Ranging system and vehicle

Abstract

A ranging system (901,902,903,904,905,1001) and a vehicle (106) are disclosed. The ranging system (901,902,903,904,905,1001) includes a scanning module (200) and a ranging module (203). The ranging module (203) is used to emit laser light to the scanning module (200) and receive reflected light sent by the scanning module (200). The scanning module (200) includes a moving part (201) and a mirror group (202). The moving part (201) is used to drive the mirror group (202) to scan. The mirror group (202) is also used to receive reflected light from the object (204) in the environment of the ranging system (901,902,903,904,905,1001) and transmit the reflected light to the ranging module (203). Therefore, the scanning module (200) and the ranging module (203) are set separately, which reduces the weight of the scanning module (200) and enables the moving part (201) to rotate quickly, thus improving the scanning efficiency. At the same time, the ranging module (203) does not rotate with the scanning module (200) during operation, which reduces the difficulty of electrical connection of the ranging module (203).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of laser ranging technology, and more particularly to a ranging system and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of modern technology, the field of autonomous driving has grown rapidly. When a vehicle is driving autonomously, it needs to measure the distances between itself and obstacles, road barriers, and other vehicles to avoid obstacles, correct lane departures, and maintain a safe following distance. Therefore, vehicles are typically equipped with distance measurement systems to measure the distances between the vehicle and other objects, thus providing data for achieving autonomous driving.

[0003] A ranging system includes: a motor, a rotary table mounted on the motor, and a photoelectric device mounted on the rotary table. The rotary table with the photoelectric device is relatively heavy and bulky, the motor consumes a lot of power, and cannot rotate quickly, thus reducing the scanning frequency of the ranging system and affecting its measurement accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a ranging system and a vehicle, which solves the problem of low scanning frequency in the ranging system.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: Firstly, a ranging system is provided, comprising: a scanning module and a ranging module, and a transmitting lens and a receiving lens disposed between the scanning module and the ranging module; the ranging module is used to emit laser light to the scanning module through the transmitting lens and to receive reflected light emitted by the scanning module through the receiving lens; the scanning module includes: a moving component and a mirror assembly, the moving component being used to drive the mirror assembly to scan, and the mirror assembly also being used to receive reflected light from a measured object in the environment of the ranging system and transmit the reflected light to the ranging module; wherein the transmitting lens is embedded in the receiving lens, and the principal optical axes of the transmitting lens and the receiving lens are separated. Thus, the scanning module and the ranging module are separately disposed, and the moving component is only equipped with a mirror assembly for adjusting the direction of the laser or reflected light, without the installation of the heavy ranging module, reducing the weight of the scanning module. Therefore, the moving component can achieve rapid rotation, improving scanning efficiency. The ranging system can quickly scan the measured object within the measurement area during ranging, meeting the requirements of autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, the ranging module and the scanning module are separate, so the ranging module does not rotate with the scanning module during operation, reducing the difficulty of electrical connection for the ranging module. In addition, the transmitting lens and the receiving lens adopt an off-axis design, allowing the focal length of the transmitting and receiving lenses, as well as the positions of the transmitter and receiver, to be adjusted according to specific design requirements, making the design more flexible. Embedding the transmitting lens within the receiving lens allows the optical paths of the emitted and reflected light to be shared. This design reduces the area required for the reflectors in the lens assembly, further reducing the size of the ranging system and contributing to its miniaturization.

[0006] In one alternative implementation, the principal optical axes of the transmitting lens and the receiving lens are parallel. This avoids the principal optical axes of the transmitting and receiving lenses coinciding, allowing for separate design of the receiving and transmitting focal lengths, increasing design flexibility and improving measurement accuracy. Simultaneously, it enables the transmitting and receiving lenses to fully share their optical paths, further reducing the area required for the reflectors in the lens assembly and further decreasing the size of the ranging system, thus facilitating miniaturization.

[0007] In one alternative implementation, the transmitting lens and the receiving lens are integrally molded. This results in a more stable connection.

[0008] In one alternative implementation, the receiving lens has an opening, and the transmitting lens is connected to the opening of the receiving lens by adhesive. This makes the disassembly and assembly of the transmitting and receiving lenses easier.

[0009] In one optional implementation, the ranging module includes a laser and a receiver. The laser emits laser light towards the scanning module, and the receiver receives reflected light emitted by the scanning module. The laser and the receiver are located on the same side of the scanning module. This arrangement, with the laser and receiver on the same side of the scanning module, further reduces the size of the ranging system and saves space.

[0010] In one optional implementation, the laser is located at the focal point of the emitting lens, which converts the laser emitted by the laser into parallel light rays; the receiver is located at the focal point of the receiving lens, which focuses the reflected light emitted by the scanning module. Thus, the laser is positioned at the focal point of the emitting lens, allowing the emitting lens to fully receive the laser emitted by the laser, and the receiver is positioned at the focal point of the receiving lens, allowing the receiver to fully receive the reflected light focused by the receiving lens.

[0011] In one optional implementation, one or more first reflecting mirrors are provided between the emitting lens and the laser. This group of reflecting mirrors is used to fold the optical path between the laser and the emitting lens, and to reflect the laser emitted by the laser back to the emitting lens. Therefore, by providing a first reflecting mirror between the emitting lens and the laser, the optical path between them can be folded, reducing the size of the ranging system and facilitating its miniaturization.

[0012] In one optional implementation, a second reflector is provided between the receiving lens and the receiver. This second reflector is used to fold the optical path between the receiving lens and the receiver, reflecting the reflected light passing through the receiving lens back to the receiver. Therefore, by providing a first reflector between the receiving lens and the receiver, the optical path between them can be folded, reducing the size of the ranging system and facilitating its miniaturization.

[0013] In one alternative implementation, the mirror assembly includes one or more mirrors. This improves the scanning efficiency of the scanning module.

[0014] In one alternative implementation, there is one or more lasers mounted on the same circuit board. This reduces assembly difficulty and space requirements.

[0015] In one alternative implementation, there is one or more receivers mounted on the same circuit board. This reduces assembly difficulty and space requirements.

[0016] In one optional implementation, a processing module is further included; this processing module is connected to the laser and the receiver; the processing module is used to calculate the distance between the ranging module and the object being measured based on the laser emission time, the reflected light reception time, and the speed of light. This allows for the rapid determination of the distance between the ranging module and the object being measured, improving work efficiency.

[0017] Secondly, a vehicle is provided, including a vehicle body and a ranging system as described above, which is mounted on the vehicle body. Thus, the scanning module and the ranging module of the ranging system are separated, reducing the weight of the scanning module. Therefore, the scanning module can rotate rapidly, and the ranging system can quickly scan and measure the distance to objects in the area ahead, meeting the requirements of autonomous vehicles.

[0018] In one alternative implementation, the ranging system is installed at the front, rear, side, or roof of the vehicle. Therefore, by installing ranging systems in multiple locations around the vehicle, obstacles around the vehicle can be detected in a timely manner, preventing collisions.

[0019] In one alternative implementation, the vehicle further includes an autonomous driving system connected to the ranging system, used to achieve autonomous driving based on the distance measured by the ranging system. Thus, the autonomous driving system can avoid obstacles around the vehicle based on information detected by the ranging system, improving the safety of the autonomous vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1a This is a front view of a laser ranging system;

[0021] Figure 1b This is a left view of a laser ranging system;

[0022] Figure 1c A three-dimensional diagram of a laser ranging system;

[0023] Figure 1d This is a schematic diagram of the working state of a laser ranging system.

[0024] Figure 1e This is a schematic diagram of a laser ranging system installed on a vehicle.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3c This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 A top view of a ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 A perspective view of a ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 A perspective view of another ranging system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 A top view of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 A front view of a lens provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8a A front view of another lens provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another lens structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram of another lens structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 12 An example diagram showing the ranging system provided in this application installed on a vehicle;

[0040] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0043] Furthermore, in this application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined relative to the orientation of the components shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0044] This application provides a ranging system, which can be used, for example, in automated equipment such as autonomous vehicles and robots, to detect objects in the surrounding environment, thereby enabling timely avoidance or retrieval of objects.

[0045] In some embodiments, a ranging system can be mounted on the robot's head. When the robot moves, the ranging system can measure the distance between the robot and obstacles, thereby allowing the robot to navigate around obstacles.

[0046] In other embodiments, the ranging system can be installed at the front, rear, top, or side of the vehicle. When the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode, it can perform autonomous driving based on the distance between vehicles or the distance between the vehicle and the fence measured by the ranging system. In practical applications, the ranging system can also be installed in other locations on the vehicle, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 1e As shown, the autonomous vehicle 106 can measure the distance between itself and objects in its surrounding environment using a ranging system. Then, a calculation system determines whether this distance is less than a safe distance. If so, it indicates that the distance between the autonomous vehicle 106 and objects in the environment surrounding the vehicle in front 107 is too close, making a collision likely. Therefore, the autonomous vehicle 106 can automatically perform an avoidance maneuver to prevent a collision.

[0048] One such system is a ranging system that can be installed on the body of an autonomous vehicle, such as... Figure 1e As shown, the scanning area of ​​the ranging system is, for example, a fan shape, and each ranging system can measure the distance to objects within its respective fan-shaped scanning area.

[0049] Figure 1a , Figure 1b , Figure 1c and Figure 1dA ranging system is shown that continuously measures the distance to vehicles in a forward fan-shaped area by rotating a turntable 105. However, in this ranging system, the lens 101, lens 102, receiver 103, and laser 104 are all mounted on the turntable 105. The turntable 105 bears a large weight, so it rotates relatively slowly and cannot achieve rapid rotation.

[0050] For example, such as Figure 1e As shown, at a certain moment, the direction pointed to by lens 102 is exactly on the left side of the fan-shaped area, meaning that the ranging system is currently measuring the distance to the vehicle on the left side of the fan-shaped area. At this time, the vehicle in front 107 merges into the lane of the autonomous vehicle 106 from the right lane. Because the turntable 105 of the ranging system on the autonomous vehicle 106 cannot rotate quickly, it cannot quickly rotate the direction pointed to by lens 102 to the right side of the fan-shaped area. Therefore, the ranging system cannot measure the distance to the vehicle in front 107 in time, and the autonomous vehicle cannot identify the position of the vehicle in front 107 in time, and cannot take timely deceleration actions to prevent a rear-end collision.

[0051] In summary, because the autonomous vehicle 106 equipped with this ranging system cannot quickly rotate its chassis 105, it cannot measure the distance between the autonomous vehicle 106 and the vehicle in front 107 in time when there is a vehicle in front, which can easily lead to a rear-end collision.

[0052] Therefore, this application provides a ranging system. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application. The ranging system includes a scanning module 200 and a ranging module 203. The scanning module 200 and the ranging module 203 are separately configured.

[0053] The ranging module 203 is used to emit laser light to the scanning module 200 and receive reflected light sent by the scanning module 200.

[0054] The scanning module 200 includes a moving part 201 and a mirror assembly 202. The moving part 201 is used to drive the mirror assembly 202 to scan, so that the mirror assembly 202 receives the light beam emitted by the ranging module and transmits the light beam to the environment of the ranging system device.

[0055] Meanwhile, the lens group 202 is also used to receive light reflected by one or more objects in the environment of the ranging system device, and to focus the collected reflected light onto the ranging module 203.

[0056] This application does not limit the specific structure of the moving component. For example, the moving component 201 includes a motor and a turntable connected to the motor. In practical applications, the moving component 201 can also be a single motor, and this application does not limit this. The mirror assembly 202 can be mounted on the turntable or directly on the motor. When the motor is working, it drives the mirror assembly 202 to rotate and scan. Compared to the prior art where both the scanning module 200 and the ranging module 203 are mounted on the moving component 201, there is no need to power the rotating ranging module 203, reducing the difficulty of electrical connection.

[0057] This application describes an example of a moving component 201 including a motor and a turntable connected to the motor. Other embodiments of the moving component 201 can be implemented with reference to this application. In this embodiment, a mirror assembly 202 is mounted on the turntable. The function of the mirror assembly 202 is to: direct the laser emitted by the ranging module 203 (… Figure 2 The black shaded arrow indicates that the light is transmitted to the object being measured, or the reflected light from the object being measured (indicated by the arrow). Figure 2 (The white shaded arrow indicates that the signal is transferred to the ranging module 203.)

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, mirror assembly 202 can be a plane mirror. (As...) Figure 3a As shown, the laser light is transmitted to the object being measured via a plane mirror, and the reflected light is transmitted to the ranging module 203 via the plane mirror.

[0059] In other embodiments, the mirror assembly 202 may be a curved reflector. For example... Figure 3b As shown, the laser light is transmitted to the object being measured via a curved reflector, and the reflected light is transmitted to the ranging module 203 via the curved reflector.

[0060] In other embodiments, the mirror assembly 202 may be two planar mirrors. For example... Figure 3c As shown, the laser light is transmitted from the first plane mirror group 202a to the second plane mirror group 202b, and then to the object being measured. The reflected light is transmitted from the second plane mirror group 202b to the first plane mirror group 202a, and then to the ranging module 203.

[0061] In practical applications, the mirror assembly 202 can also achieve its function in other ways, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0062] In this embodiment, the turntable is used to drive the lens assembly 202 to rotate about the central axis of the lens assembly 202. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, mirror group 202 is a plane mirror, and the turntable is connected to the plane mirror, causing the plane mirror to rotate around its central axis. As mirror group 202 rotates, the exit angle of the laser or reflected light passing through mirror group 202 changes accordingly. For example, if mirror group 202 rotates by 1 degree, the exit angle of the laser or reflected light passing through mirror group 202 will correspondingly shift by 2 degrees.

[0063] In this embodiment, the turntable can be connected to a motor, and the rotation of the motor drives the turntable to rotate, thereby enabling the turntable to drive the mirror assembly 202 to rotate. In practical applications, the turntable can also achieve rotation in other ways, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0064] A laser ranging system (such as Figure 1a , Figure 1b , Figure 1c and Figure 1d In the previous method, the turntable 105 required driving lenses 101 and 102, receiver 103, laser 104, etc., to achieve scanning of the ranging system. It had a large load-bearing capacity and slow rotation. However, in this embodiment, the turntable only needs to drive the mirror group 202 to change the direction of the laser and reflected light, thus achieving the scanning mode of the ranging system. Therefore, in this embodiment, the turntable does not need to drive the ranging module 203, has a lighter load-bearing capacity, rotates faster, and can achieve rapid scanning and ranging.

[0065] In the aforementioned laser ranging system, both the rotating laser 104 and receiver 103 on the turntable 105 require power to operate. Providing power to the rotating object on the turntable introduces numerous drawbacks, such as increased circuitry costs, increased power consumption, and increased weight. In contrast, the ranging system provided in this embodiment does not require power to the rotating object on the turntable (the mirror assembly 202 does not require power), thus avoiding the various drawbacks of using slip rings or wireless power supply.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ranging module 203 is not mounted on the turntable. Therefore, the power supply for the ranging module 203 can be set in a relatively fixed position.

[0067] The ranging system provided in this application embodiment separates the scanning module 200 from the ranging module 203. The scanning module 200 does not need to bear a large weight, thus rotating faster and increasing the scanning speed, enabling a very high detection frame rate. Simultaneously, it reduces the load on moving parts, thereby reducing power consumption and cost, and improving the reliability and lifespan of the motor.

[0068] In addition, the ranging module and the scanning module are separate, so the ranging module does not rotate with the scanning module when it is working, which reduces the difficulty of electrical connection of the ranging module.

[0069] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the ranging module 203 includes a laser 2031 and a receiver 2032. The ranging system also includes a transmitting lens 2033 disposed between the laser 2031 and the scanning module 200, and a receiving lens 2034 disposed between the receiver 2032 and the scanning module 200.

[0070] Laser 2031 can be used to emit laser light into mirror assembly 202, and the laser light is transmitted to the object under test 204 through emitting lens 2033. Receiver 2032 can be used to receive the reflected light from the object under test 204.

[0071] In the horizontal direction, the laser emitted from laser 2031 is optically shaped by emitting lens 2033, and then reflected by mirror group 202 on turntable 201 to reach the object under test 204. The reflected light from the object under test 204 passes through mirror group 202 and reaches receiving lens 2034. After optical shaping by receiving lens 2034, the reflected light reaches receiver 2032. Mirror group 202 can be a plane mirror.

[0072] In this embodiment, in the horizontal direction, the emitting lens 2033 is used for optical shaping of the laser light, while the receiving lens 2034 is used for optical shaping of the reflected light. The optical path emitted by the laser light and the optical path received by the reflected light are not shared. These two optical paths occupy a significant amount of horizontal space, requiring a mirror group 202 with a relatively long horizontal width to meet the design requirements. Furthermore, since the transmitting optical path is not located near the center, after a certain degree of rotation, the transmitted light will extend beyond the edge of the mirror group 202, resulting in a decrease in the scanning range.

[0073] For example, in some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the vertical direction, the laser emitted from laser 2031 is optically shaped by the emitting lens 2033, and then reflected by the mirror group 202 on the turntable 201 to reach the object under test 204. The reflected light from the object under test 204 passes through the mirror group 202 and reaches the receiving lens 2034. After being optically shaped by the receiving lens 2034, the reflected light reaches the receiver 2032. The mirror group 202 can be a plane mirror.

[0074] In this embodiment, in the vertical direction, the emitting lens 2033 is used for optical shaping of the laser, while the receiving lens 2034 is used for optical shaping of the reflected light. The optical path emitted by the laser and the optical path received by the reflected light are not shared. These two optical paths occupy a significant amount of vertical space, requiring a mirror assembly 202 with a relatively high vertical height to meet the design requirements. Especially for autonomous driving detection, a large vertical detection range is needed, resulting in a relatively large vertical divergence angle for the laser. In this case, the height of the rotating mirror occupied by the laser will approach the height of the receiving mirror, effectively doubling the rotating mirror height.

[0075] comprehensive Figure 4 and Figure 5 The ranging system shown does not share a common optical path for emitting the laser and for receiving the reflected light. This requires the reflector or mirror group 202 to be longer in both the horizontal and vertical directions, necessitating a larger area for the reflector or mirror group 202 and ultimately resulting in a larger overall size of the ranging system. Furthermore, this design becomes more pronounced when the laser beam divergence angle increases. Therefore, this design leads to a significant increase in the overall size of the ranging system, both horizontally and vertically.

[0076] To solve such Figure 4 or Figure 5 To address the technical problem of the large size of the distance measuring system shown, this application further provides an implementation of another distance measuring system, for example... Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown. Figure 6 A front view of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a top view of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application. The ranging system includes a ranging module 203, a lens group 202, and a moving component 201. The ranging module 203 includes a laser 2031 and a receiver 2032. The ranging system also includes a transmitting lens 2033 disposed between the laser 2031 and the scanning module 200, and a receiving lens 2034 disposed between the receiver 2032 and the scanning module 200.

[0077] The emitting lens 2033 can shape the laser emitted by the laser 2031, and the receiving lens 2034 can shape the emitted light reflected by the object being measured. For a detailed description, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0078] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the principal optical axes of the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 are, for example, different axes, and the focal lengths of the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 may be different.

[0079] Therefore, the focal lengths of the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 can be adjusted according to specific design requirements, making the design more flexible.

[0080] In some embodiments, the emitting lens 2033 can be embedded in the receiving lens 2034, so that the optical path of the emitted light and the optical path of the reflected light can be shared. For clarity, the following will use... Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 8a Let's take an example to describe it in detail.

[0081] like Figure 8 As shown, the emitting lens 2033 is embedded in the receiving lens 2034. The centers 2033-1 of the emitting lens 2033 and 2034-1 of the receiving lens 2034 do not coincide. The principal optical axis of the emitting lens 2033 passes through, for example, center 2033-1, and the principal optical axis of the receiving lens 2034 passes through, for example, center 2034-1. In one implementation of this application, the principal optical axes of the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 are parallel, allowing for the sharing of the emitted and reflected light optical paths.

[0082] This application does not limit the connection method of the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 in the embodiments. In one implementation of this application, the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 are integrally formed by molding.

[0083] In one implementation of this application, the receiving lens 2034 has an opening, and the openings of the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 are connected by adhesive.

[0084] like Figure 8a As shown, half of the receiving lens 2034 can also be removed, and the transmitting lens 2033 can be fixed at the notch position of the receiving lens 2034. The transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 can be integrally formed, or they can be connected together by adhesive.

[0085] This application embodiment does not limit the arrangement of the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034, as long as the center of the emitting lens 2033 and the center of the receiving lens 2034 are offset. This avoids interference between the laser emitted by the laser 2031 and the reflected light transmitted by the scanning module 200, allowing the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 to have different focal lengths. Simultaneously, by embedding the emitting lens 2033 on the receiving lens 2034 and ensuring that the principal optical axes of the emitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 are parallel, the optical paths of the emitted and reflected light can be shared. This design reduces the area required for the reflectors in the lens assembly, further reducing the size of the ranging system and facilitating its miniaturization.

[0086] The embodiments of this application do not limit the forming method of the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034. The transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 can be formed in one piece or can be formed by bonding multiple lens groups 202 pieces together.

[0087] This application does not limit the arrangement of the laser 2031. In some embodiments, the laser 2031 can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The laser 2031 can be a bare die without a package. This reduces the space occupied by the laser 2031, thereby reducing the size of the ranging system.

[0088] Specifically, the unpackaged laser die chip can be mounted on a PCB and connected to the processing module via gold wire bonding. This processing module can be used to calculate the distance between the ranging module 203 and the object being measured 204. Using an unpackaged laser die chip for the laser 2031 allows for a more compact ranging module 203. In practical applications, the laser 2031 can be a continuous laser or a pulsed laser; this embodiment does not specifically limit the type of laser 2031.

[0089] This application does not limit the configuration of the receiver 2032. In some embodiments, the receiver 2032 can be mounted on a PCB. The receiver 2032 can be an unpackaged bare die chip. This reduces the space occupied by the receiver 2032, thereby reducing the size of the ranging system.

[0090] Specifically, the unpackaged receiver die chip can be mounted on a PCB and wire-bonded with gold wire to connect the receiver die chip to the processing module. Using an unpackaged receiver die chip in receiver 2032 allows for a more miniaturized ranging module 203. In some embodiments, receiver 2032 can be made using an avalanche photodiode (APD), which features high-speed response, high gain, low junction capacitance, and low noise, making it ideal for laser ranging.

[0091] In this embodiment, the laser 2031 and the receiver 2032 are located on the same side of the scanning module 200, which can reduce the size of the ranging system and thus reduce the space occupied by the ranging system.

[0092] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, receiver 2032 is located between laser 2031 and scanning module 200. For example, a through hole 20321 is provided on the PCB of receiver, and the laser emitted by laser 2031 can pass through the through hole 20321 and converge on the emitting lens 2033.

[0093] This application does not limit the specific structure of the transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034. The transmitting lens 2033 and the receiving lens 2034 can be convex lenses, concave lenses, or other types of lenses. In one implementation of this application, the transmitting lens 2033 is, for example, a convex lens. In another implementation of this application, such as... Figure 9a As shown, the emitting lens 2033 is, for example, a cylindrical lens.

[0094] The emitting lens 2033 is located, for example, between the laser 2031 and the scanning module 200, and is used to convert the laser emitted by the laser 2031 into parallel light rays. The laser 2031 is, for example, positioned at the focal point of the emitting lens 2033. The laser emitted by the laser 2031 is shaped into parallel light rays after being processed by the emitting lens 2033. Finally, it reaches the object 204 being measured after reflection by the lens group 202.

[0095] A receiving lens 2034, for example, is located between the receiver 2032 and the scanning module 200, and is used to focus the reflected light transmitted by the scanning module 200. The reflected light from the object being measured 204 reaches the receiving lens 2034 after being reflected by the lens group 202. The receiving lens 2034 can have the function of focusing light. The reflected light can be focused when passing through the receiving lens 2034, ultimately converging at the focal point. Therefore, the receiver 2032 can be positioned at the focal point of the receiving lens 2034 to receive more reflected light and improve the sensitivity of the ranging system.

[0096] Figure 9A top view of another ranging system provided in an embodiment of this application. (See attached image.) Figure 9 As shown, a converging lens 2035 is also provided between the laser 2031 and the emitting lens 2033. The converging lens 2035 can initially shape the laser emitted by the laser 2031 and focus the laser emitted by the laser to the center position of the emitting lens 2033.

[0097] The embodiments of this application do not limit the structure of the converging lens 2035. The converging lens 2035 can be a convex lens, a concave lens, or other types of lenses. In one implementation of this application, such as Figure 9a As shown, the emitting lens 2035 is, for example, a cylindrical lens.

[0098] The laser emitted from laser 2031 passes through converging lens 2035 and emitting lens 2033, and is reflected by mirror group 202 to the object under test 204. The reflected light from the object under test 204 is reflected by mirror group 202 to receiving lens 2034, and then reflected by receiving lens 2034 to receiver 2032.

[0099] In some embodiments, several mirrors can be disposed between the emitting lens 2033 and the laser 2031 to form a "Z"-shaped optical path, which can further reduce the size of the ranging module 203. Similarly, several mirrors can also be disposed between the receiving lens 2034 and the receiver 2032. In other embodiments, several mirrors can also be disposed between the receiving lens 2034 and the mirror group 202, and between the emitting lens 2033 and the mirror group 202. This application does not limit the implementation method of setting mirrors between various devices inside the ranging system to adjust the optical path. The above-described embodiments of setting mirrors can not only change the optical path according to actual needs and adapt to actual applications, but also, after changing the optical path, can make reasonable use of the space of the ranging system and further reduce the size of the ranging module 203.

[0100] For example, such as Figure 10 As shown, a first reflecting mirror is provided between the emitting lens 2033 and the laser 2031. The first reflecting mirror is used to reflect the laser emitted by the laser 2031 back to the emitting lens 2033. The first reflecting mirror includes two plane reflecting mirrors: a third plane reflecting mirror 205a and a fourth plane reflecting mirror 205b. The laser light is transferred from the third plane reflecting mirror 205a to the fourth plane reflecting mirror 205b, and then to the emitting lens 2033.

[0101] Therefore, by placing a first reflecting mirror between the emitting lens and the laser, the optical path between the emitting lens and the laser can be folded, reducing the size of the ranging system and facilitating its miniaturization.

[0102] like Figure 11As shown, a second reflector is provided between the receiving lens 2034 and the receiver 2032. The second reflector is used to reflect the reflected light passing through the receiving lens 2034 to the receiver 2032. The second reflector includes two plane reflectors: a fifth plane reflector 206a and a fourth plane reflector 206b. The reflected light is transferred via the fifth plane reflector 206b to the sixth plane reflector 206a, and then to the receiver 2032.

[0103] Therefore, by setting a first reflector between the receiving lens and the receiver, the optical path between the receiving lens and the receiver can be folded, which can reduce the size of the ranging system and facilitate the miniaturization of the ranging system.

[0104] This application does not limit the number or location of the lasers 2031 in its embodiments. For example, Figure 6 There are three lasers 2031 in total. These lasers 2031 can be oriented towards the center of the emitting lens 2033. Therefore, the orientation of the lasers 2031 may have a certain angular difference, and the laser emitted by the lasers 2031 may not be parallel, but rather tend to converge towards the center of the emitting lens 2033.

[0105] This application embodiment does not limit the number and location of receivers. The number of receivers 2032 can be one or more. For example, Figure 6 The number of receivers 2032 is 1.

[0106] In some embodiments, the receiver 2032 may correspond one-to-one with the laser 2031, such that each laser emitted by the laser 2031 will be received by a corresponding receiver 2032. The position of the receiver 2032 can be determined by testing the laser emitted by the laser 2031.

[0107] For example, during the installation, commissioning, or factory testing of the ranging system, the operator can emit a laser beam from laser 2031. The beam passes through emitting lens 2033 and mirror group 202 before reaching the object being measured. The reflected light from the object then passes through mirror group 202 and receiving lens 2034 before reaching the circuit board where receiver 2032 is located. The operator can detect the position of the reflected light on the circuit board using a photosensitive detection device. Finally, the operator can change the type of object being measured, the angle of mirror group 202, and other conditions, and repeat the process of detecting the reflected light position. By comprehensively considering the detected reflected light position, the operator can determine the position of receiver 2032 based on the detected reflected light position.

[0108] It is understood that the PCB board on which the laser 2031 is mounted and the PCB board on which the receiver 2032 is mounted may or may not be the same PCB board, and this application embodiment does not limit this. Multiple lasers 2031 can be mounted on a single PCB board, and this application embodiment does not limit the number of lasers 2031. Similarly, multiple receivers 2032 can be mounted on a single PCB board, and this application embodiment does not limit the number of receivers 2032.

[0109] In some embodiments, the ranging module 203 may further include a processing module. The processing module is connected to the laser 2031 and the receiver 2032, and is used to calculate the distance between the ranging module 203 and the object 204 being measured based on the laser emitted by the laser 2031 and the reflected light received by the receiver 2032. The processing module can be designed to calculate the distance between the ranging module 203 and the object 204 using laser distance measuring methods, including pulse methods and phase methods. In some embodiments, the processing module can specifically be designed to calculate the distance between the ranging module 203 and the object 204 using the pulse method. The calculation formula for the pulse method can be:

[0110]

[0111] Where D is the distance between the ranging module 203 and the object 204 being measured, c is the speed of light, and t is the time difference between the laser emitted by the laser 2031 and the corresponding reflected light received by the receiver 2032. In practical applications, the speed of light can be 300,000 km / s or other values, and this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0112] In practical applications, the laser ranging method executed by the processing module can be fine-tuned according to the actual situation, and this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on it. The laser ranging method executed by the above-mentioned processing module is one implementation or example of the processing module calculating the distance between the ranging module 203 and the measured object 204. In practical applications, the processing module can also be designed to calculate the distance between the ranging module 203 and the measured object 204 through other calculation methods such as the phase method. This application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the design of the processing module.

[0113] In some embodiments, the processing module described above can be a microprocessor, central processing unit, main processor, microcontroller, controller, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. It connects the laser 2031 and the receiver 2032 through various interfaces and lines, executes various types of digital storage instructions, and calculates the distance between the ranging module 203 and the measured object 204 according to the algorithm.

[0114] In some embodiments, the processing module described above can be mounted on the circuit board where the receiver is located. The processing module can implement the distance calculation method described above in the form of a simple circuit, which will not be elaborated further in this application embodiment.

[0115] In some embodiments, the ranging system provided in this application may further include a housing, which is mounted on an autonomous vehicle, and the ranging module 203, the mirror group 202, and the turntable 201 are all disposed within the housing. Furthermore, the housing may have notches for laser emission and for reflected light to enter.

[0116] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, an autonomous vehicle may have a recess 1002, in which a ranging system with a housing can be installed. It is understood that the recess 1002 may have multiple openings, allowing various components of the autonomous vehicle to pass through the recess 1002 and connect to the ranging system 1001 via various interfaces or wiring.

[0117] In other embodiments, the ranging system can also be mounted on the autonomous vehicle by screws through screw holes on the housing. In practical applications, the various components of the ranging system, such as the ranging module 203, the mirror group 202, and the turntable 201, can be mounted on the autonomous vehicle in a reasonable manner according to the actual situation. This application does not limit the specific installation method of the ranging system.

[0118] At least one ranging system as described in the above embodiments can be installed on an autonomous vehicle. For example, this application provides an autonomous vehicle, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the system includes five ranging systems and a vehicle body. The five ranging systems are: ranging system 901, ranging system 902, ranging system 903, ranging system 904, and ranging system 905. In some embodiments, the structures of ranging systems 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 are similar to those in the above embodiments; therefore, the internal structure of the ranging systems will not be described in detail in this application.

[0119] like Figure 13 As shown, ranging system 901 is installed at the front of the vehicle body, ranging system 902 is installed at the rear of the vehicle body, ranging system 903 is installed on the left side of the vehicle body, ranging system 904 is installed on the right side of the vehicle body, and ranging system 905 is installed on the roof of the vehicle body. Therefore, these five ranging systems installed on the vehicle body can cover the area around the autonomous vehicle and can promptly detect objects approaching the autonomous vehicle, such as other vehicles or obstacles.

[0120] In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle may be an engine-driven car or an electric motor-driven new energy vehicle. In practical applications, it may also be a hybrid vehicle driven by both an engine and an electric motor. This application does not specifically limit the autonomous vehicle.

[0121] In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle is further equipped with an autonomous driving system, which can be simultaneously connected to ranging systems 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905. The autonomous driving system can receive distances measured by these five ranging systems and then determine an autonomous driving plan based on these distances, thereby achieving autonomous driving. For example, if there is a pedestrian in front of the autonomous vehicle, and the autonomous vehicle does not collide with the pedestrian, ranging system 901 can measure the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the pedestrian and transmit this distance to the autonomous driving system. Upon receiving the distance, the autonomous driving system determines that the autonomous driving plan is emergency braking, and thus, under the control of the autonomous driving system, the vehicle can brake in time to avoid colliding with the pedestrian.

[0122] In some embodiments, the autonomous driving system can be connected to the ranging system 901, ranging system 902, ranging system 903, ranging system 904 and ranging system 905 via wires, signal transmission lines, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the connection method between the autonomous driving system and the ranging system.

[0123] In this application embodiment, the driving assistance system may include, but is not limited to, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic parking assist, brake assist, reversing assist, and driving assist. The driving assistance system may be connected to a ranging system; this application embodiment does not limit the connection method between the driving assistance system and the ranging system. The driving assistance system can receive distances measured by the ranging system and then determine an assisted vehicle driving plan based on these distances, thereby achieving driving assistance. For example, taking adaptive cruise control as an example, after the ranging system measures the distance to the vehicle ahead, it sends this distance to the driving assistance system. After receiving this distance, the driving assistance system compares it with the distance set by the adaptive cruise control. If the distance is less than the distance, the driving assistance system controls the vehicle to brake; if the distance is greater than the distance, the driving assistance system controls the vehicle to accelerate, thereby enabling the vehicle to achieve adaptive cruise control.

[0124] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A ranging system, characterized in that, include: A scanning module and a ranging module, and a transmitting lens and a receiving lens disposed between the scanning module and the ranging module; The ranging module is used to emit laser light to the scanning module through the emitting lens and receive the reflected light sent by the scanning module through the receiving lens; The scanning module includes a moving component and a mirror assembly. The moving component is used to drive the mirror assembly to scan. The mirror assembly is also used to receive reflected light from the object being measured in the environment of the ranging system and transmit the reflected light to the ranging module. The emitting lens is embedded in the receiving lens, and the main optical axes of the emitting lens and the receiving lens are separated. The emitting lens and the receiving lens are designed off-axis. The ranging module includes a laser and a receiver. The laser is used to emit laser light towards the emitting lens, and the receiver is used to receive the reflected light emitted by the receiving lens. The laser and the receiver are located on the same side of the lens group, and the receiver is located between the laser and the scanning module. The laser is located at the focal point of the emitting lens, which is used to convert the laser emitted by the laser into parallel light rays. The receiver is located at the focal point of the receiving lens, which is used to focus the reflected light emitted by the scanning module.

2. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The principal optical axes of the transmitting lens and the receiving lens are parallel.

3. The ranging system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The transmitting lens and the receiving lens are integrally formed by molding.

4. The ranging system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The receiving lens has an opening, and the transmitting lens is connected to the opening of the receiving lens by adhesive.

5. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, One or more first reflecting mirrors are provided between the emitting lens and the laser. The first reflecting mirrors are used to fold the optical path between the laser and the emitting lens and reflect the laser emitted by the laser to the emitting lens.

6. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, One or more second reflectors are provided between the receiving lens and the ranging module. The second reflectors are used to fold the optical path between the receiving lens and the receiver, and reflect the reflected light passing through the receiving lens to the receiver.

7. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser is one or more, and the lasers are mounted on the same circuit board.

8. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiver may be one or more, and the receivers are mounted on the same circuit board.

9. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a processing module; the processing module is signal-connected to the laser and the receiver; the processing module is used to calculate the distance between the ranging module and the object being measured based on the laser emitted by the laser and the reflected light received by the receiver.

10. The ranging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mirror assembly includes one or more mirrors.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that, It includes a vehicle body and a ranging system as described in any one of claims 1-10, wherein the ranging system is disposed on the vehicle body.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that, The ranging system is installed at the front, rear, side, or roof of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The vehicle also includes an autonomous driving system; the autonomous driving system and the ranging system are signal-connected, and the autonomous driving system is used to perform autonomous driving based on the distance measured by the ranging system.

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