Lidar, combined system, vehicle, and method for operating a combined system

Abstract

The present invention provides a lidar, a combined system, a vehicle, and a method for operating the combined system. The lidar includes a laser emission end and a laser reception end. The laser emission end includes at least one laser, and the laser is used as a first light source and is arranged to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object; the laser reception end includes: a detector, a receiving mirror group, and a beam splitter. The receiving mirror group is arranged to receive and transmit a second laser beam reflected by the target object and converge the second laser beam onto the detector; the beam splitter is arranged in the optical path from the receiving mirror group to the detector. The beam splitter can guide the second laser beam to reach the detector, and can guide a visible light beam emitted by a second light source to be emitted through the receiving mirror group for realizing projection, imaging, and / or illumination. The solution proposed by the present invention can simplify the system structure, reduce the assembly cost, be easy to manufacture and maintain, and achieve efficient and flexible operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lidar, a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system, a vehicle including the lidar or the combined system, and a method for operating a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system. Background Art

[0002] The description herein only provides background information related to the present invention and does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] With the continuous innovation of automotive technology, intelligent vehicle lights and lidar have developed into indispensable technologies in convenient life, improving people's travel. Currently, automobiles are developing towards energy-saving, efficient, personalized, intelligent and customized directions, which bring new development space and opportunities to automotive lighting and automotive safety.

[0004] In use, intelligent vehicle lights can express the driver's intention or navigation route in real time during driving to assist the driver in driving. The intelligent headlights capable of realizing a projection effect are effectively combined with a sensing device to give an early warning and take safety measures in advance, reducing the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0005] The function of lidar is to accurately measure the position, shape and state of a target, so as to achieve the purpose of detecting, identifying and tracking the target. Vehicle-mounted lidar can detect pedestrians and roadblocks to play a role in timely warning. As the "eyes" of autonomous vehicles, it is one of the most important sensing devices and plays an important role in ensuring the driving safety of autonomous driving and intelligent driving.

[0006] Intelligent vehicle lights and lidar belong to different subsystems of an automobile. The mutual cooperation of these different subsystems constructs a framework for the successful realization of autonomous driving and future highly safe and reliable advanced driver assistance systems, providing the most intelligent driving experience. However, at the current stage, the two subsystems are independent in terms of composition structure and working principle, and respectively occupy a relatively large vehicle-mounted space. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a lidar, a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system, a vehicle including the lidar or the combined system, and a method for operating a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system, which can overcome many disadvantages in the prior art and bring beneficial technical effects.

[0008] Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a lidar is provided, the lidar includes a laser emitting end and a laser receiving end, wherein, the laser emitting end includes:

[0009] At least one laser, which serves as a first light source and is configured to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object;

[0010] The laser receiving end includes:

[0011] A detector, which is used to obtain information of the received laser signal;

[0012] A receiving mirror group, which is configured to receive and transmit a second laser beam reflected by the target object and converge the second laser beam onto the detector; and

[0013] A beam splitter, which is disposed in the optical path from the receiving mirror group to the detector. The beam splitter can guide the second laser beam to reach the detector and can guide a visible light beam emitted by a second light source to exit through the receiving mirror group for projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the beam splitter is arranged such that the second laser beam is transmitted through the beam splitter into the detector, and the visible light beam is reflected by the beam splitter into the receiving mirror group.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the beam splitter is arranged such that the visible light beam is transmitted through the beam splitter into the receiving mirror group, and the second laser beam is reflected by the beam splitter into the detector.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the beam splitter is integrated in the housing of the laser receiving end of the lidar and forms a pre-assembled modular structural unit with the detector and the receiving mirror group.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the lidar includes a transmitting mirror group, and the first laser beam generated by the at least one laser is emitted from the laser transmitting end via the transmitting mirror group.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the transmitting mirror group includes a light homogenizing device, and the light homogenizing device is configured as a diffuser or a diffractive optical element.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the transmitting mirror group includes a laser shaping module, and the laser shaping module is configured to shape the first laser beam transmitted through the transmitting mirror group.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the transmitting mirror group includes a collimating device, and the collimating device is configured to collimate the first laser beam transmitted through the transmitting mirror group.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the laser emission end further includes a two-dimensional MEMS (MicroElectronic Mechanical System) galvanometer, and the first laser beam emitted from the at least one laser is projected onto the two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer to achieve scanning of the target object in two dimensions.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the laser emission end further includes a MEMS galvanometer, and the first laser beam emitted from the at least one laser is projected onto the MEMS galvanometer to achieve scanning of the target object in one dimension.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the laser can emit dot-shaped, line-shaped or plane-shaped laser.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the detector is a area array detector.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the beam splitter is a dichroic mirror or a beam splitting prism.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, in the laser receiving end, a color filter is provided between the detector and the beam splitter to filter the light beams other than the wavelengths required by the lidar.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the laser emission end of the lidar further includes a shaping and beam combining lens group, and the shaping and beam combining lens group is arranged to shape and combine the laser beams emitted by the at least one laser.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the shaping and beam combining lens group is a transmissive shaping and beam combining lens group or a reflective shaping and beam combining lens group.

[0029] According to some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the shaping and beam combining lens group is integrated in the emission lens group.

[0030] According to the second aspect of the present invention, a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system is proposed, wherein the lidar is the aforementioned lidar, and wherein the lighting system includes a light source for emitting visible light beams, and the light source for emitting visible light beams of the lighting system serves as the second light source, and the visible light beams emitted by the light source for emitting visible light beams of the lighting system can be guided through the receiving lens group of the lidar by means of the beam splitter of the lidar and emitted for projection, imaging and / or lighting.

[0031] According to some embodiments of the second aspect of the present invention, the second light source is an LED or an LED matrix.

[0032] According to some embodiments of the second aspect of the present invention, the lighting system is a matrix intelligent headlight of an automobile, and the second light source is a visible light source of the matrix intelligent headlight of the automobile.

[0033] According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle, which includes the above-mentioned lidar or includes the above-mentioned combined system.

[0034] Through the lidar proposed by the present invention and the technical solutions of the combined system composed of the lidar and the lighting system, the composition structure of the system can be significantly simplified, and it has a compact structural form. Especially for automotive applications, the volume occupied by the in-vehicle lidar system and the automotive lighting system is significantly reduced, saving the assembly space of the vehicle. At the same time, the structure and assembly costs of the in-vehicle lidar system and the automotive lighting system are saved, and it is easy to manufacture, operate and maintain. Thus, on the one hand, sufficient freedom is left for the overall exterior design of the vehicle, and on the other hand, it is easy to implement modular and standardized units, facilitating the installation of the entire vehicle.

[0035] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system, wherein during the operation of the lidar of the combined system:

[0036] - Using at least one laser to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object; and

[0037] - Using a receiving mirror group to receive a second laser beam reflected by the target object, passing the second laser beam through the beam splitter disposed in the optical path from the receiving mirror group to the detector, and converging it to the detector;

[0038] During the operation of the lighting system of the combined system:

[0039] - Using the second light source of the lighting system to emit a visible light beam, passing the emitted visible light beam through the beam splitter into the receiving mirror group of the lidar, and emitting it from the receiving mirror group of the lidar for projection, imaging and / or illumination.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the second laser beam reflected by the target object passes through the beam splitter and enters the detector, and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the lighting system is reflected by the beam splitter and enters the receiving mirror group.

[0041] According to some embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the second laser beam reflected by the target object is reflected by the beam splitter into the detector, and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the headlight system is transmitted through the beam splitter into the receiving mirror group.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the lidar and the headlight system operate simultaneously.

[0043] According to some embodiments of the fourth aspect of the present invention, during the operation of the lidar of the combined system, the first laser beam generated by the at least one laser is emitted through the transmitting mirror group to scan and detect the target object.

[0044] Through the method for operating the combined system composed of the lidar and the headlight system proposed by the present invention, while achieving the above-mentioned many advantages in terms of manufacturing, assembly, system structure, and cost, it ensures the flexible, efficient, and reliable operation of the combined system composed of the lidar and the headlight system. In particular, it can optimally achieve the coordinated operation of the lidar and / or the headlight system of the combined system according to specific application scenarios. Description of the Drawings

[0045] Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. The embodiments and drawings disclosed herein should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Additionally, it should be noted that for the sake of clarity of illustration, some structural details in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the optical path and composition structure of some embodiments of the proposed lidar;

[0047] Figure 2 is as Figure 1 shown in the schematic diagram of the optical path and composition structure of some variant schemes of the lidar;

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the optical path of some embodiments of the transmission and reception of the proposed lidar;

[0049] Figure 4 is as Figure 3 shown in the schematic diagram of the optical path of some variant schemes of the transmission and reception of the lidar;

[0050] Figure 5 is as Figure 3 shown in the schematic diagram of the optical path of some variant schemes of the transmission and reception of the lidar. Detailed Embodiments

[0051] The following further elaborates on the concept of the present invention with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments listed here are only used to clearly illustrate the inventive concept of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. The technical features of the lidar and the combined system composed of the lidar and the headlamp system involved herein can be arbitrarily combined or replaced within the framework of the inventive concept of the present invention as long as they do not violate natural laws or technical specifications, and all are within the scope of the inventive concept of the present invention.

[0052] It should be noted that the embodiments shown in the drawings are only used as examples for specifically and vividly explaining and illustrating the inventive concept of the present invention. They are neither necessarily drawn to scale in terms of size and structure nor constitute a limitation to the inventive concept of the present invention. In the drawings, solid arrows represent laser beams, and dashed arrows represent visible light beams. Here, the solid arrows and dashed arrows are only used to schematically distinguish laser beams and visible light beams to clearly illustrate the proposed technical solution.

[0053] The orientation terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front side, back side, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or possibly mentioned in this specification are defined with respect to the structures shown in the respective drawings. They are relative concepts and may therefore change accordingly depending on their different positions and different usage states. Therefore, these or other orientation terms should not be construed as restrictive terms.

[0054] Through the disclosed content, a lidar is provided. The lidar includes a laser emission end and a laser reception end. Among them, the laser emission end includes at least one laser. The at least one laser serves as a first light source and is arranged to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object. The first laser beam generated by the laser directly emits from the laser emission end or, optionally, emits from the laser emission end via an emission mirror group. The laser reception end includes a detector, a reception mirror group, and a beam splitter. The detector is used to obtain information on the received laser signal. The reception mirror group is arranged to receive and transmit the second laser beam reflected back by the target object and converge the second laser beam onto the detector. The beam splitter is arranged in the optical path from the reception mirror group to the detector. The beam splitter can guide the second laser beam to the detector and can guide the visible light beam emitted by the second light source to emit through the reception mirror group for projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0055] Here, the lidar can be an in-vehicle lidar for automobiles. The lidar uses laser as the light source and emits it onto the target object. The target object produces diffuse reflection, and the returned laser passes through the receiving mirror group, the beam splitter, and is finally received by the detector, thereby obtaining information such as the distance, azimuth, speed, and shape of the target object, and realizing three-dimensional detection of the surrounding environment. Similarly, the in-vehicle lidar for automobiles scans and detects the surrounding environment of the automobile and target objects such as passing vehicles and pedestrians through the emitted laser beam.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second light source can be the visible light source of the headlight system, especially the visible light source of the automobile headlight, and particularly especially the visible light source of the matrix intelligent headlight of the automobile. Thus, the visible light beam of the automobile headlight system and the second laser beam reflected from the target object in the lidar can share a receiving mirror group. The visible light beam of the headlight system can be projected, imaged, and / or illuminated through the receiving mirror group of the lidar, while the laser beam reflected by the lidar can be received by its detector through the receiving mirror group to realize scanning and detection of the target object.

[0057] Through the proposed technical solution, for example, it can greatly save the structural and assembly costs of the in-vehicle lidar system and the automobile headlight system, and at the same time significantly reduce the volume occupied by the in-vehicle lidar system and the automobile headlight system, saving the assembly space of the automobile. Thus, on the one hand, it leaves sufficient freedom for the overall exterior design of the automobile, and on the other hand, it is easy to implement modular and standardized units, facilitating the installation of the whole vehicle.

[0058] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path and composition structure of some embodiments of the proposed lidar. The lidar mainly includes a laser emission end 1 and a laser reception end 2. In the schematic drawing, the laser emission end 1 and the laser reception end 2 are respectively shown in the dotted boxes. Here, the laser reception end 2 is configured as a module component with dual functions. It can not only receive the laser beam for scanning and detecting the target object, but also project the visible light beam, for example, for realizing projection, imaging, and / or illumination. Here, the solid arrows schematically represent the laser beam and its propagation path, and the dashed arrows schematically represent the visible light beam and its propagation path.

[0059] As Figure 1 shown, the laser emission end 1 of the lidar includes, for example, a laser 11 and an optional emission mirror group 12. The laser reception end 2 of the lidar includes a receiving mirror group 21, a beam splitter 22, and a detector 24.

[0060] Here, the laser 11 serves as a laser generating device, functions as a first light source, and is configured to generate a laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object. Obviously, the laser 11 serving as the first light source is an integral part of the lidar. The laser can be selected from types such as solid-state lasers or semiconductor lasers, for example, fiber lasers. The laser 11 can be, for example, an infrared light source or a near-infrared light source.

[0061] The emitting mirror group 12 is disposed downstream of the laser 11 in the optical path. That is to say, after the first laser beam is generated by the laser 11 at the laser emitting end 1, it propagates along the optical path, and then projects outward through other optical components including the emitting mirror group 12 to scan a distant target.

[0062] In Figure 1 the illustrated embodiment, the laser receiving end 2 includes a receiving mirror group 21, a beam splitter 22, and a detector 24. The receiving mirror group 21 is disposed in front of the detector 24 along the propagation direction of the laser beam. Thus, the receiving mirror group 21 can receive and transmit the second laser beam reflected from the target object, and converge the reflected second laser beam onto the detector 24 of the laser receiving end 2. In other words, the second laser beam is reflected by the target object to the receiving mirror group 21, the receiving mirror group 21 guides the second laser beam to the detector 24, and the detector 24 receives the laser signal and obtains relevant information.

[0063] Here, the detector 24 can adopt a photoelectric detector or a photothermal detector, for example, including an avalanche photodiode, a single-photon detector, or a photomultiplier tube. It should be noted that the detector 24 includes but is not limited to the foregoing types. Any detector 24 that can convert a laser signal into an electrical signal can be applied in the technical solution of the present invention, and the present invention does not limit it here.

[0064] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the detector 24 adopts a area array detector.

[0065] As Figure 1 shown, a beam splitter 22 is further provided in the optical path between the detector 24 and the receiving mirror group 21 of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar. That is to say, the beam splitter 22 is disposed in the optical path from the receiving mirror group 21 to the detector 24. The second laser beam transmitted through the receiving mirror group 21 is received by the detector 24 under the guidance of the beam splitter 22. In addition, the beam splitter 22 can also guide the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source. That is to say, the beam splitter 22 has a dual function of guiding visible light beams and laser beams here.

[0066] Specifically, the optical splitter 22 is arranged to: be able to guide the second laser beam passing through the receiving lens group 21 into the detector 24 to achieve the detection of the target; and be able to guide the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source through the receiving lens group 21 and emit it, for realizing projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0067] In some embodiments, for example, a dichroic mirror or a beam splitting prism can be used as the optical splitter 22.

[0068] It should be noted here that the visible light source 3 as the second light source is a light source different from the laser 11 as the first light source. For example, for a vehicle-mounted lidar, the second light source can be the visible light source 3 of the vehicle headlight, especially the visible light source 3 of the matrix intelligent headlight of the vehicle. For example, the visible light source 3 as the second light source can be an LED matrix, especially a white LED matrix.

[0069] Therefore, the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source and the second laser beam reflected by the target after being emitted by the laser 31 as the first light source share a receiving lens group 21. Among them, the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source is guided by the optical splitter 22 through the receiving lens group 21 and emitted into the external environment, so as to realize functions such as projection, imaging, and / or illumination in the detection environment around the vehicle, for example. For example, after the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 passes through the receiving lens group 21, functions such as illumination, indication, and warning of the vehicle intelligent headlight are realized. The second laser beam reflected by the target after being emitted by the laser 31 as the first light source passes through the same receiving lens group 21 and is guided by the optical splitter 22 and then received by the detector 24, so as to realize the scanning and detection of the environment or the target.

[0070] Through the proposed technical solution, for example, the system integration of the vehicle intelligent headlight and the vehicle-mounted radar detection is simply realized. By sharing the receiving lens group 21, the manufacturing, assembly, operation, and maintenance costs can be significantly saved. At the same time, the vehicle structure space occupied by the vehicle intelligent headlight and the vehicle-mounted lidar is greatly reduced, leaving sufficient freedom for the overall exterior design of the vehicle and facilitating installation.

[0071] In some embodiments, the detector 24, the beam splitter 22, and the receiving mirror group 21 can be configured as an integrated structure or as separate components for separate assembly. In the case of being configured as an integrated structure, the laser receiving end 2 can be prefabricated into a modular structural unit. For example, the beam splitter 22 can be integrated into the housing of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar and prefabricated into a modular structural unit together with the detector 24 and the receiving mirror group 21. On the one hand, this achieves precise pre-fixing and alignment of the optical axes of the optical components optically, and on the other hand, greatly simplifies the assembly, operation, and maintenance of the laser receiving end 2 in the lidar and the vehicle.

[0072] The laser transmitting end 1 and the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar can be configured as structural units that are separately manufactured and distributed. In some embodiments, it is also possible to consider integrating at least one laser transmitting end 1 and at least one laser receiving end 2 into a laser transceiver module group configured as a separate structural unit. By constructing and arranging multiple laser transceiver module groups, it is possible to achieve the splicing of the detection field of view of the lidar as needed, thereby achieving a larger horizontal field of view angle of the lidar and improving the detection accuracy of key test areas.

[0073] Here, the beam splitter 22 can be integrated into the housing of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar and together with other components or optical components of the laser receiving end 2, especially the detector 24 and the receiving mirror group 21, form a pre-assembled modular structural unit. Alternatively, it is also possible to choose to integrate the beam splitter 22 into the housing of the laser transceiver module group. This can simplify the manufacturing, assembly, and optical calibration processes of the lidar and reduce the corresponding costs.

[0074] In some alternative embodiments, the visible light source 3 as the second light source can be independently arranged from the lidar, that is, the visible light source 3 is arranged outside the housing of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar. During assembly, the visible light source 3 is independently installed with the laser receiving end 2.

[0075] In some alternative embodiments, the visible light source 3 as the second light source can be pre-assembled outside the housing of the laser receiving end 2, and the visible light source 3 can be configured through positioning, calibration, etc., so that the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 can pass through the beam splitter 22 and the receiving mirror group 21 located inside the housing of the laser receiving end 2 to achieve functions such as projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0076] In some other alternative embodiments, the second light source may also be an integral part of the lidar itself, that is, a visible light source 3 is additionally provided in the lidar as the second light source, and the visible light beam emitted by it is used for projection, imaging, and / or illumination after exiting the laser receiving end 2, so as to give an intuitive reminder or warning visually, or just for illumination. In this case, the second light source may also be integrated in the housing of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar.

[0077] According to the specific performance and structural requirements of the specific application scenario, such as Figure 1 As shown, the beam splitter 22 can be constructed such that the second laser beam reflected by the target after being emitted by the laser 11 as the first light source enters the detector 24 after passing through the beam splitter 22, while the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source is reflected by the beam splitter 22 into the receiving mirror group 21 and exits through the receiving mirror group 21, so as to realize functions such as projection, imaging, and / or illumination in the surrounding environment.

[0078] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, a color filter 23 is provided between the detector 24 and the beam splitter 22 in the laser receiving end 2 to filter out the light beams other than the wavelengths required by the lidar. For example, when there is strong light irradiation or a large amount of other interfering light from the outside, these interfering lights will reach the detector 24 along with the second laser beam through the receiving mirror group 21 and the beam splitter 22, affecting the detection accuracy of the detector 24. Therefore, a color filter 23 is provided between the beam splitter 22 and the detector 24 to filter out the interfering stray light signals from the outside, so that the detector 24 can accurately detect the information of the object to be measured.

[0079] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the placement angle of the beam splitter 22 can be adjusted within a reasonable range according to the layout positions of the detector 24 and the visible light source 3, for example, including but not limited to arranging the beam splitter 22 at an inclination of 45° or 60°.

[0080] Figure 2 is based on Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of the optical paths and component structures of some variant schemes of the lidar shown. Compared with Figure 1 the embodiment shown, Figure 2 the difference of the embodiment shown is that the beam splitter 22 can be appropriately constructed such that the second laser beam reflected by the target after being emitted by the laser 11 as the first light source is reflected by the beam splitter 22 into the detector 24, while the visible light beam emitted by the visible light source 3 as the second light source passes through the beam splitter 22 and enters the receiving mirror group 21 and exits to the surrounding environment through the receiving mirror group 21, so as to realize functions such as projection, imaging, and / or illumination in the surrounding environment according to requirements. In Figure 2In the figure, the solid arrows also schematically represent the laser beam and its propagation path, and the dashed arrows schematically represent the visible light beam and its propagation path.

[0081] By reasonably utilizing the reflection and transmission optical characteristics of the beam splitter 22, the optical path structure and the arrangement manner of optical components can be designed and implemented more flexibly, so as to meet specific application scenarios and installation requirements. Especially when applied to an automobile, the installation space inside the vehicle can be effectively saved and fully utilized.

[0082] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the laser 11 may be a surface light source, that is, the laser 11 directly emits surface laser, such as a surface-emitting laser, and thus surface laser is emitted from the laser emission end 1 for scanning and detection. As an alternative to the surface light source, the laser 11 may also be a point light source or a line light source, that is, the laser 11 directly emits a dot-shaped light spot or a linear light spot. For the case where the laser 11 is not a surface light source, such as being a point light source or a line light source, a laser shaping module for shaping the laser beam emitted by the laser 11 may be selected and provided. Through such a laser shaping module, the laser beam is shaped into surface laser, for example. Finally, surface laser is emitted from the laser emission end 1 for scanning and detecting a target object.

[0083] For example, the laser shaping module may transmit the laser beam emitted by the laser 11 and implement functions such as collimation, homogenization, and shaping of the laser beam. According to different design functions and purposes, one or more of the three functions of collimation, homogenization, and shaping may be used. For example, a dot-shaped light spot, a linear light spot, or a surface-shaped light spot / surface laser may be finally formed. For example, the laser shaping module may include a collimating mirror and / or a light homogenizing sheet arranged sequentially along the optical axis of the beam.

[0084] By providing the laser shaping module, the type of laser and the form of the light spot can be flexibly selected and used, and the flexibility of designing, manufacturing, and using the lidar can be improved. Therefore, the technical solution proposed by the present invention includes but is not limited to the foregoing types of lasers, but any device capable of generating and emitting laser suitable for detection and scanning can be used, and the concept of the present invention is not limited to the forms described herein.

[0085] In some embodiments, the task of laser shaping may be assigned to the emission mirror group 12 to complete, that is, when the beam emitted by the laser 11 passes through the emission mirror group 12, the emission mirror group 12 will shape the laser beam emitted by the laser 11, such as shaping it into a surface array beam, for scanning and detecting a to-be-detected object.

[0086] In some embodiments, at least one laser 11, especially a plurality of lasers 11, may be provided in the laser emission end 1. For example, for a vehicle-mounted lidar, the at least one laser 11 is used as a first light source as a whole.

[0087] In some embodiments, the lidar may further include a shaping and beam combining mirror group. The laser beams emitted by multiple lasers serving as the first light source first hit the shaping and beam combining mirror group to combine and shape the multiple laser beams into a single laser beam. Thus, on the one hand, the energy value of the laser is increased, and the detection distance and range of the lidar are enlarged; on the other hand, the accuracy of the detector can still meet the requirements of the detection distance. Especially on the premise of increasing the detection distance and range of the radar, the system volume is kept small. In the given embodiments, there may be two lasers, or more, which are selected according to the needs of optical performance and physical structure.

[0088] The shaping and beam combining mirror group can adopt various forms, such as a transmissive cylindrical mirror, a reflective cylindrical mirror, or a free-form mirror, etc. By using a reflective shaping and beam combining mirror group, the laser beams emitted by multiple lasers are shaped and combined through reflection, so the light efficiency is better and there is no energy loss. Thus, the energy value of the laser beam can be increased according to the application environment or technical requirements, and the detection distance and range of the lidar are enlarged. By using a transmissive shaping and beam combining mirror group, a better beam shaping effect can be obtained, especially the laser energy is more concentrated.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments, the shaping and beam combining mirror group can be integrated in the emission mirror group 12. That is, when the beam emitted by the laser 11 passes through the emission mirror group 12, the corresponding devices in the emission mirror group 12 will shape and combine the laser beam emitted by the laser 11 into a single laser beam.

[0090] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic optical path diagram of some embodiments of the lidar emission and reception proposed by the present invention. The emission mirror group 12 includes a light homogenizing device. According to its principle, the light homogenizing device can be divided into various types. For example, the light homogenizing device can convert a single-mode or multi-mode laser beam into a light spot with a uniform energy distribution, and the wavelength and shape profile of the light spot can be defined by itself; or by designing a micro-structure pattern on the lens surface to change the phase of the incident laser, so as to output any desired arrangement or shape. The light homogenizing device can be, for example, a diffuser or a diffractive optical element (abbreviated as DOE), etc.

[0091] In Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the first laser beam emitted by the laser 11 passes through the emission mirror group 12. Optionally, for example, shaping is performed in the emission mirror group 12, such as shaping into a planar array beam, and then emitted to scan a target object or an object to be measured. The second laser beam returned after scanning passes through the reception mirror group 21 and possibly other optical devices (such as the beam splitter in the present invention, etc.) and is finally received by the detector 24 to achieve the scanning and detection of the target object or the object to be measured.

[0092] Figure 4 It is a schematic optical path diagram of some other embodiments of the laser radar transmission and reception proposed by the present invention. Optionally, the transmitting mirror group 12 may include a collimating device (not shown). Through the collimating device in the transmitting mirror group 12, the first laser beam (dot laser) emitted by the laser 11 can be collimated. The laser emitting end 1 may include a two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer 13. The two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer 13 is an optical reflector capable of performing simple harmonic vibrations along two axes, and it is arranged at a position downstream of the transmitting mirror group 12 in the laser beam. The first laser beam emitted from the transmitting mirror group 12 is projected onto the two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer 13 to achieve scanning of the target object or the object to be measured in two dimensions.

[0093] In Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first laser beam emitted by the laser 11 passes through the transmitting mirror group 12, and is optionally collimated by the collimating device in the transmitting mirror group 12. Then the first laser beam is projected onto the two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer 13, so that the target object can be scanned in two dimensions. The second laser beam returned after scanning passes through the receiving mirror group 21 and possible other optical devices (such as the beam splitter in the present invention) and is finally received by the detector 24, realizing the scanning and detection of the target object or the object to be measured.

[0094] Figure 5 It is a schematic optical path diagram of some other embodiments of the laser radar transmission and reception proposed by the present invention. Optionally, the transmitting mirror group 12 includes a shaping device (not shown). Through the shaping device in the transmitting mirror group 12, the first laser beam emitted by the laser 11 can be shaped into a linear beam. The laser emitting end 1 further includes a MEMS galvanometer 14, and this MEMS galvanometer 14 is a one-dimensional galvanometer and is arranged at a position downstream of the transmitting mirror group 12 in the laser beam. The first laser beam emitted from the transmitting mirror group 12 is projected onto the MEMS galvanometer 14 to achieve scanning of the target object by the first laser beam in one dimension.

[0095] In Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the first laser beam emitted by the laser 11 passes through the transmitting mirror group 12, and optionally, is shaped into a linear beam by the shaping device in the transmitting mirror group 12. Then the first laser beam is projected onto the MEMS galvanometer 14, so that the target object can be scanned in one dimension. The second laser beam returned after scanning passes through the receiving mirror group 21 and possible other optical devices (such as the beam splitter in the present invention) and is finally received by the detector 24, realizing the scanning and detection of the target object or the object to be measured.

[0096] The present invention also provides a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system. The lidar used herein is the aforementioned lidar. The lighting system includes a second light source for emitting visible light beams. The light source of the lighting system for emitting visible light beams serves as the second light source. The visible light beams emitted by the lighting system can be guided by the beam splitter 22 of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar through the receiving lens group 21 of the laser receiving end 2 of the lidar to achieve projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0097] In some alternative embodiments, the second light source is an LED or an LED matrix. In particular, the lighting system is a matrix intelligent headlight of a vehicle, and the second light source is the visible light source 8 of the matrix intelligent headlight of the vehicle.

[0098] The present invention also provides a vehicle, which includes the aforementioned lidar or a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system. Here, when the combined system is applied to a vehicle, the second light source can be the visible light source 3 of the vehicle headlight, especially the visible light source 3 of the matrix intelligent headlight of the vehicle. Thus, for the case of application to a vehicle, the visible light beams of the vehicle lighting system and the laser beams of the vehicle-mounted lidar can share part of the optical path and optical components, especially the beam splitter 22 and / or the receiving lens group 21. Among them, the visible light beams emitted by the vehicle lighting system, especially the vehicle headlight, can be used for projection, imaging, and / or illumination after passing through the receiving lens group 21, while the returned laser beams or echo signals can be received by the detector 24 after passing through the receiving lens group 21 for scanning and detecting the target object or the object to be measured.

[0099] Through the proposed combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system, especially for applications such as motor vehicles and cars, the structural space and assembly cost of the vehicle-mounted lidar system and the vehicle lighting system can be greatly saved, the installation volume occupied by the vehicle-mounted lidar system and the vehicle lighting system can be significantly reduced, and the assembly space inside the vehicle can be saved. This leaves sufficient freedom for the overall exterior design of the vehicle, and at the same time, it is easy to implement modular and standardized structural units, facilitating the installation of the whole vehicle. In addition, the lighting system can simply adopt a large-aperture and high-light-efficiency projection system, taking into account the overall illuminance value of the headlight and the energy value of the light-emitting surface of the detector system, thereby achieving better optical performance.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to meet the design requirements of lens miniaturization, the optical parameters of the lighting system and the lidar system can be configured within a reasonable range. For example, the following relationship can be satisfied among the focal length F shared by the emission end of the lighting system and the receiving end of the lidar, the total optical system length TTL1 of the lighting system, and the total optical system length TTL2 of the lidar: TTL1 / F ≤ 3.5 and TTL2 / F ≤ 3.5.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to ensure that the receiving beam of the lidar system and the outgoing beam of the headlamp system are not blocked by mechanical components and improve the transmission efficiency of the optical system, some optical parameters of the headlamp system and the lidar system can be configured within a reasonable range. Refer to Figure 1 , for example, the following relationship can be satisfied among the maximum clear aperture D of the first lens on the side of the common lens (receiving lens group 21) away from the beam splitter 22, the maximum clear aperture D1 of the last lens in the optical path of the headlamp system near the image plane side, and the maximum clear aperture D2 of the object side of the first lens corresponding to the maximum receiving field angle of the lidar: D≥D1 and D≥D2.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to ensure that the outgoing beam of the headlamp system light source and the receiving beam of the lidar can be effectively utilized, and improve the light output efficiency of the headlamp system and the receiving efficiency of the lidar, some optical parameters of the headlamp system and the lidar system can be configured within a reasonable range. Refer to Figure 1 , for example, the following relationship can be satisfied among the maximum field of view FOV of the common optical lens (receiving lens group 21), the divergence angle θ1 of the outgoing beam of the headlamp system light source, and the field of view angle θ2 of the lidar incident on the detector: FOV≥θ1 and FOV≥θ2.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical back focal length of the optical lens, that is, the distance BFL from the center of the image side of the last lens of the optical lens (receiving lens group 21) to the center of the imaging surface, and the length of the lens group of the optical lens, that is, the distance TL from the center of the object side of the first lens of the optical lens to the center of the image side of the last lens of the optical lens, satisfy the following relationship: BFL / TL≥0.30. This ensures a relatively long back focal length on the basis of miniaturization design, which is beneficial to the assembly of the module. Moreover, the short lens group length TL results in a compact structure, which can reduce the sensitivity of the lens to the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), improve the production yield, and reduce the production cost.

[0104] The present invention also provides a method for operating a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system. During the operation of the lidar in the combined system, at least one laser 11 is used to generate a first laser beam, and the first laser beam is directly emitted or emitted via the emission mirror group 12 to scan and detect a target object. And a receiving mirror group 21 is used to receive a second laser beam reflected by the target object, and the second laser beam passes through the beam splitter 22 disposed in the optical path from the receiving mirror group 21 to the detector 24 and converges to the detector 24. In addition, during the operation of the lighting system in the combined system, a visible light beam is emitted by the second light source of the lighting system, and the emitted visible light beam enters the receiving mirror group 21 of the lidar through the beam splitter and is emitted from the receiving mirror group 21 of the lidar for projection, imaging, and / or illumination.

[0105] In some alternative embodiments, the second laser beam reflected by the target object is transmitted through the beam splitter 22 into the detector 24, and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the lighting system is reflected by the beam splitter 22 into the receiving mirror group 21 and emitted outward from the receiving mirror group 21 into the surrounding environment, so as to realize functions such as projection, imaging, and / or illumination in the surrounding environment. In some other alternative embodiments, the second laser beam reflected by the target object is reflected by the beam splitter 22 into the detector 24, and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the lighting system is transmitted through the beam splitter 22 into the receiving mirror group 21.

[0106] The lidar and the lighting system can operate simultaneously. Optionally, the lidar and the lighting system can also operate alternately according to a set program, or adopt a coordinated operation strategy according to a specific application scenario or situation.

[0107] By the method for operating a combined system composed of a lidar and a lighting system provided by the present invention, while achieving the above-mentioned many advantages in terms of manufacturing, assembly, system structure, and cost, it ensures the flexible, efficient, and reliable operation of the combined system composed of the lidar and the lighting system. In particular, it can optimally realize the coordinated operation of the lidar and / or the lighting system of the combined system according to a specific application scenario.

[0108] It should be noted that the technical solutions proposed herein are not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various variations and modifications to the above embodiments without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these variations and modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lidar, the lidar comprising a laser emission end (1) and a laser reception end (2), wherein, The laser emission end (1) includes: - At least one laser (11), the at least one laser (11) serving as a first light source and being configured to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting a target object; The laser reception end (2) includes: - A detector (24), the detector (24) being configured to acquire information on the received laser signal; - A receiving lens group (21), the receiving lens group (21) being configured to receive and transmit a second laser beam reflected back by the target object and converge the second laser beam onto the detector (24), characterized in that the laser reception end (2) further includes - A beam splitter (22), the beam splitter (22) being disposed in the optical path from the receiving lens group (21) to the detector (24), the beam splitter (22) being capable of guiding the second laser beam to the detector (24) and capable of guiding a visible light beam emitted by a second light source to be emitted through the receiving lens group (21) for projection, imaging, and / or illumination; wherein the following relationship is satisfied among the maximum clear aperture D of the first lens on the side of the receiving lens group (21) away from the beam splitter (22), the maximum clear aperture D1 of the last lens in the visible light optical path on the side close to the image plane, and the maximum clear aperture D2 of the object side of the first lens corresponding to the maximum reception field angle of the lidar: D≥D1 and D≥D2.

2. The lidar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam splitter is configured such that the second laser beam is transmitted through the beam splitter (22) and enters the detector (24), and the visible light beam is reflected by the beam splitter (22) and enters the receiving lens group (21).

3. The lidar according to claim 1, wherein, The beam splitter is configured such that the visible light beam is transmitted through the beam splitter (22) and enters the receiving lens group (21), and the second laser beam is reflected by the beam splitter (22) and enters the detector (24).

4. The lidar according to claim 1, wherein The beam splitter (22) is integrated in the housing of the laser reception end (2) of the lidar and forms a pre-assembled modular structural unit with the detector (24) and the receiving lens group (21).

5. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The lidar includes a transmitting lens group (12), and the first laser beam generated by the at least one laser (11) is emitted from the laser emission end (1) through the transmitting lens group (12).

6. The lidar according to claim 5, wherein, The transmitting lens group (12) includes a light homogenizing device, and the light homogenizing device is configured as a diffuser or a diffractive optical element.

7. The lidar according to claim 5, wherein, The transmitting lens group (12) includes a laser shaping module, and the laser shaping module is configured to shape the first laser beam transmitted through the transmitting lens group (12).

8. The lidar according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transmitting lens group (12) includes a collimating device, and the collimating device is configured to collimate the first laser beam transmitted through the transmitting lens group (12).

9. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The laser emission end (1) further includes a two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer (13), and the first laser beam emitted from the at least one laser (11) is projected onto the two-dimensional MEMS galvanometer (13) to achieve scanning of the target object in two dimensions.

10. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The laser emission end (1) further includes a MEMS galvanometer (14), and the first laser beam emitted from the at least one laser (11) is projected onto the MEMS galvanometer (14) to achieve scanning of the target in one-dimensional direction.

11. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The at least one laser (11) is capable of emitting dot-shaped, line-shaped or plane-shaped laser.

12. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The detector (24) is a area array detector.

13. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The beam splitter (22) is a dichroic mirror or a beam splitting prism.

14. The lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the laser receiving end (2), a color filter (23) is provided between the detector (24) and the beam splitter (22) to filter out the light beams other than the wavelengths required by the lidar.

15. The lidar according to claim 5, wherein, The laser emission end (1) of the lidar further includes a shaping and beam combining lens group, and the shaping and beam combining lens group is arranged to shape and combine the laser beams emitted by the at least one laser.

16. The lidar according to claim 15, wherein, The shaping and beam combining lens group is a transmissive shaping and beam combining lens group or a reflective shaping and beam combining lens group.

17. The lidar according to claim 15, wherein The shaping and beam combining lens group is integrated in the emission lens group (12).

18. A combined system composed of a lidar and a headlamp system, characterized in that, The lidar is the lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the lighting system includes a light source for emitting a visible light beam, and the light source for emitting a visible light beam of the lighting system serves as the second light source, and the visible light beam emitted by the light source for emitting a visible light beam of the lighting system can be guided through the receiving lens group (21) of the lidar by means of the beam splitter of the lidar and emitted for projection, imaging and / or illumination.

19. The combined system according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second light source is an LED or an LED matrix.

20. The combined system according to claim 18 or 19, wherein, The lighting system is a matrix intelligent headlamp of an automobile, and the second light source is the visible light source (3) of the matrix intelligent headlamp of the automobile.

21. A vehicle, which includes the lidar according to any one of claims 1 to 17 or includes the combined system according to any one of claims 18 to 20.

22. A method for operating a combined system consisting of a lidar and a headlamp system according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that During the operation of the lidar in the combined system: - At least one laser (11) is used to generate a first laser beam for scanning and detecting the target; and - The receiving lens group (21) is used to receive the second laser beam reflected by the target, and the second laser beam passes through the beam splitter (22) arranged in the optical path from the receiving lens group (21) to the detector (24), and converges to the detector (24); During the operation of the lighting system in the combined system: - The second light source of the lighting system is used to emit a visible light beam, and the emitted visible light beam enters the receiving lens group (21) of the lidar through the beam splitter and is emitted from the receiving lens group (21) of the lidar for projection, imaging and / or illumination.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The second laser beam reflected by the target is transmitted through the beam splitter (22) and enters the detector (24), and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the lighting system is reflected by the beam splitter (22) and enters the receiving lens group (21).

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein The second laser beam reflected by the target is reflected by the beam splitter (22) and enters the detector (24), and the visible light beam emitted by the second light source of the headlight system is transmitted through the beam splitter (22) and enters the receiving mirror group (21).

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that, The lidar and the headlight system operate simultaneously.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that During the operation of the lidar of the combined system, the first laser beam generated by the at least one laser (11) is emitted via the transmitting mirror group (12) to scan and detect the target.

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