to receive diffuse reflection light from a closer object, thereby forming a light spot of a certain size in the first pixel region; for the second pixel regions 411 to 414, it is easier to receive diffuse reflection light from a farther object, thereby forming a light spot of a certain size in the second pixel region.

[0069] Therefore, according to the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal, the distance of the object corresponding to the reflected light received by the pixel area can be roughly determined. For objects in different distance ranges, the data processor 110 can use different data processing methods to process the electrical signal generated by the reflected light to improve the accuracy of distance measurement.

[0070] In summary, when it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0071] Figure 5 is a method flow chart of a distance detection method according to an exemplary embodiment. The method is executed by a data processing device, and the data processor may be as follows Figure 1 The data processor 110 in the distance detector shown in FIG. Figure 5As shown, the distance detection method may include the following steps:

[0072] Step 501: Send an instruction signal to the laser transmitter so that the laser transmitter emits laser according to the instruction signal.

[0073] Step 502, obtaining a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and location information of a target pixel region generating the first electrical signal.

[0074] The position information of the target pixel area is used to indicate the position area of ​​the target pixel area on the detection plane of the laser detector.

[0075] Depend on Figure 4 It can be seen from the shown content that different position areas are used to receive reflected light signals returned by objects at different distances, so the position information of the target pixel area can also be used to indicate the distance information of the object corresponding to the reflected light irradiated on the target pixel area.

[0076] Step 503: Process the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0077] Since the first electrical signal is a reflected light signal obtained by reflecting the laser from the target object according to the laser emitted by the indication signal, for the first electrical signal, the laser emission time indicated in the indication signal is the start time of the laser; and the time when the target pixel area receives the first electrical signal generated by the laser is the end time of the laser. Therefore, based on the data of the first electrical signal, the transmission time of the laser can be accurately calculated, thereby inferring the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0078] Moreover, since there are different types of pixel areas on the laser detector, the data processing methods used for the electrical signals corresponding to different types of pixel areas are also different. That is, different data processing methods are used for electrical signals with different distances to obtain the distance information corresponding to the electrical signals. This takes into account the distance differences of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0079] In summary, when it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0080] Figure 6 is a method flow chart of a distance detection method according to an exemplary embodiment. The method is executed by a data processing device, which may be Figure 1 The data processor 110 in the distance detector shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the distance detection method may include the following steps:

[0081] Step 601: Send an instruction signal to the laser transmitter so that the laser transmitter emits laser according to the instruction signal.

[0082] When it is necessary to measure the distance to the target object, the data processing device can send an instruction signal to the laser transmitter. After receiving the instruction signal, the laser transmitter can send a laser beam in the direction of the target object at the specified time indicated by the instruction signal.

[0083] Step 602, obtaining the candidate electrical signals generated by each pixel area of ​​the laser detector.

[0084] When the laser beam is irradiated onto the target object, diffuse reflection will occur on the surface of the target object. The diffusely reflected light is transmitted to each pixel area on the laser detector, so that each pixel area generates a candidate electrical signal after sensing the reflected light.

[0085] Step 603, acquiring a first electrical signal in the candidate electrical signal according to the optical path information corresponding to the candidate electrical signal; the optical path information is used to indicate the transmission status of the received optical signal when the pixel region generates the candidate electrical signal.

[0086] After obtaining each candidate electrical signal, it is necessary to screen each candidate electrical signal. For the candidate electrical signals received by each pixel area, the electrical signal generated when the laser beam irradiates the target object and directly reflects to the laser detector, although the diffuse reflection point of the laser beam on the target object and the pixel area reflected to may be different, the optical path distance should not be much different. Therefore, it can be approximately considered that the beam transmission time of the electrical signal generated when the laser beam irradiates the target object and directly reflects to the laser detector is the same, that is, the optical path information can also be approximately considered to be the same.

[0087] However, the laser beam may also be reflected on other objects through diffuse reflection, and then transmitted to the laser detector through one or more diffuse reflections. However, the optical path information of the laser beam at this time is obviously different from the optical path information of the laser beam irradiating the target object and directly reflecting to the laser detector, and it can be directly reflected in the different transmission time of the laser. The transmission time of the laser beam transmitted to the laser detector after multiple diffuse reflections should be significantly longer than the transmission time of the laser beam irradiating the target object and directly reflecting to the laser detector.

[0088] Therefore, in a possible implementation, the optical path information of each candidate electrical signal can be determined by the laser transmission time corresponding to each candidate electrical signal.

[0089] For example, the optical path information of one or more candidate electrical signals with the shortest transmission time among the laser transmission times corresponding to the candidate electrical signals can be determined as the optical path information of the laser beam irradiating the target object and directly reflecting to the laser detector, and the one or more candidate electrical signals with the shortest transmission time can be determined as the first electrical signal.

[0090] In another possible implementation, since the laser beam is reflected onto other objects through diffuse reflection and then transmitted to the laser detector through one or more diffuse reflections, the optical path length it passes through is longer. Therefore, when the laser is transmitted to the laser detector, the light intensity attenuation is also greater.

[0091] Therefore, in another possible implementation, the optical path information of the candidate electrical signals whose signal strength is greater than the threshold among the candidate electrical signals is determined as the optical path information of the laser beam irradiating the target object and directly reflecting to the laser detector.

[0092] Step 604: Process the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0093] In a possible implementation, the at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region.

[0094] For two different types of pixel regions, the unit pixel area in the first pixel region is smaller, so the first pixel region is suitable for identifying the reflected light with stronger light intensity and generating a corresponding electrical signal, and Figure 4 It can be seen that the first pixel area is more likely to receive reflected light from a closer object, so the first pixel area is suitable for identifying reflected light corresponding to an object at a closer distance; the unit pixel area in the second pixel area is smaller, which is suitable for identifying reflected light with a stronger light intensity and generating a corresponding electrical signal, and Figure 4 It can be seen that the second pixel region is more likely to receive reflected light from a closer distance, so the second pixel region is suitable for identifying reflected light corresponding to an object at a farther distance.

[0095] Optionally, the first electrical signal may include an electrical signal generated by the first pixel region and an electrical signal generated by the second pixel region.

[0096] Since the first electrical signal that needs to be processed may be composed of multiple electrical signals, and each electrical signal is obtained by a different detection area on the laser detector, the first electrical signal may contain both the electrical signal generated by the first pixel area and the electrical signal generated by the second pixel area. However, since the reflected light identified by the first pixel area is the reflected light corresponding to the object at a closer distance, and the reflected light identified by the second pixel area is the reflected light corresponding to the object at a farther distance, it is necessary to screen the first electrical signal and determine the data processing method corresponding to one type of pixel area to process the electrical signal.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 7 , which shows a schematic diagram of a laser detector spot involved in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 The light spot on the laser detector may exist on the first pixel area 701 and the second pixel area 702 at the same time.

[0098] In a possible implementation, when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the first pixel region satisfies a first specified condition, an overlapping region between the target pixel region and the first pixel region is determined as an available pixel region;

[0099] Acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; the unit data information is used to indicate distance information acquired through at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area;

[0100] Data processing is performed on unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0101] Optionally, the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the first pixel area may be that a degree of overlap between a pixel area corresponding to each electrical signal in the first electrical signal and the first pixel area is greater than an overlap threshold.

[0102] That is, when the pixel area that generates each signal in the first electrical signal has a degree of overlap with the first pixel area that is greater than the overlap threshold, it means that most of the reflected light corresponding to the first electrical signal is irradiated on the first pixel area, and the first pixel area can better reflect the characteristics of the reflected light. Therefore, the first electrical signal is processed by the data processing method corresponding to the first pixel area.

[0103] After it is determined that the first electrical signal is to be processed using the data processing method corresponding to the first pixel area, the electrical signal corresponding to the pixel area generated in the first electrical signal and the first pixel area can be first determined and used as the second electrical signal; and the electrical signals corresponding to each unit pixel in the second electrical signal are respectively processed to obtain the distance information corresponding to each unit pixel. Finally, based on the distance information corresponding to each unit pixel, the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal as a whole is determined as the final distance measurement result.

[0104] Among them, the method for obtaining the above-mentioned distance information can be to obtain the time point when each unit pixel generates an electrical signal, and compare the time point of generating the electrical signal with the laser emission time point of the laser emitter, so as to obtain the laser transmission time corresponding to each unit pixel, and thus obtain the unit distance information corresponding to each unit pixel.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 8 , which shows a schematic diagram of a short-range ranging signal processing involved in an embodiment of the present application. At a short distance, after the emitted light beam is irradiated and reflected by the measured object, it is converged by a converging lens and received by a laser detector, and the receiving area 801 (i.e., the usable pixel area) is composed of multiple short-range macro pixels A1 to A4 of the laser detector.

[0106] For each close-range macropixel (ie, unit pixel), a time-dependent histogram of the number of response photons can be output, thereby forming a response photon histogram 802 corresponding to each close-range macropixel. The response photon histogram 802 is used to indicate the number of photons received in each receiving time period.

[0107] Alternatively, for each close-range macro-pixel, a time-dependent response light intensity waveform diagram may be output to form a response light intensity waveform diagram 803 corresponding to each close-range macro-pixel. The response light intensity waveform diagram 803 is used to indicate the value of the light intensity received at each receiving moment.

[0108] The above-mentioned response photon histogram information 802, or the response light intensity waveform 803, can be compared with the laser emission time of the laser emitter respectively, so as to determine each close-range macro-pixel. For the reflected light of different transmission times received by a certain close-range macro-pixel, the transmission time of the reflected light with the largest corresponding light intensity or photon number is determined as the laser transmission time corresponding to the close-range macro-pixel. Therefore, for each close-range macro-pixel, the laser transmission time (i.e., the above-mentioned unit data information) {t1, t2, t3, t4...tn} corresponding to each close-range macro-pixel can be determined. Finally, the average value or variance or other methods of each laser transmission time {t1, t2, t3, t4...tn} are taken to obtain the optimal solution of time, and the distance information 804 corresponding to the first electrical signal is obtained according to the optimal solution.

[0109] In another possible implementation, when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel region satisfies a second specified condition, an overlapping region between the target pixel region and the second pixel region is determined as an available pixel region;

[0110] Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the transmission time of the optical signal corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the transmission time of the optical signal is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser transmitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser;

[0111] The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is obtained according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

[0112] When the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies the second specified condition, it may mean that the overlap between the pixel area generating the first electrical signal and the second pixel area is greater than an overlap threshold.

[0113] After determining, based on each electrical signal in the first electrical signal, to perform data processing on the first electrical signal using the data processing method of the second pixel area, the electrical signals in the second pixel area (i.e., the third electrical signals) can be determined respectively, and the light signal transmission time corresponding to each third electrical signal can be calculated. In accordance with the light signal transmission time, each third electrical signal can be accumulated to obtain light intensity information corresponding to each light signal transmission time (i.e., the accumulated signal), thereby determining the most likely light signal transmission time based on the light intensity information corresponding to each light signal transmission time, and calculating the corresponding distance information as the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0114] Please refer to Fig. 9 , which shows a schematic diagram of long-distance ranging signal processing involved in an embodiment of the present application.

[0115] At a long distance, the emitted light beam is reflected by the object to be measured, converged by a converging lens and received by the laser detector, and the receiving area 901 (i.e., the usable pixel area) is composed of multiple long-distance macro pixels B1 to B4 of the laser detector.

[0116] For each long-distance macro pixel (ie, unit pixel), a time-dependent histogram of the number of response photons can be output, which is used to indicate the number of photons received in each receiving time period.

[0117] The histogram data output by all distant macro-pixels are accumulated to obtain the accumulated histogram 902 of all distant macro-pixels, or the waveform data output by all distant macro-pixels are accumulated and fitted to obtain the fitted waveform 903 of all distant macro-pixels.

[0118] At this time, the most likely laser transmission time (such as the laser transmission time corresponding to the maximum value) can be obtained based on the cumulative histogram 902 of the long-distance macro-pixel or the fitted waveform diagram 903 of the long-distance macro-pixel, and the laser transmission time corresponding to the maximum value is used as the transmission time corresponding to the first electrical signal to obtain the distance information 904 corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0119] When measuring distance through long-distance macro pixels, due to the low light intensity, the light intensity information or the number of photons are easily disturbed by the external environment. Therefore, in order to reduce the impact of the environment on long-distance reflected light, the information of each long-distance macro pixel is accumulated, and the characteristics of the long-distance reflected light are considered from an overall perspective, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy of the long-distance macro pixels.

[0120] In short-distance measurement, the energy of the return light spot is concentrated, the spot is large, and it is located in the short-distance macro-pixel; since the photon density of the return light is large at short distances, the interference ability of ambient light on it is not high, so smaller macro-pixels are preferred; in long-distance measurement, the energy of the return light spot is not concentrated, the spot is small, and it is located in the long-distance macro-pixel. Since the photon density of the return light is low at long distances, the interference ability of ambient light on the optical signal is large, so larger macro-pixels are used to improve the photon response. Therefore, by Figure 8 With Fig. 9 The scheme shown enables different detection pixels and data processing methods to be used for processing long-distance reflected light and short-distance reflected light on the same distance detector, while ensuring the ranging accuracy of short-distance reflected light and long-distance reflected light.

[0121] In summary, when it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0122] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a distance detection device according to an exemplary embodiment, the device comprising:

[0123] The indication signal sending module 1001 is used to send an indication signal to the laser emitter in the distance detector, so that the laser emitter emits laser according to the indication signal; the distance detector includes a data processor, a laser detector and the laser emitter; the laser detector includes at least two different types of pixel areas; the at least two different pixel areas are respectively located at different positions on the laser detector, so as to receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals;

[0124] A first electrical signal acquisition module 1002 is used to acquire a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and position information of a target pixel area generating the first electrical signal;

[0125] The distance information acquisition module 1003 is used to perform data processing on the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0126] In a possible implementation, the at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region.

[0127] In a possible implementation manner, when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the first pixel area satisfies a first specified condition, an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area is determined as an available pixel area;

[0128] The distance information acquisition module is used to acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; the unit data information is used to indicate the distance information acquired by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area;

[0129] Data processing is performed on unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal.

[0130] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes:

[0131] An available pixel acquisition module, configured to determine an overlapped area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area as an available pixel area when a correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies a second specified condition;

[0132] The distance information acquisition module is further used to:

[0133] Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the reflected light transmission time corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the reflected light transmission time is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser emitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser;

[0134] The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is acquired according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

[0135] In a possible implementation, the first electrical signal acquisition module is used to:

[0136] Acquire candidate electrical signals generated by respective pixel regions of the laser detector;

[0137] A first electrical signal among the candidate electrical signals is acquired according to optical path information corresponding to the candidate electrical signals; the optical path information is used to indicate a transmission condition of the reflected light received when the pixel region generates the candidate electrical signal.

[0138] In summary, when it is necessary to measure the distance of an object, the laser transmitter can emit a laser to the object according to the instruction information of the data processor, and the laser detector receives the light signal returned by the object through diffuse reflection and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The laser detector sends the electrical signal and the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal to the data processor, so that the data processor processes the electrical signal according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the electrical signal and the distance of the object corresponding to the electrical signal to obtain the distance information corresponding to the object. Through the above scheme, the two different pixel areas in the laser detector can respectively generate corresponding electrical signals, and the data processor can process the electrical signal according to the difference in the detector pixel area that generates the electrical signal, taking into account the distance difference of the reflected light received by the detector in different areas, thereby improving the distance measurement accuracy.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which is used to store at least one computer program, and the at least one computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement all or part of the steps in the above method. For example, the computer-readable storage medium can be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0140] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product or a computer program is also provided, the computer program product or the computer program comprising computer instructions, the computer instructions being stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the computer device performs the above-mentioned Figure 5 or Figure 6 All or part of the steps of the method shown in any embodiment.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the following claims.

[0142] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A distance detector, characterized in that: The distance detector includes a data processor, a laser transmitter and a laser detector; The laser emitter is used to emit laser according to the instruction signal of the data processor; The laser detector comprises at least two different types of pixel regions; the at least two different types of pixel regions are located at different positions on the laser detector so as to respectively receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals; the at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region; the unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than the unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region; the first pixel region is located on the side of the reverse extension line of the line connecting the second pixel region and the laser emitter; The data processor is used to perform data processing on the first electrical signal generated by the laser detector according to the position information of the pixel area corresponding to the first electrical signal, so as to obtain the distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; The data processor is further configured to determine an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area as an available pixel area when the corresponding relationship between the first electrical signal and the first pixel area satisfies a first specified condition; Acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; The unit data information is used to indicate distance information obtained by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area; Performing data processing on unit data information respectively corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; Alternatively, the data processor is further configured to determine an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the second pixel area as an available pixel area when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies a second specified condition; Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the reflected light transmission time corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the reflected light transmission time is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser emitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser; The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is acquired according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

2. A distance detection method, characterized in that: The method is executed by a data processor in a distance detector, wherein the distance detector comprises the data processor, a laser emitter and a laser detector; the laser detector comprises at least two different types of pixel regions; the at least two different pixel regions are respectively located at different positions on the laser detector so as to receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals; the at least two different types of pixel regions comprise a first pixel region and a second pixel region; a unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel region is smaller than a unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel region; The first pixel region is located on a side of a reverse extension line of a line connecting the second pixel region and the laser emitter; the method comprises: sending an instruction signal to the laser transmitter so that the laser transmitter emits laser light according to the instruction signal; Acquire a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and position information of a target pixel area generating the first electrical signal; performing data processing on the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; The performing data processing on the first electrical signal according to the type of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal includes: When the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the first pixel area satisfies a first specified condition, determining an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area as an available pixel area; Acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; the unit data information is used to indicate distance information acquired by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area; Performing data processing on unit data information respectively corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; Alternatively, performing data processing on the first electrical signal according to the type of the target pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal includes: When the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies a second specified condition, determining an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the second pixel area as an available pixel area; Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the reflected light transmission time corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the reflected light transmission time is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser emitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser; The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is acquired according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The at least two different types of pixel regions include a first pixel region and a second pixel region.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The obtaining of the first electrical signal sent by the laser detector further includes: Acquire candidate electrical signals generated by respective pixel regions of the laser detector; A first electrical signal among the candidate electrical signals is acquired according to optical path information corresponding to the candidate electrical signals; the optical path information is used to indicate a transmission condition of the reflected light received when the pixel region generates the candidate electrical signal.

5. A distance detection device, characterized in that: The device comprises: An indication signal sending module, used for sending an indication signal to a laser emitter in a distance detector, so that the laser emitter emits laser according to the indication signal; the distance detector comprises a data processor, a laser detector and the laser emitter; the laser detector comprises at least two different types of pixel areas; the at least two different pixel areas are respectively located at different positions on the laser detector, so as to receive reflected light from objects at different distances and generate corresponding electrical signals; the at least two different types of pixel areas comprise a first pixel area and a second pixel area; the unit pixel area of ​​the first pixel area is smaller than the unit pixel area of ​​the second pixel area; the first pixel area is located on the side of the reverse extension line of the line connecting the second pixel area and the laser emitter; A first electrical signal acquisition module, used to acquire a first electrical signal sent by the laser detector and position information of a target pixel area generating the first electrical signal; a distance information acquisition module, configured to perform data processing on the first electrical signal according to the position information of the target pixel area, and obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; The distance information acquisition module is further configured to determine an overlapped area between the target pixel area and the first pixel area as an available pixel area when a correspondence between the electrical signal and the first pixel area satisfies a first specified condition; Acquire a second electrical signal corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform data processing on the second electrical signal to obtain unit data information corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the first pixel area; the unit data information is used to indicate distance information acquired by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area; Performing data processing on unit data information respectively corresponding to at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area to obtain distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal; Alternatively, the distance information acquisition module is further configured to determine an overlapping area between the target pixel area and the second pixel area as an available pixel area when the correspondence between the first electrical signal and the second pixel area satisfies a second specified condition; Acquire at least one third electrical signal generated by at least one unit pixel in the available pixel area, and perform accumulation processing on the at least one third electrical signal according to the reflected light transmission time corresponding to the at least one third electrical signal, so as to obtain an accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area; the reflected light transmission time is used to indicate the time difference between the moment when the laser emitter emits the laser and the moment when the laser detector receives the reflected light corresponding to the laser; The distance information corresponding to the first electrical signal is acquired according to the accumulated signal corresponding to the available pixel area.

6. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores at least one instruction, and the at least one instruction is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the distance detection method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

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