Deep acquisition components and electronic devices
By setting up a control unit in the charging circuit of the laser driving array, flexible selection of the laser is achieved, and the problem of large light emitting end size and high power consumption caused by the large size of the transfer mirror in the prior art is solved, and a small size, small power consumption and low cost optical emitting end is realized.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202080093606.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2020-03-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-14
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-03-02
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the size of the rotating mirror is larger, resulting in a larger size of the light emitting end, a higher power consumption and cost, making it difficult to meet the needs of small size and small power consumption.
By setting a control unit in the charging circuit of the laser driving array, flexible selection of the laser is achieved by using the first switching module and the capacitive module, thereby avoiding the additional setting of scanning equipment such as a rotating mirror.
The optical transmitter with small size, small power consumption and low cost is realized, which reduces the size and cost of the switching circuit and improves the reliability of the equipment.
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Figure CN114981679B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of electrical technology, and in particular to a depth acquisition component and electronic equipment. Background Art
[0002] With the development of terminal devices, terminal devices can gradually realize depth image shooting. The principle of terminal devices realizing depth image shooting can be as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the terminal device 11 emits light, and the light returns to the terminal device 11 after reaching the shooting target 12. The terminal device 11 collects depth information based on the round-trip time of the light.
[0003] Generally, a terminal device capable of capturing depth images may include a light transmitting end and a light receiving end. The light transmitting end generally includes a laser light source for outputting light. In order to realize the scanning of the laser light source, a rotating mirror (micro electro rnechanical systems mirror, MEMS mirror) needs to be set in the transmitting end. The light beam emitted by the laser light source is scanned by the rotating mirror and then irradiated to the object to be measured at different angles to realize the depth ranging of a certain field of view angle.
[0004] However, the rotating mirror in the prior art is relatively large in size, resulting in a larger size of the light emitting end, higher power consumption and higher cost. Summary of the invention
[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a depth acquisition component and an electronic device, which can provide device support for realizing a small-size and low-power optical transmitter.
[0006] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a depth acquisition component, including a laser drive array and a laser array; the laser array includes a plurality of lasers; the laser drive array includes one or more control units, each control unit is used to control the selection of one or more lasers in the laser array; wherein the control unit includes: a first switch module, a capacitive module and a first connection end; the first connection end is used to connect the positive end of the laser; the first switch module is used to select the laser corresponding to the control unit according to the first control signal; one end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the voltage input end of the laser drive array, and the other end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the first connection end; one end of the capacitive module is electrically connected to the first connection end, and the other end of the capacitive module is grounded. In the embodiment of the present application, one or more control units are set in the charging circuit of the laser drive array, and the flexible selection of the laser corresponding to the control unit can be flexibly realized based on the first switch module and the capacitive module in the control unit, so that the scanning laser emission of the laser array can be realized based on the laser drive array, and there is no need to set up additional scanning equipment such as a rotating mirror, so as to provide circuit support for realizing a small size, low power consumption and low cost optical emission end.
[0007] In a possible design, the first switch module includes: a field effect tube, an inductive electrical device and a unidirectional conductive device; the field effect tube, the inductive electrical device and the unidirectional conductive device are connected in series; the gate end of the field effect tube is used to receive the first control signal; the negative end of the unidirectional conductive device is connected to the first connection end. The inductive electrical device is connected in series in the charging loop to form an LC circuit model, which can not only improve the charging efficiency, but also reduce the input voltage requirement of the voltage input end.
[0008] In a possible design, it further includes: one or more first pulse current generating units. The first pulse current generating unit includes a second connection terminal, and the first pulse current generating unit is used to control the second connection terminal to discharge periodically according to the pulse period of the second control signal; the second connection terminal is used to connect to the cathode of the laser. In this way, a pulse current can be generated in the laser, so that the laser can emit pulse light.
[0009] In a possible design, the first pulse current generating unit further includes: a first field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the first field effect module. The driving module corresponding to the first field effect module is used to receive the second control signal; the first field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the second connection terminal according to the pulse period of the second control signal.
[0010] In a possible design, the cathode ends of multiple lasers are electrically connected, and each control unit is used to control one laser. The control logic of each control unit controlling one laser is simple, and the control of the laser can be easily realized.
[0011] In one possible design, each control unit is used to select a row of lasers, and the positive electrodes of a row of lasers are electrically connected; the laser driving circuit also includes one or more second switch modules; each second switch module is used to select a column of lasers, and the second switch module is electrically connected to the negative electrodes of a column of lasers; wherein the one or more second switch modules and the first switch modules of the one or more control units are used to cooperate with each other to select any laser. In this way, the selection of any laser can be achieved based on the cooperation of the first switch module and the second switch module.
[0012] In one possible design, the laser driving circuit also includes one or more second pulse current generating units; the second pulse current generating units are connected to one or more second switch modules, and the second pulse current generating units are used to control the periodic discharge of the laser corresponding to the one or more second switch modules according to the pulse period of the third control signal.
[0013] In a possible design, the second pulse current generating unit further includes: a second field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the second field effect module; the driving module corresponding to the second field effect module is used to receive a third control signal; the second field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of one or more lasers connected to the second switch modules according to the pulse period of the third control signal. In this way, flexible control of lasers in units of lines can be achieved.
[0014] In one possible design, the second switch module includes: a third field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the third field effect module; the driving module corresponding to the third field effect module is used to receive a fourth control signal; the third field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the laser corresponding to the third field effect module according to the pulse period of the fourth control signal.
[0015] In one possible design, the capacitive module includes a capacitor.
[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a laser driving circuit, comprising: one or more control units, and a voltage input terminal.
[0017] The control unit includes: a first switch module, a capacitive module and a first connection end; the first connection end is used to connect the positive electrode of the laser; the first switch module is used to select the laser corresponding to the control unit according to the first control signal; one end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the voltage input end, and the other end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the first connection end; one end of the capacitive module is electrically connected to the first connection end, and the other end of the capacitive module is grounded. In the embodiment of the present application, one or more control units are set in the charging circuit of the laser driving circuit, and the flexible selection of the laser corresponding to the control unit can be flexibly realized based on the first switch module and the capacitive module in the control unit, so that the scanning laser emission of the laser array can be realized based on the laser driving circuit, and there is no need to set up additional scanning equipment such as a rotating mirror, so as to provide circuit support for realizing a small size, low power consumption and low cost optical emission end.
[0018] In a possible design, the first switch module includes: a field effect tube, an inductive electrical device and a unidirectional conductive device; the field effect tube, the inductive electrical device and the unidirectional conductive device are connected in series; the gate end of the field effect tube is used to receive the first control signal; the negative end of the unidirectional conductive device is connected to the first connection end. The inductive electrical device is connected in series in the charging loop to form an LC circuit model, which can not only improve the charging efficiency, but also reduce the input voltage requirement of the voltage input end.
[0019] In a possible design, it further includes: one or more first pulse current generating units. The first pulse current generating unit includes a second connection terminal, and the first pulse current generating unit is used to control the second connection terminal to discharge periodically according to the pulse period of the second control signal; the second connection terminal is used to connect to the cathode of the laser. In this way, a pulse current can be generated in the laser, so that the laser can emit pulse light.
[0020] In a possible design, the first pulse current generating unit further includes: a first field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the first field effect module. The driving module corresponding to the first field effect module is used to receive the second control signal; the first field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the second connection terminal according to the pulse period of the second control signal.
[0021] In a possible design, the cathode ends of multiple lasers are electrically connected, and each control unit is used to control one laser. The control logic of each control unit controlling one laser is simple, and the control of the laser can be easily realized.
[0022] In one possible design, each control unit is used to select a row of lasers, and the positive electrodes of a row of lasers are electrically connected; the laser driving circuit also includes one or more second switch modules; each second switch module is used to select a column of lasers, and the second switch module is electrically connected to the negative electrodes of a column of lasers; wherein the one or more second switch modules and the first switch modules of the one or more control units are used to cooperate with each other to select any laser. In this way, the selection of any laser can be achieved based on the cooperation of the first switch module and the second switch module.
[0023] In one possible design, the laser driving circuit also includes one or more second pulse current generating units; the second pulse current generating units are connected to one or more second switch modules, and the second pulse current generating units are used to control the periodic discharge of the laser corresponding to the one or more second switch modules according to the pulse period of the third control signal.
[0024] In a possible design, the second pulse current generating unit further includes: a second field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the second field effect module; the driving module corresponding to the second field effect module is used to receive a third control signal; the second field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of one or more lasers connected to the second switch modules according to the pulse period of the third control signal. In this way, flexible control of lasers in units of lines can be achieved.
[0025] In one possible design, the second switch module includes: a third field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the third field effect module; the driving module corresponding to the third field effect module is used to receive a fourth control signal; the third field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the laser corresponding to the third field effect module according to the pulse period of the fourth control signal.
[0026] In one possible design, the capacitive module includes a capacitor.
[0027] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, comprising: the above-mentioned first aspect and various possible depth acquisition components of the first aspect.
[0028] Among them, electronic devices may include but are not limited to: terminal devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, notebooks, cameras, wearable devices, etc.
[0029] The beneficial effects of the electronic device provided in the third aspect and each possible design of the third aspect can be referred to the beneficial effects brought about by the first aspect and each possible implementation method of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a scene for image depth acquisition;
[0031] Figure 2 A possible scanning structure diagram is shown;
[0032] Figure 3 A scanning schematic diagram of a depth measurement technology;
[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of scanning an illuminated scene;
[0034] Figure 5 Scanning schematic diagram for another illuminated scene;
[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another irradiated scene scan;
[0036] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the scenario for the first laser selection;
[0037] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the scenario for the second laser selection;
[0038] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the scenario for the third laser selection;
[0039] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the scenario for the fourth laser selection;
[0040] Fig.11 Schematic diagram of the fifth laser selection scenario;
[0041] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a laser array structure;
[0042] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a laser array driving circuit;
[0043] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of another laser array structure;
[0044] Fig.15 is a possible schematic diagram of a laser array driving circuit;
[0045] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of a laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0046] Fig.17 A schematic diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0047] Fig.18 This is a schematic diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0048] Fig.19 A working timing diagram of a laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0049] Fig. 20 It is a schematic diagram of a square wave pulse signal;
[0050] Fig.21 A schematic diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0051] Fig. 22 A schematic diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0052] Fig.23 This is a schematic diagram of a first switch module circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0053] Fig.24 is a possible schematic diagram of a first switch module circuit;
[0054] Fig.25 A schematic diagram of the working principle of a depth acquisition component according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0055] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not 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 this application.
[0056] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.
[0057] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. (if any) are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein, for example, can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.
[0058] The terminal device can obtain depth images in two ways, depending on whether a laser light source is required: passive ranging sensing and active depth sensing. In the passive ranging sensing method, the terminal device does not need to use a laser light source to emit light. In the active depth sensing method, the terminal device needs to use a laser light source to emit light.
[0059] Binocular stereo vision (or red green blue (RGB) binocular) technology can be used in passive ranging sensing. In one possible implementation, two images of the same scene can be obtained simultaneously through two cameras separated by a certain distance, and the corresponding pixels in the two images can be found through a stereo matching algorithm. The disparity information is calculated according to the triangulation principle, and the disparity information can be used to characterize the depth information of objects in the scene through conversion. In another possible implementation, based on the stereo matching algorithm, a group of images of the same scene at different angles can also be taken to obtain a depth image of the scene. In addition, the depth information can also be indirectly estimated by analyzing the photometric characteristics, brightness and darkness characteristics of the image.
[0060] It can be understood that in the passive ranging sensor mode, the calculation of image depth is usually related to the pixels of the image, so the acquisition of the depth image is usually based on the color image.
[0061] In the active ranging sensing method, the measurement principle can be as follows Figure 1 Corresponding description, the acquisition of depth image can be independent of the acquisition of color image. In the active depth sensing method, the technologies used may include: time of flight (TOF), structured light, etc. TOF technology may include indirect time of flight (ITOF) and direct time of flight (DTOF) technology.
[0062] Table 1 shows the comparison of ITOF technology, DTOF technology, RGB binocular technology and structured light technology in image depth acquisition.
[0063] Table 1
[0064]
[0065] It can be seen that the ITOF technology, RGB binocular technology and structured light technology with smaller power consumption and hardware size have shorter measurement distances. The DTOF technology with a longer measurement distance has larger power consumption and hardware size.
[0066] Due to the size and power consumption limitations of mobile terminals such as mobile phones, the current DTOF technology with large power consumption and hardware size cannot be applied to mobile terminals such as mobile phones.
[0067] With the development of mobile terminals such as mobile phones, mobile terminals have higher and higher requirements for the distance in depth images. Therefore, it is hoped to implement DTOF technology in mobile terminals such as mobile phones, and the size and power consumption of the DTOF hardware that implements the DTOF technology should be small to meet the requirements of mobile terminals such as mobile phones for hardware size and power consumption.
[0068] In the implementation of DTOF technology, the more important part is to realize the scanning of the object to be measured by the laser source.
[0069] For example, in applying DTOF technology to the depth ranging of optical radar (LIDAR) for autonomous driving, the light emitted by the laser source needs to scan a certain spatial angle.
[0070] For example, Figure 2 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the implementation of a DTOF technology in LIDAR. To achieve the scanning of the laser light source, the light beam from the laser light source first passes through the MEMS mirror, realizes angle scanning through the MEMS mirror, and then illuminates the object to be measured at different angles, and then returns to the receiving sensor, thereby realizing depth ranging at a certain field of view angle.
[0071] For example, Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of three scanning processes in the DTOF technology of autonomous driving. In each scan, it is assumed that the spatial angle of the laser beam emitted by the laser source is θ, and the divergence angle of the laser beam itself is Then the field of view (FOV) of the laser and DTOF system is
[0072] but, Figure 2 In the implementation of DTOF technology, the hardware size is large due to the need to set up a rotating mirror. In addition, since the rotating mirror needs to be rotated frequently, there may be problems such as high power consumption, low reliability and short equipment life. It cannot be applied to devices that require smaller hardware size and power consumption.
[0073] The realization of laser source scanning in DTOF technology is further analyzed. The essence of laser source scanning is to realize block scanning of the illuminated scene.
[0074] For example, Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the three scanning processes of the illuminated scene is shown.
[0075] like Figures 4 to 6As shown, in scanning the illuminated scene 0300 into M*N (M and N are both positive integers) blocks, the M*N scene blocks can be scanned separately by adjusting the angle of the output light 005 emitted by the transmitting end 006. In each scan, the output light 005 emitted by the laser source in the transmitting end 006 can scan and illuminate one of the M*N scene blocks, and the receiving end 013 can receive the input light 012 returned from the one of the scene blocks, and then the depth of the one of the scene blocks can be calculated based on the round-trip time of the output light 005 and the input light 012.
[0076] In order to scan the illuminated scene in M*N blocks, a possible method may be to light up the M*N lasers of the laser array respectively, and each laser can scan and illuminate one block of the scene.
[0077] For example, Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , Fig.10 and Fig.11 A schematic diagram showing the scanning of an illuminated scene based on an M*N laser array is shown.
[0078] like Figures 7 to 11 As shown, the driver array 003 can drive one or more lasers of the laser array 002 to light up, and the lighted lasers can scan the area corresponding to the lasers. Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In the process, one laser can be lit at a time to scan a scene. Fig.10 In the process, a row of lasers can be lit up at the same time to scan and illuminate a row of scenes. Fig.11 In the process, all lasers can be lit at the same time to achieve complete scanning irradiation of the illuminated scene.
[0079] That is, based on the flexible selection of lasers in the laser array, flexible scanning irradiation of the irradiated scene is achieved.
[0080] When realizing flexible selection of lasers, one possible solution is to set the M*N lasers in the laser array independently, such as Fig.12 In the laser array shown, the hollow connection points represent crossovers without electrical connections, that is, the P electrode and N electrode of each laser are independent of each other, so that unused field effect transistors can be used as switches to control each laser individually, thereby achieving flexible selection of lasers.
[0081] For example, Fig.13 shows a corresponding Fig.12The laser array and driving circuit shown, for one of the lasers 130, can be provided with a field effect transistor 131 in its discharge circuit (because of the unidirectional conduction characteristic of the laser, the circuit formed by the electrical devices connected to the positive end of the laser is usually called a charging circuit, and the circuit formed by the electrical devices connected to the negative end of the laser is usually called a charging circuit) and a gate driver 132 of the field effect transistor 131. The field effect transistor 131 can be controlled to be turned on or off based on the control signal generated by the control signal generating module. When the field effect transistor 131 is turned on, the laser 130 is grounded, and current flows through the laser 130 to achieve lighting.
[0082] but, Fig.13 In the laser array and driving circuit shown, since independent lasers are used, the sizes of the M*N partitioned lasers and the M*N field effect transistors will be very large, and cannot be used in application scenarios such as mobile phones that have very high size requirements.
[0083] It can be applied to laser arrays with high size requirements such as mobile phones. Usually, the N poles of all lasers in the laser array are connected together. Fig.14 As shown, a laser array connected with N poles is shown, the hollow connection points represent crosses without electrical connection, and the solid connection points represent crosses with electrical connection.
[0084] against Fig.14 The laser array, combined with Fig.13 One possible solution for laser control is: Fig.15 As shown, a field effect tube and a corresponding gate driver are arranged in the discharge loop of each laser, and the field effect tube is then controlled to be turned off or on based on a control signal.
[0085] However, because the N poles of each laser are connected together, each field effect tube is turned on, and current flows through all the lasers, all the lasers will light up. Fig.15 The driving scheme cannot achieve flexible selection of lasers.
[0086] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a laser driving circuit, which does not control the laser in a discharge circuit, but instead sets one or more control units in the charging circuit of the laser driving circuit. Based on the first switch module and the capacitive module in the control unit, a charging and discharging circuit can be formed, thereby achieving flexible selection of the laser, so that scanning of the laser array can be achieved based on the laser driving circuit, without the need for additional scanning equipment such as a rotating mirror, thereby providing circuit support for achieving a small size and low power consumption optical transmitter.
[0087] In specific applications, the control unit of the charging circuit can not only flexibly select the laser, but also be superior to the discharge circuit in other aspects.
[0088] For example, in DTOF implementation, the pulse current of the discharge circuit has a high peak value (e.g., up to 60A), a high repetition rate (e.g., up to 5MHz), and a low rise / fall time (e.g., as low as 1ns), which places very high demands on the electrical switches set in the discharge circuit. These performance requirements lead to the selection of GaN-based MOS tubes, which will lead to high cost and large size of the switch. This contradiction is more prominent when the M*N array is large.
[0089] However, the charging circuit does not require a very high repetition rate (e.g., typically 30Hz to 120Hz); the peak current of the charging circuit can be adjusted to be much lower than the actual working pulse current; the charging time does not need to be in the nanosecond range, as long as it is in the millisecond range, it can meet the requirements. Therefore, placing the control unit in the charging circuit can greatly relax the requirements for the switch, thereby reducing the size and cost of the switch circuit.
[0090] Below, each word in the embodiments of the present application is first explained.
[0091] The electrical connection described in the embodiments of the present application may include: a connection achieved by using a wire, an electromagnetic, or an electrical device, etc., and current can flow between two electrically connected devices.
[0092] The switch module described in the embodiment of the present application may be a field effect transistor (FET). For example, the field effect transistor may include three types: a junction field-effect transistor (JFET), a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and a V-groove metal-oxide semiconductor FET (VMOSFET). The MOSFET may include two types: an N-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (NMOSFET, referred to as NMOS) and a P-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (PMOSFET, referred to as PMOS). The switch module may also be an integrated chip or other device for realizing similar functions to the field effect transistor, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.
[0093] The capacitive module described in the embodiment of the present application has energy storage characteristics and can be charged and discharged according to the circuit conditions. Exemplarily, the capacitive module can be a capacitor, a capacitor component, or a chip or device that can achieve similar functions to a capacitor, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0094] The inductive electrical device described in the embodiments of the present application may be an inductor, an inductive component, or a chip or device that can realize similar functions of an inductor, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not make any specific limitations on this.
[0095] The unidirectional conducting device described in the embodiment of the present application may be a diode, a diode assembly, or a chip or device capable of realizing a unidirectional conducting function, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0096] Fig.16 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig.16 , a schematic diagram of a laser driving circuit including a control unit 160 and a voltage input terminal 161 is shown.
[0097] The control unit includes: a first switch module 1601, a capacitive module 1602 and a first connection end 1603; the first connection end 1603 is used to connect to the positive electrode of the laser.
[0098] The control unit 160 is arranged in the charging circuit of the laser driving circuit. Specifically, one end of the first switch module 1601 is electrically connected to the voltage input terminal 161, and the other end of the first switch module 1602 is electrically connected to the first connection terminal 1603; the first switch module 1601 is used to select the laser 162 corresponding to the control unit according to the first control signal; one end of the capacitive module 1602 is electrically connected to the first connection terminal 1603, and the other end of the capacitive module 1602 is grounded.
[0099] It can be understood that the laser 162 may be included in the laser array corresponding to the laser driver, and the laser driving circuit of the embodiment of the present application may not include the laser 162. Fig.16 The purpose of showing the laser 162 is to more clearly explain the working principle of the embodiment of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the laser driving circuit of the embodiment of the present application.
[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, the first switch module 1602 may include a gate terminal, a drain terminal and a source terminal. The gate terminal may be used to receive a first control signal, and the first control signal may be information such as a square wave or a sine wave that can control the first switch module 1602 to be turned on or off. The gate terminal and the source terminal may be adapted to connect the voltage input terminal 161 and the first connection terminal 1602 according to actual applications.
[0101] Fig.16The working principle of the corresponding laser driving circuit is: when the first control signal controls the first switch module 1601 to be turned on, the capacitive module 1602 is charged. If the voltage of the second connection terminal 1603 is greater than the turn-on voltage of the laser 162, current flows through the laser 162, and the laser 162 is selected and lit.
[0102] Optional, such as Fig.16 As shown, the laser driving circuit further includes a first pulse current generating unit 163 .
[0103] The first pulse current generating unit 163 includes a second connection terminal 1631 , and the first pulse current generating unit is used to control the second connection terminal 1631 to discharge periodically according to the pulse period of the second control signal; the second connection terminal 1631 is used to connect to the cathode of the laser.
[0104] When the laser is lit, a pulse current is usually required to generate pulse light. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the laser driving circuit may further include a first pulse current generating unit 163, which may cause the second connection terminal 1631 to discharge periodically. When the second connection terminal 1631 discharges periodically, if the laser 162 connected to the second connection terminal 1631 is selected, current will flow periodically through the laser 162, that is, a pulse current flows through the laser 162, so that the laser 162 can generate pulse light.
[0105] Optionally, the first pulse current generating unit 163 further includes: a first field effect module 1632 and a driving module 1633 corresponding to the first field effect module. The driving module 1633 corresponding to the first field effect module is used to receive the second control signal; the first field effect module 1632 is used to control the periodic discharge of the second connection terminal according to the pulse period of the second control signal.
[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, the second control signal may be a pulse signal, and the second control signal may control the first field effect module 1632 to be periodically turned off or on. When the first field effect module 1632 is turned on, the second connection terminal 1631 is grounded to achieve discharge.
[0107] It is understandable that in specific applications, a resistor may be added between the first field effect module 1632 and the ground terminal according to the actual application scenario to reduce the current flowing through the laser 162 when the first field effect module 1632 is turned on. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0108] Fig.17 FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig.17, a schematic diagram of a laser driving circuit including M*N control units 170 is shown. M and N can be set according to actual application scenarios, and are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.
[0109] like Fig.17 As shown, each control unit 170 is used to control one laser, M*N lasers correspond to M*N control units 170, and the negative poles (or called N poles) of the M*N lasers are all connected.
[0110] The switch module, the capacitive module and the connection terminal for connecting the positive electrode of the laser in the control unit 170 can refer to Fig.16 The description of the embodiments is not repeated here.
[0111] In the specific process implementation, the capacitive modules of each control unit 170 of the embodiment of the present application can be set as a capacitive module array, the switch module can be set as a switch array, and the electrical connection relationship described in the embodiment of the present application can be realized by using an appropriate process. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific form of the laser driving circuit.
[0112] The first control signal 0002 can control the on and off of the switch modules in each control unit 170, thereby controlling the selection of the laser.
[0113] Because in the embodiment of the present application, the control unit 170 is arranged in the charging circuit of the laser driving circuit, the conduction of the switch module in any control unit 170 will not cause the erroneous generation of current in other lasers, and therefore, flexible driving of multiple lasers can be achieved.
[0114] Optional, such as Fig.17 As shown, the laser driving circuit may further include a pulse current generating unit 172. The pulse current generating unit 172 may be specifically referred to Fig.16 The description of the embodiments is not repeated here.
[0115] The second control signal 0001 can control the field effect tube of the pulse current generating unit 172 to be turned on periodically, so that in the selected laser, the input voltage 0102, the capacitive module in the turned-on control unit 170, and the laser controlled by the turned-on control unit 170 form a discharge circuit, and a pulse current flows through the laser, so that the laser can be selected and lit.
[0116] Optional, such as Fig.18 As shown, the laser driving circuit may further include a plurality of pulse current generating units 172 .
[0117] In a specific application, multiple lasers may be lit at the same time, and multiple currents will converge in the field effect transistor of the pulse current generating unit 172 , which may cause overcurrent in the pulse current generating unit 172 and damage the pulse current generating unit 172 .
[0118] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of pulse current generating units 172 are provided in the laser driving circuit, and the plurality of pulse current generating units 172 are controlled by a second control signal 0001 in common, thereby achieving a current shunting effect and protecting the pulse current generating units 172 .
[0119] It can be understood that in actual applications, the number of pulse current generating units 172 can be set according to the actual application scenario, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0120] Fig.19 Shows Fig.17 or Fig.18 The corresponding working timing diagram of the laser driving circuit.
[0121] like Fig.19 As shown, the second control signal 0001 can be a pulse signal to assist the laser in generating a pulse current. The first control signal 0002 can be a rectangular wave, which can be used to select the laser, control the frequency of the laser scanning, and select different scanning modes. The high level of each cycle of the first control signal 0002 can turn on a switch module SN in a control unit, and a pulse current can flow through the laser LDN controlled by the SN, and the voltage at the voltage input terminal can control the peak value of the pulse current. Thus, the laser LDN can emit pulse light 0016.
[0122] Exemplarily, the second control signal 0001 may be a square wave pulse signal. Fig. 20 , which shows a schematic diagram of a square wave pulse signal.
[0123] In the square wave pulse signal, the pulse repetition frequency f can be selected from the range of 1kHz to 1GHz, for example, it can be 200KHz; the pulse width τ can be selected from 1ns to 1ms, for example, it can be 5ns; the pulse duty cycle can be selected from the range of 0.01% to 50%, for example, it can be 1%. The amplitude Ipeak of the pulse current can be selected from 0 to 50A, for example, it can be 20A. The duty cycle can be τ / (1 / f), that is, τ×f.
[0124] It should be noted that the first control signal 0002 can be programmed, circuit constructed, etc. to achieve conduction of switch modules in multiple control units according to actual application scenarios, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.
[0125] Fig.21FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig.21 , a schematic diagram of a laser driving circuit including M control units 210 and N second switch modules 211 is shown. M and N can be set according to actual application scenarios, and are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.
[0126] In the embodiment of the present application, in the laser array driven by the laser driving circuit, the positive poles of each row of lasers are electrically connected, and each control unit 210 can select a row of lasers. The negative poles of each column of lasers are electrically connected, and each second switch module 211 can select a column of lasers. According to the cooperation of M control units 210 and N second switch modules 211, the selection of any laser can be realized.
[0127] Optional, Fig.21 The laser driving circuit may further include one or more second pulse current generating units 212, and the second pulse current generating units 212 are connected to one or more second switch modules 211, so that a pulse current can flow through the selected laser.
[0128] Fig.21 The working principle of the corresponding laser driving module is similar to that of the above embodiment, except that Fig.21 The laser selection is realized by the cooperation of M control units 210 and N second switch modules 211, which will not be described in detail here. Fig.21 The working principle of the laser driver module.
[0129] Fig. 22 FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of another laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig.21 The difference is, Fig. 22 The switch module for realizing column selection is omitted. After the cathode of each column of lasers is electrically connected, it can be connected to the pulse current generating unit, so that the flexible control of the lasers in rows can be realized. Alternatively, it can be considered that Fig. 22 The laser driving circuit can operate one or more rows of lasers at a time.
[0130] Fig.23 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a first switch module in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.23 As shown, the first switch module 230 includes: a field effect transistor 2301 , an inductive electrical device 2302 and a unidirectional conductive electrical device 2303 .
[0131] Among them, the field effect tube 2301, the inductive device 2302 and the unidirectional conductive device 2303 are connected in series; the gate terminal of the field effect tube is used to receive the first control signal; and the negative terminal of the unidirectional conductive device is connected to the first connection terminal.
[0132] The first switch module of the embodiment of the present application is arranged in the charging circuit of the laser driving circuit, which may cause a large power loss in the charging circuit. Therefore, the first switch module may be adaptively processed to reduce the power loss in the charging circuit.
[0133] In one possible way, the power loss can be reduced by: Fig.24 As shown, a resistor is connected in series in the charging circuit to reduce the charging peak current of the charging circuit. However, the resistor R itself also consumes power, resulting in that the power consumption of the charging circuit is still relatively large.
[0134] Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, Fig.23 As shown in the figure, inductive devices are connected in series in the charging circuit to form an LC circuit model, which can not only improve the charging efficiency, but also reduce the input voltage requirement of the voltage input terminal. At the same time, in order to suppress the reverse oscillation of the LC circuit, unidirectional conductive devices are connected in series in the circuit to ensure that the pulse current flows in one direction.
[0135] The laser driving circuit of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the depth acquisition component of the terminal device.
[0136] Depth acquisition components may include Fig.17 , Fig.18 , Fig.21 or Fig. 22 The laser drive array and the laser array in the embodiment of the present application are provided with one or more control units, and the laser array corresponding to the control unit can be flexibly selected based on the first switch module and the capacitive module in the control unit, so that the laser array can be scanned and emitted by the laser array based on the laser drive array, without the need to set up additional scanning equipment such as a rotating mirror, so as to provide circuit support for realizing a small size, low power consumption and low cost optical emission end.
[0137] Terminal devices may include mobile phones, tablet computers, or wearable electronic devices with wireless communication capabilities (such as smart watches), cameras, etc.
[0138] Fig.25 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the working principle of a depth acquisition component. Fig.25 As shown, the depth acquisition component may include a transmitting end 006 and a receiving end 013 .
[0139] The transmitting end 006 may include a driver array 002, a laser array 003, and a lens 004. The driver array 002, the laser array 003, and the lens 004 may be placed on a transmitting end base.
[0140] The driver array 002 may include any laser driving circuit in the above-mentioned embodiments.
[0141] When working, the transceiver synchronization and control circuit 001 sends a pulse electrical signal to the driver array 002, and the driver array 002 amplifies the pulse electrical signal into a pulse current 0015, and then outputs the pulse current 0015 to the laser array 003. The laser array 003 converts the light pulse into a light pulse 0016. The light pulse 0016 passes through the lens 004, and the light beam is adjusted to the expected light beam shape (including divergence angle, spot size, and beam angle), and then the output light 005 is emitted.
[0142] The sensor of the receiving end 013 includes input light 012, lens 011, optical filter 010, single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array 008, quenching and time to digital conversion circuit (time to analog converter, TDC) 007. The embodiment of the present application may not involve improvements to the receiving end, and the specific structure and content of the receiving end 013 are not described in detail here.
[0143] When the depth acquisition component of the embodiment of the present application is applied to a mobile phone, the distance for acquiring the depth image can be greater than 10m, and the power consumption can be less than 1W, thereby meeting the requirements of the hardware size and power consumption in the mobile phone. And because the depth acquisition component of the embodiment of the present application does not include a rotating mirror, there is no reliability problem of the rotating mirror solution, and the reliability is high.
[0144] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, when flexibly selecting lasers, specific application scenarios can be combined. For example, when shooting depth images of stationary objects, such as buildings, scenery, and posed objects, one laser can be lit at a time to achieve block-by-block scanning. When shooting moving objects, such as moving people and objects, multiple lasers can be lit at a time to achieve multi-block scanning, or all lasers can be lit at once to achieve rapid depth acquisition and avoid depth acquisition errors caused by the displacement of moving objects.
[0145] The above implementation methods, structural schematic diagrams or simulation schematic diagrams are only for schematic illustration of the technical solution of the present application. The dimensional ratios therein do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the technical solution. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the above implementation methods should be included in the protection scope of the technical solution.
Claims
1. A depth acquisition component, characterized in that: It comprises a laser drive array and a laser array; the laser array comprises a plurality of lasers; the laser drive array comprises one or more control units and one or more second switch modules, each of the control units is used to select a row of lasers in the laser array, and the positive electrodes of the row of lasers are electrically connected; each of the second switch modules is used to select a column of lasers in the laser array, and the second switch module is electrically connected to the negative electrodes of the column of lasers; Wherein, the control unit comprises: a first switch module, a capacitive module and a first connection end; The first connection end is used to connect the positive terminals of one or more lasers in the laser array; The first switch module is used to select the laser corresponding to the control unit according to the first control signal; one end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the voltage input end of the laser driving array, and the other end of the first switch module is electrically connected to the first connection end; One end of the capacitive module is electrically connected to the first connection end, and the other end of the capacitive module is grounded; The one or more second switch modules and the one or more first switch modules of the control unit are used to cooperate with each other to select any laser.
2. The depth acquisition component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first switch module includes: a field effect tube, an inductive electrical device and a unidirectional conductive electrical device; The field effect tube, the inductive electrical device and the unidirectional conductive electrical device are connected in series; The gate terminal of the field effect tube is used to receive the first control signal; The negative terminal of the unidirectional conductive element is connected to the first connection terminal.
3. The depth acquisition component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also includes: one or more first pulse current generating units; The first pulse current generating unit includes a second connection terminal, and the first pulse current generating unit is used to control the second connection terminal to discharge periodically according to the pulse period of the second control signal; the second connection terminal is used to connect the cathode of the laser.
4. The depth acquisition component according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first pulse current generating unit further includes: a first field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the first field effect module; The driving module corresponding to the first field effect module is used to receive the second control signal; The first field effect module is used to control the second connection end to discharge periodically according to a pulse period of the second control signal.
5. The depth acquisition component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The cathode ends of the plurality of lasers are electrically connected, and each of the control units is used to control one laser.
6. The depth acquisition component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical device driving circuit further includes one or more second pulse current generating units; The second pulse current generating unit is connected to one or more second switch modules, and is used to control the lasers corresponding to the one or more second switch modules to discharge periodically according to a pulse period of a third control signal.
7. The depth acquisition component according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second pulse current generating unit further includes: a second field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the second field effect module; The driving module corresponding to the second field effect module is used to receive the third control signal; The second field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the one or more lasers connected to the second switch modules according to the pulse period of the third control signal.
8. The depth acquisition component according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second switch module includes: a third field effect module and a driving module corresponding to the third field effect module; The driving module corresponding to the third field effect module is used to receive a fourth control signal; The third field effect module is used to control the periodic discharge of the laser corresponding to the third field effect module according to the pulse period of the fourth control signal.
9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The device comprises a depth acquisition component as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electronic device comprises one or more of the following: a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable electronic device, and a camera.
Citation Information
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