Laser radar with code disk

Abstract

The application discloses a laser radar with a code disc. The power and data transmission structure according to an embodiment of the application comprises: a light-blocking shell; a light-transmitting shell located at the upper part of the light-blocking shell and having a light-transmitting region through which laser can pass; a protective cover located inside the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell and having a protruding part protruding outward or inward from the protective cover; a code disc fixed to the lower surface of the protruding part and capable of being used for measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking shell, and the forming position of the protruding part of the protective cover is lower than the height of the light-transmitting region of the light-transmitting shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to lidar, and more particularly to a rotating lidar. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of autonomous driving, self-driving vehicles can use devices such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to detect surrounding objects. LiDAR emits a laser beam as a detection signal into the surrounding three-dimensional space. After the laser beam hits an object in the surrounding space, it is reflected as an echo signal and returns. LiDAR compares the received echo signal with the emitted detection signal to obtain relevant information about the surrounding objects, such as distance and speed.

[0003] As described above, a lidar system includes a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module generates and emits a laser beam, which strikes surrounding objects and is reflected back to the receiving module. Since the speed of light is known, the distance of surrounding objects relative to the lidar can be measured by the propagation time of the laser.

[0004] LiDAR includes rotating lidar capable of emitting laser light in a 360° range. In rotating lidar, the transmitting and receiving modules need to rotate relative to the lidar's base. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the rotation angle of the transmitting and receiving modules relative to the base. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a lidar that can reduce the impact of external light on the code disk.

[0006] A lidar according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light-blocking housing; a light-transmitting housing located on the upper part of the light-blocking housing and having a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; a protective cover located inside the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing and having a protrusion protruding outward or inward from the protective cover; and a code disk fixed to the lower part of the protrusion, which is capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing, wherein the protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing.

[0007] The lidar may further include: a transmitting module capable of emitting laser light; and a receiving module capable of receiving laser light emitted from the transmitting module and reflected off the outside of the lidar, wherein the transmitting module and the receiving module are located on the upper part of the protective cover and rotate together with the protective cover.

[0008] A portion of the protective cover may be located within the height range of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing.

[0009] The protrusion can protrude outward from the protective cover, and the protrusion also includes a downwardly formed sub-protrusion on the outside of the code disk.

[0010] The protective cover may not contact the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0011] The protective cover can be formed to cover at least a portion of the lidar.

[0012] The protective cover can be formed in a shape that is open at the bottom.

[0013] A lidar according to another embodiment of the present invention includes: a light-blocking housing; a light-transmitting housing located on the upper part of the light-blocking housing and having a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; a protective cover located inside the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing and having a protrusion protruding outward or inward from the protective cover; and a light source fixed to the lower part of the protrusion and capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing, wherein the protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing.

[0014] A code disk capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing can be disposed on a substrate below the protrusion.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a lidar includes: a light-blocking housing; a light-transmitting housing located on the upper part of the light-blocking housing and having a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; a protective cover located inside the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing, and having a protrusion protruding from the protective cover outward or inward; and a photoelectric sensor fixed to the lower part of the protrusion, capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing, wherein the protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, light incident on the lidar from the outside can be prevented from illuminating the code disk, and laser light emitted from the transmitting module can also be prevented from illuminating the code disk. Furthermore, a protective cover can be formed that protects the internal structure of the lidar and reduces the influence of external light on the code disk.

[0017] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art can derive effects not described above from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar with a code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar with a code disk according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar with a code disk according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating a code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar with a code disk according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Symbol Explanation

[0024] 10: Transmitter module; 20: Receiver module

[0025] 100: Protective cover 200: Code disk

[0026] 300: Light-transmitting housing; 400: Light-blocking housing

[0027] 110: Protrusion 111: Sub-protrusion Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments disclosed below are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the following embodiments without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0029] Furthermore, in the description of this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship of the accompanying drawings, and are only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0030] The following is for reference Figures 1-5 A detailed description is given of the lidar with a code disk according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar with a code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention. Wherein, Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a lidar with a code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, a lidar with a code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a transmitting module 10, a receiving module 20, a protective cover 100, a code disk 200, a light-transmitting housing 300, and a light-blocking housing 400. Figure 1 Other components of the lidar, such as the rotation drive structure, power transmission structure, and signal transmission structure, which are not shown, are omitted.

[0033] The light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400 can be the outermost housing of the lidar, and the light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400 can form a sealed housing of the lidar to protect the interior of the light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400 from the external environment.

[0034] The light-transparent housing 300 can be formed using a material through which laser light can pass. Therefore, laser light emitted from inside the housing can pass through the light-transparent housing 300 and be emitted to the outside. Furthermore, the laser light that passes through the light-transparent housing 300 can be reflected from the outside of the lidar and enter the interior of the light-transparent housing 300. Thus, the lidar can calculate the distance between objects outside the lidar and the lidar using the time difference between the received laser light and the emitted laser light.

[0035] Alternatively, the light-transmitting housing 300 may not be entirely light-transmitting. The top of the light-transmitting housing 300 may be formed using an opaque material. Furthermore, a portion of the side of the light-transmitting housing 300 may be formed using a light-transmitting material, allowing laser light emitted from the emitting module 10 (described later) to pass through. In this case, the area of ​​the light-transmitting housing 300 through which the laser light can pass can be referred to as the light-transmitting region.

[0036] The light-blocking housing 400 can be located below the light-transmitting housing 300. The light-blocking housing 400 can be formed using an opaque material. Therefore, laser light or external stray light will not pass through the light-blocking housing 400 and enter the interior of the lidar.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the light-blocking housing 400 is located at the lower part, and the light-transmitting housing 300 is formed at the upper part of the light-blocking housing 400. Thus, the light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400 can form a sealed space that protects the internal structure of the lidar. The light-blocking housing 400 and the light-transmitting housing 300 can be formed in a manner that... Figure 1 It has an axisymmetric shape with its longitudinal centerline as the axis.

[0038] The transmitting module 10 and receiving module 20 of the lidar can be formed at a height corresponding to the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing 300 rather than the height of the light-blocking housing 400. Therefore, laser light can be emitted from the transmitting module 10 through the light-transmitting housing 300, and the receiving module 20 can receive laser light reflected back from the outside through the light-transmitting housing 300. Specifically, the transmitting module 10 can emit laser light to the outside, and the receiving module 20 can receive laser light reflected from the outside of the lidar.

[0039] The protective cover 100 can be formed into a cover shape with an open lower part, and can cover at least a portion of the lidar components. The protective cover 100 can be formed inside a housing formed by the light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400. The protective cover 100 can have the aforementioned transmitting module 10 and receiving module 20 disposed on its upper part, or it can internally house other components of the lidar (such as a rotation drive structure, power transmission structure, signal transmission structure, etc.). Figure 1 As shown, the protective cover 100 extends in the height direction from the height of the light-transmitting area corresponding to the light-transmitting housing 300 to the height corresponding to the light-blocking housing 400. That is, a portion of the protective cover 100 can be located within the height range of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing. Therefore, the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20 can be mounted on the protective cover 100.

[0040] The protective cover 100, the transmitting module 10, and the receiving module 20 can rotate relative to the light-transmitting housing 300 and the light-blocking housing 400. The rotation can be... Figure 1 The system can rotate horizontally 360 degrees around its longitudinal central axis. Furthermore, it can be rotated using a rotation drive structure and a power transmission structure (not shown). These structures can be located inside the protective cover 100; that is, the protective cover 100 can cover (protect) the internal components of the lidar, such as the rotation drive structure and power transmission structure. During rotation, the protective cover 100, the transmitting module 10, and the receiving module 20 can rotate together while remaining relatively stationary. Therefore, the rotation angles of the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20 can be the same as the rotation angle of the protective cover 100, allowing the rotation angles of the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20 to be measured by measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover 100.

[0041] To measure the rotation angle of the lidar in real time, an optical encoder can be used to determine the orientation of the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20. The optical encoder may include a light source (e.g., a light-emitting diode), a code disk, and a photoelectric sensor capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover 100 relative to the light-blocking housing 400. The code disk typically has evenly arranged small holes. A light beam emitted from the light source passes through the holes on the code disk or is reflected by the code disk, thereby illuminating the photoelectric sensor and generating an electrical pulse signal. The rotational speed and current angle of the code disk can be determined based on the pulse signal from the photoelectric sensor.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, the code disk may be disposed at the bottom of the protective cover 100. Specifically, as Figure 1 As shown, the code disk 200 can be disposed at the bottom of the protective cover 100, and can be formed as follows: Figure 4 The disk shape shown.

[0043] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a protrusion 110 protruding outward or inward from the protective cover 100 may be formed at the bottom of the protective cover 100 (e.g., Figure 1 or Figure 2 (As shown). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the code disk 200 may be disposed on the lower surface of the protrusion 110.

[0044] Furthermore, the protrusion 110 can be formed at a position below the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing 300. Therefore, laser light or stray light entering the lidar through the light-transmitting housing 300 is blocked by the protective cover 100 or the protrusion 110 and will not illuminate or reflect onto the code disk 200. Thus, angle detection using the code disk according to an embodiment of the present invention can be made unaffected by external light from the lidar.

[0045] If the protrusion 110 described above is not formed and the code disk 200 is directly formed on the lower surface of the protective cover 100, the following problems may occur: external light from the lidar is more likely to be reflected between the light-transmitting housing 300 and the protective cover 100 and irradiate the code disk 200, thus potentially affecting the determination of the rotation angle using the code disk 200. Furthermore, since the brightness of the light emitted by the light source of the photoelectric encoder is typically low, the aforementioned external light from the lidar may have a significant impact on the detection of the rotation angle. Additionally, the laser emitted from the transmitting module 10 may also irradiate the code disk 200.

[0046] In this regard, in one embodiment of the present invention, the code disk 200 is disposed on the lower surface of the protrusion 110 of the protective cover 100 at a height lower than the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing 300, thereby preventing external light from shining on the code disk and affecting its performance.

[0047] in, Figure 1 The diagram shows a case where the protrusion 110 of the protective cover 100 is formed on the outer side of the bottom of the protective cover 100. However, the invention is not limited to this, as shown in the diagram. Figure 2 As shown, the protrusion 110 may also be formed on the inner bottom side of the protective cover 100. Preferably, the protrusion 110 of the protective cover 100 may be formed on the outer bottom side of the protective cover 100, thereby increasing the diameter of the code disk 200 and improving the angle detection accuracy using the code disk 200.

[0048] Furthermore, the protective cover 100 and the protrusion 110 preferably do not contact the light-blocking housing 400 and the light-transmitting housing 300. That is, the protective cover 100 can avoid contacting the light-blocking housing 400 and the light-transmitting housing 300 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. Therefore, when the protective cover 100 rotates, it will not collide with the light-blocking housing 400 and the light-transmitting housing 300 and affect the rotation.

[0049] Furthermore, although Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram shows a case where the protrusion 110 of the protective cover 100 is formed at the bottom of the protective cover 100. However, the invention is not limited to this, as shown in the diagram. Figure 3 As shown, the protrusion 110 can also be formed near the bottom of the protective cover 100 instead of at the very bottom. In this case, the protrusion 110 should be formed at a position below the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing 300. Therefore, the protrusion 110 can also prevent external light from shining on the code disk 200.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the light source and photoelectric sensor of the photoelectric encoder can be located below the code disk 200 at a distance. Furthermore, the light source and photoelectric sensor can be integrated into a single module to measure the rotation angle using light reflected from the code disk 200. Although the present invention describes the case where the light source and photoelectric sensor of the photoelectric encoder are located below the code disk 200, the photoelectric sensor can also be located above the code disk 200 to detect light emitted from the light source and passing through the code disk 200.

[0051] Furthermore, the light source, photoelectric sensor, and substrate on which the light source and photoelectric sensor are mounted in the photoelectric encoder can be fixed relative to the light-blocking housing 400. This allows for the measurement of the rotation angle of the rotating protective cover 100 and the code disk 200.

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a lidar according to another embodiment of the present invention. (As shown) Figure 5 As shown, when the protrusion 110 protrudes outward from the protective cover, a downwardly protruding sub-protrusion 111 may also be formed on the outer side of the code disk 200 below the protrusion 110. The sub-protrusion 111 may be formed to have the same height as the code disk 200 or a higher height than the code disk 200 to further prevent external light from entering the code disk 200.

[0053] The overall configuration of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0054] A lidar system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a fixed component and a rotating component. Furthermore, the rotating component may be positioned relative to the fixed component at a distance from the longitudinal axis (i.e., Figure 1 The rotating assembly rotates around a center line (not shown). The rotating assembly can rotate using a motor (not shown). This motor can be located inside the protective cover 100. Furthermore, the rotating assembly can be rotatably fixed relative to the fixed assembly via a bearing (not shown).

[0055] Figure 1 In this configuration, the light-transmitting housing 300, the light-blocking housing 400, and the light source and photoelectric sensor of the photoelectric encoder can be considered fixed components. The transmitting module 10, the receiving module 20, the protective cover 100, and the code disk 200 can be considered rotating components. Furthermore, for rotational stability, the protective cover 100 and the code disk 200 can be concentrically arranged. The rotation angle of the lidar can be measured without being affected by external laser light using the structure described above.

[0056] The above description illustrates the case where the code disk is formed at the lower part of the protrusion. However, the positions of the code disk and the light source or photoelectric sensor can also be interchanged, so that the photoelectric sensor or light source is located at the lower part of the protrusion, and the code disk is arranged on the substrate below the protrusion. In this case, the protrusion can also prevent stray light from incident on the code disk.

[0057] The embodiments of the apparatus and method described above are merely illustrative. The separate units described may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one position or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to implement the technical solution of the present invention according to actual needs.

Claims

1. A lidar, comprising: include: Light-blocking housing; A light-transmitting housing, located above the light-blocking housing, has a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing together form a sealed space that protects the interior of the lidar. The protective cover is located in the sealed space formed by the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell. It is a cover shape with an open bottom and has a protrusion that protrudes outward or inward from the side of the protective cover in a horizontal direction. The protrusion is used to block the laser or stray light that enters the lidar through the light-transmitting shell from illuminating or reflecting onto the code disk. The encoder, fixed to the lower surface of the protrusion, can be used to measure the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing; A light source and a photoelectric sensor are located on a substrate that is below the code disk and fixed to the light-blocking housing; the light beam emitted by the light source is reflected by the code disk and shines on the photoelectric sensor, generating an electrical pulse signal; the rotation speed and current angle of the code disk are determined based on the electrical pulse signal of the photoelectric sensor. The transmitting module is capable of emitting lasers; The receiving module is capable of receiving laser light emitted from the transmitting module and reflected off the outside of the lidar. The transmitting module and the receiving module are located on the upper part of the protective cover and are formed at the height corresponding to the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell, and rotate together with the protective cover; The protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell.

2. The lidar of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A portion of the protective cover is located within the height range of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting housing.

3. The lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion extends outward from the protective cover, and the protrusion also includes a downwardly formed sub-protrusion on the outside of the code disk.

4. The lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective cover does not contact the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

5. The lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective cover is formed to cover at least a portion of the lidar.

6. A lidar, comprising: include: Light-blocking housing; A light-transmitting housing, located above the light-blocking housing, has a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing together form a sealed space that protects the interior of the lidar. The protective cover is located in the sealed space formed by the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell. It is a cover shape with an open bottom and has a protrusion that protrudes outward or inward from the side of the protective cover in a horizontal direction. The protrusion is used to block the laser or stray light that enters the lidar through the light-transmitting shell from irradiating or reflecting to the light source. A light source, fixed to the lower surface of the protrusion, is used to measure the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing; A code disk and a photoelectric sensor capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing are disposed on a substrate below the protrusion; The code disk has evenly arranged small holes. The light beam emitted by the light source shines on the photoelectric sensor through the small holes on the code disk, generating an electrical pulse signal. The rotation speed and current angle of the light source are determined based on the electrical pulse signal of the photoelectric sensor. The transmitting module is capable of emitting lasers; The receiving module is capable of receiving laser light emitted from the transmitting module and reflected off the outside of the lidar. The transmitting module and the receiving module are located on the upper part of the protective cover and are formed at the height corresponding to the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell, and rotate together with the protective cover; The protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell.

7. A lidar, comprising: include: Light-blocking housing; A light-transmitting housing, located above the light-blocking housing, has a light-transmitting area through which laser light can pass; the light-blocking housing and the light-transmitting housing together form a sealed space that protects the interior of the lidar. The protective cover is located in the sealed space formed by the light-blocking shell and the light-transmitting shell. It is a cover shape with an open bottom and has a protrusion that protrudes outward or inward from the side of the protective cover in a horizontal direction. The protrusion is used to block the laser or stray light that enters the lidar through the light-transmitting shell from irradiating or reflecting onto the photoelectric sensor. A photoelectric sensor, fixed to the lower surface of the protrusion, is used to measure the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing. A light source and a photoelectric sensor capable of measuring the rotation angle of the protective cover relative to the light-blocking housing are disposed on a substrate below the protrusion; the light beam emitted by the light source is reflected on the code disk and then shines on the photoelectric sensor to generate an electrical pulse signal, and the rotation speed and current angle of the light source are determined based on the electrical pulse signal of the photoelectric sensor. The transmitting module is capable of emitting lasers; The receiving module is capable of receiving laser light emitted from the transmitting module and reflected off the outside of the lidar. The transmitting module and the receiving module are located on the upper part of the protective cover and are formed at the height corresponding to the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell, and rotate together with the protective cover; The protrusion of the protective cover is formed at a position lower than the height of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting shell.

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