A lidar system, control method, apparatus, and vehicle

Abstract

This application provides a lidar system, control method, device, and vehicle. The lidar system includes: a first lidar; and a first flipping component for connecting the first lidar to a first side of the vehicle. When the first flipping component is flipped to a first position, the first lidar is used to sense the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component is flipped to a second position, the first lidar is used to sense the environment in a second direction. The technical solution of this application can be applied to intelligent vehicles or electric vehicles, improving vehicle safety while helping to reduce vehicle costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent driving, and more specifically, to a lidar system, control method, device, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With social development and technological advancements, vehicles are gradually becoming an integral part of people's daily lives. Environmental perception is a crucial element of autonomous and intelligent driving, and a vital guarantee for vehicle safety and intelligence. Vehicles typically use sensors such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, ultrasonic radar, and cameras to perceive the environment and measure targets, such as their position, distance, and speed.

[0003] LiDAR, with its high confidence level, is playing an increasingly important role in autonomous driving. Currently, LiDAR in vehicles is generally deployed at the front (such as the front bumper). Blind spots created by LiDAR during driving can affect the vehicle's perception of its surroundings, thus impacting vehicle safety. Improving vehicle safety would require deploying multiple LiDAR units, which would significantly increase the vehicle's cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a lidar system, control method, device, and vehicle that improve vehicle safety while helping to reduce vehicle costs.

[0005] The term "vehicle" in this application is used in a broad sense and can refer to means of transportation (such as commercial vehicles, passenger cars, motorcycles, flying cars, trains, etc.), industrial vehicles (such as forklifts, trailers, tractors, etc.), engineering vehicles (such as excavators, bulldozers, cranes, etc.), agricultural equipment (such as lawnmowers, harvesters, etc.), amusement equipment, toy vehicles, etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the type of vehicle.

[0006] In a first aspect, a lidar system is provided, comprising: a first lidar; a first flipping component for connecting the first lidar to a first side of a vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component is flipped to a first position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component is flipped to a second position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a second direction.

[0007] In this embodiment, a first lidar can be installed on the first side of the vehicle. The data collected by the lidar on the first side of the vehicle can compensate for the blind spot caused by the lidar on the front side of the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the safety performance of the vehicle. At the same time, by controlling the first lidar to perceive the environment in the first or second direction through the first flipping component, it is helpful to reduce the number of lidars on the vehicle, thereby helping to reduce the cost of the vehicle.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the lidar system also includes a lidar located at the front of the vehicle.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the blind zone of the lidar located at the front of the vehicle is larger than that of the first lidar.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the ranging capability of the lidar located at the front of the vehicle is greater than that of the first lidar.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the ranging accuracy of the lidar located at the front of the vehicle is less than that of the first lidar.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the lidar located at the front of the vehicle is a long-range lidar.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the first lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0014] In this embodiment, a short-range lidar can be installed on the first side of the vehicle. The data collected by the short-range lidar on the first side can identify people, animals or other obstacles that are close to the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the lidar system further includes: a second lidar; a second flipping component for connecting the second lidar to a second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component is flipped to a third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component is flipped to a fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0016] In this embodiment, a second lidar can be installed on the second side of the vehicle. The data collected by the lidars on the first and second sides of the vehicle can further compensate for the blind spots caused by the lidar on the front side of the vehicle, thereby further improving the safety performance of the vehicle. At the same time, controlling the second lidar to perceive the environment in the first or second direction through the second flipping component helps to reduce the number of lidars on the vehicle, thereby helping to reduce the cost of the vehicle.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the second lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first lidar and the second lidar are symmetrical about the centerline in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0019] In this embodiment, the first and second lidars can be symmetrical about the centerline in the width direction of the vehicle, which ensures the aesthetics of the vehicle.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the rearview mirrors on the first side and the second side; or, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the wheel arches on the first side and the second side; or, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the B-pillars on the first side and the second side; or, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the door handles on the first side and the second side.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first and second lidars can be respectively mounted on the rearview mirrors, wheel arches, B-pillars, or door handles on the first and second sides. This arrangement can reduce the impact on the vehicle's appearance when lidars are mounted on the side of the vehicle. At the same time, the flipping of the first and second lidars can be controlled by the first and second flipping mechanisms respectively, which can bring a sense of high-tech to the user.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the lidar system further includes: a third lidar, disposed at the rear of the vehicle.

[0023] In this embodiment, a third lidar can be deployed at the rear of the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to perceive its environment using data collected by the third lidar while it is reversing (e.g., parking), thus improving vehicle safety.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the third lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0025] In this embodiment, a short-range lidar can be installed at the rear of the vehicle. In this way, when the vehicle is moving backward (e.g., parking), the data collected by the short-range lidar can identify people, animals or other obstacles (e.g., parking locks, poles, etc.) that are close to the vehicle, which helps to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the lidar system further includes: a fourth lidar, disposed at the rear of the vehicle; wherein the third lidar and the fourth lidar are respectively disposed on both sides of the rear license plate of the vehicle; or, the third lidar and the fourth lidar are disposed on the rear wing of the vehicle; or, the third lidar and the fourth lidar are disposed above or below the rear license plate of the vehicle.

[0027] In this embodiment, by setting a third lidar and a fourth lidar at the rear of the vehicle, the point cloud data collected by the third lidar and the fourth lidar can cover the entire blind spot behind the vehicle, which helps to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0028] In some possible implementations, this fourth lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the lidar system further includes: a control device for acquiring an instruction to instruct the first lidar to perceive the environment in the first direction or the second direction; the control device is also used to control the first flipping component to flip according to the instruction.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first direction is the direction in which the vehicle travels forward, and the second direction is the direction in which the vehicle travels backward.

[0031] In a second aspect, a control method is provided, the method comprising: acquiring an instruction; and controlling a first flipping component to flip according to the instruction, the first flipping component connecting a first lidar to a first side of a vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component flips to a first position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component flips to a second position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a second direction.

[0032] In this embodiment, a first lidar can be installed on the first side of the vehicle. The data collected by the lidar on the first side of the vehicle can compensate for the blind spot caused by the lidar on the front side of the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the safety performance of the vehicle. At the same time, by controlling the first lidar to perceive the environment in the first or second direction through the first flipping component, it is helpful to reduce the number of lidars on the vehicle, thereby helping to reduce the cost of the vehicle.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the first lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0034] In this embodiment, a short-range lidar can be installed on the first side of the vehicle. The data collected by the short-range lidar on the first side can identify people, animals or other obstacles that are close to the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the instruction includes the driving state of the vehicle, and controlling the first flipping component to flip according to the instruction includes: when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving forward, controlling the first flipping component to flip to the first position, the first direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving forward; or, when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving backward, controlling the first flipping component to flip to the second position, the second direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving backward.

[0036] In this embodiment, a second lidar can be installed on the second side of the vehicle. The data collected by the lidars on the first and second sides of the vehicle can further compensate for the blind spots caused by the lidar on the front side of the vehicle, thereby further improving the safety performance of the vehicle. At the same time, controlling the second lidar to perceive the environment in the first or second direction through the second flipping component helps to reduce the number of lidars on the vehicle, thereby helping to reduce the cost of the vehicle.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the second lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: controlling a second flipping component to flip according to the control command, the second flipping component connecting a second lidar to a second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component flips to a third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component flips to a fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: constructing a map based on the point cloud data acquired by the first lidar.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the first lidar is a short-range lidar, and the vehicle also includes other sensors (e.g., long-range lidar, camera devices, etc.). Mapping based on point cloud data acquired by the first lidar includes: mapping based on point cloud data acquired by the short-range lidar and data acquired by other sensors.

[0041] Thirdly, a control device is provided, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring an instruction; and a control unit for controlling a first flipping component to flip according to the instruction, the first flipping component connecting a first lidar to a first side of the vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component flips to a first position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component flips to a second position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a second direction.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the first lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0043] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the instruction includes the driving state of the vehicle, and the control unit is specifically configured to: when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving forward, control the first flipping component to flip to the first position, the first direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving forward; or, when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving backward, control the first flipping component to flip to the second position, the second direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving backward.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the control unit is further configured to control the second flipping component to flip according to the control command, the second flipping component connecting the second lidar to the second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component flips to the third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component flips to the fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0045] In some possible implementations, the second lidar is a short-range lidar.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the device further includes: a mapping unit for mapping based on point cloud data acquired by the first lidar.

[0047] Fourthly, an apparatus is provided, comprising a processing unit and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit is used to store instructions, and the processing unit executes the instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the apparatus to perform any of the possible methods in the second aspect.

[0048] Optionally, the processing unit may include at least one processor, and the storage unit may be a memory, wherein the memory may be an on-chip storage unit (e.g., register, cache, etc.) or an off-chip storage unit located in the vehicle (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, etc.).

[0049] Fifthly, a system is provided that includes the lidar system described in the first aspect and the apparatus described in the third or fourth aspect.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, a vehicle is provided that includes the lidar system described in the first aspect, or the vehicle includes the device described in the third or fourth aspect, or the vehicle includes the system described in the fifth aspect.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the possible methods described in the second aspect above.

[0052] It should be noted that the above-mentioned computer program code can be stored in whole or in part on the first storage medium, wherein the first storage medium can be packaged together with the processor or packaged separately from the processor. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0053] Eighthly, a computer-readable medium is provided that stores program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the possible methods described in the second aspect above.

[0054] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including a processor for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory to cause the processor to perform any of the possible methods described in the second aspect above.

[0055] In conjunction with the ninth aspect, in one possible implementation, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0056] In conjunction with the ninth aspect, in one possible implementation, the chip system further includes a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the layout and blind zone of a long-range lidar system.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of a long-range lidar and a short-range lidar, and the field of view of the short-range lidar, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another arrangement of long-range and short-range lidars provided in the embodiments of this application, as well as another field of view of the short-range lidar.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar installed on a rearview mirror, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0062] Figure 6 This is the process provided in the embodiments of this application of controlling the short-range lidar to flip forward or backward via worm gear transmission.

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array mounted on the B-pillar of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array mounted on the wheel arch of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array installed on the door handle of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0066] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array arranged on the side of a bus body, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0067] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array arranged on the side of a truck body, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0068] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array placed on both sides of the license plate at the rear of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0069] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array positioned above the license plate at the rear of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0070] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array placed on the tail fin, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0071] Figure 15 This is a schematic flowchart of a control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0072] Figure 16This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the Direct Time-of-Flight (DTOF) lidar provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0073] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the DTOF lidar provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0074] Figure 18 This is a schematic block diagram of a lidar system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0075] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0076] Figure 20 This is another schematic flowchart of a control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0077] Figure 21 This is a schematic block diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0078] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone.

[0079] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" used in this application embodiment are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not limit the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the described objects. The use of ordinal numbers and other prefixes used to distinguish descriptive objects in this application embodiment does not constitute a limitation on the described objects. The description of the described objects is given in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and should not constitute unnecessary restrictions due to the use of such prefixes. Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0080] Figure 1This is a functional block diagram of a vehicle 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The vehicle 100 may include a perception system 120 and a computing platform 150. The perception system 120 may include one or more sensors for sensing information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 100. For example, the perception system 120 may include a positioning system, which may be a Global Positioning System (GPS), a BeiDou system, or other positioning systems, or an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Alternatively, the perception system 120 may also include one or more of the following: an eye tracker, lidar, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic radar, and a camera device. Lidar can be further categorized into long-range lidar and short-range lidar.

[0081] Some or all of the functions of vehicle 100 can be controlled by computing platform 150. Computing platform 150 may include one or more processors, such as processors 151 to 15n (n being a positive integer). A processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a type of microprocessor), or digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. These logical relationships are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor may be a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In reconfigurable hardware circuits, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units. In addition, it can also be hardware circuitry designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), tensor processing unit (TPU), deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc. Furthermore, the computing platform 150 may also include a memory for storing instructions. Some or all of the processors 151 to 15n can call and execute the instructions in the memory to achieve the corresponding functions.

[0082] Figure 2This diagram illustrates the placement and blind spots of a long-range LiDAR system. Three long-range LiDARs are positioned in the center of the vehicle's grille and on either side of the front bumper. Currently, commercially available long-range LiDARs have a blind spot of 0-0.6 meters. This makes it impossible to determine the position of objects close to the vehicle using the point cloud data collected by the LiDARs. Furthermore, the blind spots created by the LiDARs themselves cannot be compensated for, and blind spots also exist at the intersections of the LiDARs. The size of the blind spot is related to the installation position of the LiDARs. These blind spots may prevent the vehicle from detecting animals (e.g., cats, dogs) or people crouching nearby, potentially leading to accidents and affecting the vehicle's safety performance.

[0083] for Figure 2 Long-range lidar deployments present significant challenges when parking vehicles (e.g., in narrow parking spaces or multi-level parking garages), as relying solely on data from rear-view cameras and ultrasonic radar presents considerable difficulties. Blind spots may prevent the vehicle from detecting people, parking locks, or other obstacles affecting parking, potentially impacting the user's parking experience.

[0084] Figure 3 This illustration shows the arrangement of a long-range lidar and a short-range lidar according to an embodiment of this application, as well as a schematic diagram of the field of view of the short-range lidar. Figure 3 As shown, by arranging two short-range lidar sensors on the side of the vehicle to perceive the environment in front of it, blind spots can be filled when the vehicle is moving forward. This helps avoid safety accidents caused by long-range lidar failing to detect objects at close range, thus improving vehicle safety performance. For example, it can enhance the safety of the vehicle when parking out of a parking space.

[0085] In one embodiment, the two short-range lidars can also be arranged on the rearview mirrors respectively; or, the two short-range lidars can be arranged on both sides of the front bumper respectively.

[0086] above Figure 3 In the following embodiments, a short-range LiDAR deployed on the side of the vehicle body is used as an example for illustration, but the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. For example, the LiDAR deployed on the side of the vehicle body can also be a long-range LiDAR, which can also compensate for the blind spot of the LiDAR deployed at the front of the vehicle. For another example, the blind spot range of the LiDAR deployed at the front of the vehicle is larger than that of the LiDAR deployed on the side of the vehicle. For another example, the ranging capability of the LiDAR deployed at the front of the vehicle is greater than that of the LiDAR deployed on the side of the vehicle. For another example, the ranging accuracy of the LiDAR deployed at the front of the vehicle is less than that of the LiDAR deployed on the side of the vehicle.

[0087] Figure 4 This illustration shows another arrangement of long-range and short-range lidars provided in an embodiment of this application, as well as a schematic diagram of the field of view of the short-range lidar. (See attached diagram.) Figure 4 As shown, by arranging four short-range LiDAR sensors on the sides and rear of the vehicle to perceive the environment behind it, blind spots can be filled when the vehicle is moving backward. This helps improve the vehicle's safety when parking, thereby enhancing the user's parking experience.

[0088] In one embodiment, two of the four short-range lidars can be positioned on the rearview mirror, and the other two can be positioned on either side of the license plate at the rear of the vehicle.

[0089] above Figure 4 The example described uses four short-range LiDARs for sensing the environment behind the vehicle. However, the number of short-range LiDARs is not limited in this application. For instance, three short-range LiDARs for sensing the environment behind the vehicle can be arranged on the side and rear of the vehicle. Two of these can be arranged on the rearview mirrors, and the other can be arranged at the rear of the vehicle (e.g., above or below the license plate at the rear of the vehicle).

[0090] The above has been approved. Figure 3 The layout scheme shown describes the placement of two short-range lidar sensors on the sides of the vehicle for sensing the environment in front of the vehicle, and the use of... Figure 4 The layout shown describes the placement of four short-range lidar sensors on the sides and rear of the vehicle for sensing the environment behind it. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The two short-range lidars arranged on the side of the vehicle shown can be the same lidar. For example, a flipping component can be provided on the side of the vehicle to control the short-range lidars to flip forward and backward, thereby enabling the same short-range lidars to perceive the environment in front of and behind the vehicle separately, which helps reduce vehicle costs.

[0091] The following explanation uses the example of a short-range lidar being installed on a rearview mirror. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a short-range lidar installed on a rearview mirror, as provided in an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0092] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown in the top view (a), the rearview mirror may include a folding mechanism 510, a flipping component 520, and a short-range lidar 530. The X-axis is the direction of the vehicle's longitudinal axis, the Y-axis is the direction of the vehicle's lateral axis, and the Z-axis is the vehicle's height direction. The positive direction (or positive direction) of the X-axis can be the direction of the vehicle's forward movement, and the negative direction (or negative direction) of the X-axis can be the direction of the vehicle's backward movement.

[0093] The folding mechanism 510 is used to fold the rearview mirror. For example, the user can adjust the rearview mirror to be in an unfolded or folded state by rotating the rearview mirror knob. Alternatively, when the user locks the vehicle, the folding mechanism 510 can be used to control the rearview mirror to be in a folded state; when the user unlocks the vehicle, the folding mechanism 510 can be used to control the rearview mirror to be in an unfolded state.

[0094] The flipping component 520 is used to control the short-range lidar 530 to flip back and forth. For example, when the vehicle needs to move backward, the vehicle can control the short-range lidar 530 to flip backward through the flipping component 520, thereby sensing the environment behind the vehicle through the data collected by the short-range lidar 530. Figure 5 In (a) of the diagram, the short-range lidar 530 is currently in flip state 1. In flip state 1, the data collected by the short-range lidar 530 can be used to compensate for... Figure 2 Blind spots when vehicles are moving forward.

[0095] The above short-range lidar 530 being in a flipped state can also be understood as the horizontal field of view (FOV) of the short-range lidar corresponding to the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0096] For example, Figure 5 (b) shows another view of the short-range lidar in flip state 1.

[0097] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown in the side view (c), when the vehicle needs to move forward, the vehicle can control the short-range lidar 530 to rotate 180° clockwise or counterclockwise along the Y-axis (or along the XOZ plane) via the flipping component 520, thereby enabling the short-range lidar 530 to flip backward.

[0098] like Figure 5 Another top view is shown in (d). The short-range lidar 530 is flipped backward by the flipping component 520, so that the vehicle can perceive the environment behind the vehicle through the data collected by the short-range lidar 530.

[0099] For example, Figure 5 In (d), the short-range lidar 530 is currently in flip state 2. The field of view (FOV) of the short-range lidar 530 can have a symmetrical relationship between flip state 1 and flip state 2. In flip state 2, the data collected by the short-range lidar 530 can be used to compensate for… Figure 2 Blind spots when vehicles are moving backward.

[0100] The above short-range lidar 530 is currently in a flip state 2, which can also be understood as the horizontal field of view (FOV) of the short-range lidar corresponding to the negative direction of the X-axis.

[0101] For example, Figure 5 (e) shows another view of the short-range lidar in flip state 2.

[0102] For example, the following is combined with Figure 6 This section describes the process of controlling a short-range lidar to flip forward or backward using a worm gear transmission. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a short-range lidar installed on a rearview mirror, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown. The flipping component 520 can be a flip-up mechanism 602.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown in the planar structural schematic diagram (a), the rearview mirror 601 of the vehicle is equipped with a flip-up mechanism 602, and a short-range lidar 603 is installed on the flip-up mechanism 602. The short-range lidar 603 can be fixedly connected to the flip-up mechanism 602.

[0104] For example, Figure 6 (b) in the middle is Figure 6 The BB cross-sectional view is shown in (a) above. The aforementioned flip-up mechanism 602 may include a drive motor 604, a gearbox assembly 605, and a rotating shaft 607. The drive motor 604 is connected to the rotating shaft 607 via the gearbox assembly 605. The gearbox assembly 605 includes a first gear and a second gear (not shown) that are synchronously driven on a transmission shaft 606. The output shaft of the drive motor 604 is connected to the first gear, and the second gear meshes with an external gear 608 disposed on the outer surface of the rotating shaft 607 to form a worm gear drive. The worm gear drive can drive the flip-up mechanism 602 to rotate, thereby controlling the short-range lidar 603 to flip forward or backward.

[0105] In one embodiment, the flip-over mechanism 602 may further include bearings 609 and 610 for supporting the flip-over mechanism 602.

[0106] above Figure 6 The short-range lidar is controlled to flip forward or backward using a worm gear drive, but this embodiment is not specifically limited to this method. Other transmission methods can also be used to control the lidar to flip forward or backward.

[0107] For example, the flipping component 520 can also be a motor. The motor controls the short-range lidar to rotate around the Y-axis, thereby enabling perception of the environment in front of or behind the vehicle.

[0108] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The example described uses a manual or electric rearview mirror with a mirror, but this application does not specifically limit the type of rearview mirror. For example, the rearview mirror can also be an electronic rearview mirror.

[0109] The above combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 A scheme for deploying a short-range lidar on a rearview mirror has been described. However, this application is not limited to this embodiment; the short-range lidar can also be deployed at other locations on the side of the vehicle.

[0110] Figure 7 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array mounted on the B-pillar of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0111] In one embodiment, short-range lidar can be deployed on the B-pillar on the left side and the B-pillar on the rear side of the vehicle, respectively.

[0112] In one embodiment, the short-range lidar can also be arranged on the A-pillar of the vehicle, or on the C-pillar of the vehicle, or on the D-pillar of the vehicle.

[0113] Figure 8 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array on the wheel arch of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0114] In one embodiment, a short-range lidar can be arranged on the front wheel arch of the vehicle, or it can be arranged on the rear wheel arch of the vehicle.

[0115] In one embodiment, a short-range lidar can be arranged on the left front wheel arch and on the right front wheel arch of the vehicle.

[0116] In one embodiment, a short-range lidar can be arranged on the left rear wheel arch and on the right rear wheel arch of the vehicle.

[0117] Figure 9 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array mounted on a vehicle door handle, according to an embodiment of this application. In one embodiment, the short-range lidar array can be mounted on the rear door handle, or it can be mounted on the front door handle.

[0118] In one embodiment, a short-range lidar can be placed on the left rear door handle and on the right rear door handle of the vehicle.

[0119] In one embodiment, a short-range lidar can be arranged on the left front door handle and on the right front door handle of the vehicle.

[0120] In one embodiment, the short-range lidar can also be mounted on the fender on the side of the vehicle.

[0121] above Figures 7 to 9 In this arrangement, a flipping component can be connected to a short-range lidar. The flipping component can drive the short-range lidar to flip forward or backward, thereby enabling the perception of the environment in front of or behind the vehicle.

[0122] above Figures 7 to 9 The example described uses a sedan as an illustration, but the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. For instance, the short-range lidar arrangement scheme in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to buses, trucks, or other types of vehicles.

[0123] Figure 10 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range LiDAR array deployed on the side of a bus body, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Considering the long length of the bus, deploying short-range LiDAR arrays on both the front and rear wheel arches ensures that the point cloud data collected by these arrays can compensate for blind spots as the bus moves forward. This helps avoid safety accidents caused by long-range LiDAR's inability to detect objects at close range, thus improving the bus's safety performance. For example, it can enhance the safety of the bus when exiting a parking space.

[0124] As the bus moves backward, point cloud data collected by short-range lidar sensors on the front and rear wheel arches can compensate for blind spots. For example, this can improve the safety performance of the bus when parking.

[0125] Figure 11 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array arranged on the side of a truck body, as provided in an embodiment of this application. For trucks with longer bodies (e.g., a truck body length of up to 17 meters), short-range lidar arrays can be arranged on the rearview mirrors and at different locations in the side cargo box.

[0126] The short-range lidar provided in this application embodiment can also be deployed in other locations at the rear of the vehicle.

[0127] Figure 12 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array positioned on both sides of the license plate at the rear of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0128] In one embodiment, the short-range lidar sensors on either side of the vehicle's rear license plate are symmetrical about the vehicle's centerline in the width direction.

[0129] Figure 13This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array positioned above the license plate at the rear of a vehicle, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0130] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a short-range lidar array on a tail fin, as provided in an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0131] above Figures 12 to 14 The examples illustrate this by arranging two short-range LiDARs at the rear of the vehicle. However, this application does not specify a particular number of short-range LiDARs at the rear. For instance, one short-range LiDAR could be arranged at the rear, such as to the left or right of the license plate, above or below the license plate, or on the rear wing.

[0132] Figure 15 A schematic flowchart of a control method 1500 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The method 1500 includes:

[0133] S1501, determine the current status of the vehicle.

[0134] In one embodiment, the current state of the vehicle includes moving forward or moving backward.

[0135] For example, the current state of a vehicle can be determined by its gear position. When the vehicle detects the user shifting into Drive (D), it can be determined that the vehicle is currently moving forward; when the vehicle detects the user shifting into Reverse (R), it can be determined that the vehicle is currently moving backward.

[0136] When it is determined that the vehicle is moving forward, steps S1502-S1504 can be executed; when it is determined that the vehicle is moving backward, steps S1505-S1507 can be executed.

[0137] S1502 controls the short-range lidar to perceive the environment in front of the vehicle.

[0138] For example, when it is determined that the vehicle is moving forward, the short-range lidar can be flipped forward by the aforementioned flipping component. For instance, when the computing platform determines that the vehicle is currently moving forward based on data collected by the gear position sensor, it can control the aforementioned drive motor (or motor) to operate, thereby controlling the short-range lidar on the rearview mirror to flip forward and enter the aforementioned flipping state 1.

[0139] S1503 fuses the data collected by short-range lidar and other sensors to obtain the fusion result.

[0140] In one embodiment, the fusion module can fuse point cloud data collected by short-range lidar, point cloud data collected by long-range lidar, images collected by a camera device (e.g., a surround-view camera), and point cloud data collected by millimeter-wave radar or centimeter-wave radar to obtain a fusion result.

[0141] S1504, Based on the fusion result, execute the control instructions.

[0142] After the fusion module obtains the fusion result, it can send the fusion result to the planning and control module, which will then perform the corresponding operations.

[0143] For example, the control module includes, but is not limited to, an automatic emergency brake (AEB) module and an automatic cruise control (ACC) module.

[0144] For example, based on the fusion result, control instructions are executed, including: when the fusion result determines that there is an object (e.g., an animal or a crouching person) near the vehicle body, controlling the vehicle to brake or avoid it.

[0145] In this embodiment, the fusion result is determined by point cloud data collected by short-range lidar and point cloud data collected by long-range lidar. This compensates for blind spots caused by point cloud data collected only by long-range lidar. It avoids safety accidents caused by the inability of long-range lidar and camera devices to detect objects or people close to the vehicle, thereby improving vehicle safety.

[0146] S1505 controls the short-range lidar to perceive the environment behind the vehicle.

[0147] For example, when it is determined that the vehicle is moving backward, the short-range lidar can be flipped backward by the aforementioned flipping component. For instance, when the computing platform determines that the vehicle is currently moving backward based on data collected by the gear position sensor, it can control the aforementioned drive motor (or motor) to operate, thereby controlling the short-range lidar on the rearview mirror to flip backward, entering the aforementioned flipping state 2.

[0148] S1506 fuses data collected by short-range lidar and other sensors to obtain the fusion result.

[0149] In one embodiment, the fusion module can fuse point cloud data collected by short-range lidar, point cloud data collected by long-range lidar, images collected by a camera device (e.g., a surround-view camera), and point cloud data collected by millimeter-wave radar or centimeter-wave radar to obtain a fusion result.

[0150] In one embodiment, mapping can be performed based on data collected by short-range lidar and other sensors as the vehicle moves forward or backward.

[0151] For example, vehicles can perform simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) using point cloud data collected by short-range LiDAR and long-range LiDAR, as well as image data collected by camera devices.

[0152] S1507, Based on the fusion result, execute the regulatory control instructions.

[0153] For example, based on the fusion result, control instructions are executed, including: during vehicle parking, when the fusion result determines that there is an object (e.g., an animal or a crouching person), a parking lock, or other obstacle (e.g., a pole) near the vehicle, the vehicle is controlled to brake or avoid it.

[0154] In this embodiment, by determining the current state of the vehicle, the short-range LiDAR can be controlled to perceive the environment in front of or behind the vehicle, which helps to compensate for the blind spots caused by the long-range LiDAR and improve the accuracy of perception of the surrounding environment, thereby improving vehicle safety. At the same time, by using the flipping component and the short-range LiDAR, perception of the environment in front of or behind the vehicle can be achieved, which helps to reduce the number of short-range LiDARs installed on the vehicle, thereby helping to reduce the cost of the vehicle.

[0155] The short-range lidar in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0156] For example, a short-range lidar can be a direct time-of-flight (DTOF) lidar.

[0157] For example, Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the DTOF lidar provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0158] DTOF lidar can measure distances from 5m to 10m; its ranging accuracy can reach 3cm to 5cm; the horizontal and vertical resolutions can be determined according to the actual scenario requirements; the blind zone of DTOF lidar is within 5cm-15cm, which is smaller than the 60cm blind zone of long-range lidar; the horizontal and vertical FOVs can be determined according to the actual scenario requirements, thus meeting the requirements of vehicle layout and blind spot coverage mentioned above. Table 1, for example, shows the parameters of the DTOF lidar and their corresponding values.

[0159] Table 1

[0160] parameter Parameter value Distance measurement capability 5m~50m Distance measurement accuracy 3cm~5cm blind spot 5cm~15cm Horizontal FOV 90°～180° Vertical FOV 25°～90°

[0161] The parameters and their corresponding values ​​listed in Table 1 above are merely illustrative, and the embodiments of this application do not impose any specific limitations on them.

[0162] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the DTOF lidar provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 17 As shown, a DTOF lidar system consists of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an emitting optical engine, a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a receiving optical engine, a holder bracket, and an assembled printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The DTOF lidar system measures distance based on the time-of-flight (TOF) principle, offering advantages such as accurate ranging, fast response time, and the ability to simultaneously detect multiple objects.

[0163] The above explanation uses a DTOF lidar as an example for short-range lidar. This application does not specifically limit the type of short-range lidar. For example, short-range lidar can also be a mechanical lidar, an optical phased array (OPA) lidar, etc.

[0164] Figure 18 A schematic block diagram of a lidar system 1800 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 18 As shown, the lidar system 1800 includes: a first lidar 1810; and a first flipping component 1820 for connecting the first lidar 1810 to a first side of the vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component 1820 is flipped to a first position, the first lidar 1810 is used to perceive the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component 1820 is flipped to a second position, the first lidar 1810 is used to perceive the environment in a second direction.

[0165] Optionally, the first lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0166] For example, the first lidar is a long-range lidar. In this way, the data collected by the long-range lidar on the first side can compensate for the blind spots caused by the lidar on the front of the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0167] For example, the first lidar is a short-range lidar. In this way, the data collected by the short-range lidar on the first side can compensate for the blind spots caused by the lidar on the front of the vehicle. Simultaneously, the data collected by the short-range lidar on the first side can identify people, animals, or other obstacles close to the vehicle, thereby helping to improve the vehicle's safety performance.

[0168] Optionally, the first side is the left side of the vehicle and the second side is the right side of the vehicle; or, the first side is the right side of the vehicle and the second side is the left side of the vehicle.

[0169] The connection between the first flipping component 1820 and the first lidar 1810 can be fixed or connected together by other devices (or components).

[0170] Optionally, the first direction can be the direction in which the vehicle is traveling forward (e.g., the positive direction of the X-axis). In this way, when the first flipping component 1820 flips to the first position, the first lidar 1810 can perceive the environment in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling forward.

[0171] The first lidar described above can perceive the environment in the direction the vehicle is traveling forward. It can also be understood that the horizontal field of view (FOV) of the first lidar corresponds to the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0172] Optionally, the second direction can be the direction in which the vehicle is traveling backward (e.g., the negative direction of the X-axis). In this way, when the first flipping component 1820 flips to the second position, the first lidar 1810 can perceive the environment in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling backward.

[0173] The first lidar described above can perceive the environment in the direction the vehicle is traveling backward. It can also be understood that the horizontal field of view (FOV) of the first lidar corresponds to the negative direction of the X-axis.

[0174] The above explanation uses the example of the first direction being the direction in which the vehicle travels forward and the second direction being the direction in which the vehicle travels backward. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. For example, the first direction could also be the direction in which the vehicle moves along the positive Y-axis, and the second direction could also be the direction in which the vehicle moves along the negative Y-axis.

[0175] Figure 19 A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 19As shown, the vehicle is located on a movable plane. When the movable plane moves to the right, the vehicle moves along the positive Y-axis. At this time, the first flipping component 1820 can flip to a first position, thereby enabling the first lidar 1810 to perceive the environment on the right side of the vehicle; or, when the movable plane moves to the left, the vehicle moves along the negative Y-axis. At this time, the first flipping component 1820 can flip to a second position, thereby enabling the first lidar 1810 to perceive the environment on the left side of the vehicle.

[0176] Optionally, the lidar system further includes: a second lidar; a second flipping component for connecting the second lidar to a second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component is flipped to a third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component is flipped to a fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0177] Optionally, the second lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0178] For example, the first and second lidars can be short-range lidars. Thus, when the vehicle is moving forward, the point cloud data collected by the short-range lidar can compensate for the blind spots of the long-range lidar, helping to avoid safety accidents caused by the long-range lidar's inability to detect objects at close range, thereby improving vehicle safety performance. When the vehicle is moving backward (e.g., parking), the point cloud data collected by the short-range lidar can improve parking safety performance, thus enhancing the user's parking experience.

[0179] Optionally, the first lidar and the second lidar are symmetrical about the centerline in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0180] The width of the vehicle can also be understood as the direction of the vehicle's horizontal axis.

[0181] In this embodiment, the first lidar and the second lidar are symmetrical about the centerline in the width direction of the vehicle, which ensures the aesthetics of the vehicle.

[0182] Optionally, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the rearview mirrors on the first side and the second side.

[0183] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown in (b) or (e), the first lidar and the second lidar can be arranged on the rearview mirrors on the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0184] Optionally, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the wheel arches of the first side and the second side.

[0185] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, a first lidar and a second lidar can be installed on the rear wheel arches on the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0186] Optionally, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the B-pillars of the first side and the second side.

[0187] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first and second lidars can be installed on the B-pillars on the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0188] Optionally, the first lidar and the second lidar are respectively mounted on the door handles on the first side and the second side.

[0189] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, a first lidar and a second lidar can be installed on the door handles on the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0190] Optionally, the lidar system may also include a third lidar located at the rear of the vehicle.

[0191] Optionally, the third lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0192] Optionally, the lidar system further includes: a fourth lidar located at the rear of the vehicle; wherein the third lidar and the fourth lidar are respectively located on both sides of the rear license plate of the vehicle; or, the third lidar and the fourth lidar are located on the rear wing of the vehicle; or, the third lidar and the fourth lidar are located above or below the rear license plate of the vehicle.

[0193] Optionally, the fourth lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0194] For example, such as Figure 12 As shown, the third and fourth lidars are respectively located on both sides of the rear license plate of the vehicle.

[0195] For example, such as Figure 13 As shown, the third and fourth lidars are located above the rear license plate of the vehicle.

[0196] For example, such as Figure 14 As shown, the third and fourth lidars are mounted on the rear wing of the vehicle.

[0197] Optionally, the lidar system further includes: a control device for acquiring an instruction for controlling the first lidar to perceive the environment in the first direction or the second direction; the control device is also used to control the first flipping component to flip according to the instruction.

[0198] Optionally, the first direction is the direction in which the vehicle travels forward, and the second direction is the direction in which the vehicle travels backward.

[0199] For example, the control device can be the aforementioned computing platform 150, or the control device can be a system-on-a-chip (SOC) in the computing platform 150, or the control device can be a processor in the computing platform, or the control device can be a vehicle controller, or the control device can be a zonal controller of the vehicle, or the control device can be a micro controller unit (MCU) in the zonal controller.

[0200] For example, the area controller may include a vehicle integration unit (VIU).

[0201] Figure 20 A schematic flowchart illustrating a control method 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. This control method 2000 can be executed by the aforementioned vehicle, or by the aforementioned computing platform 150, or by a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) within the computing platform, or by a processor within the computing platform, or by a vehicle controller, or by a vehicle's area controller, or by an MCU within the area controller. Figure 20 As shown, the method 2000 includes:

[0202] S2001, Get Instruction.

[0203] Optionally, the instruction may include the vehicle's driving status. For example, the vehicle's driving status can be obtained through data collected by a gear position sensor.

[0204] Optionally, the instruction includes the flipping angle of the first flipping component. For example, the instruction is used to direct the first flipping component along a direction such as... Figure 5 The XOZ plane shown in (c) is rotated 180° clockwise or 180° counterclockwise.

[0205] S2002, according to the instruction, control the first flipping component to flip, the first flipping component connects the first lidar to the first side of the vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component flips to the first position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the first flipping component flips to the second position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0206] Optionally, the first lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0207] The above descriptions of the first and second directions can be found in the descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0208] For example, when the vehicle detects a user shifting into reverse (R), the first flip-up component can be controlled to flip to a second position to sense the environment in the vehicle's rearward direction (or parking direction). When the vehicle is powered off, the first flip-up component can remain in the second position. When the vehicle is powered on and a user shifting into drive (D), the first flip-up component can be controlled to flip to a first position to sense the environment in the vehicle's forward direction.

[0209] Optionally, the instruction includes the driving state of the vehicle, and controlling the first flipping component to flip according to the instruction includes: when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving forward, controlling the first flipping component to flip to the first position, the first direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving forward; or, when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving backward, controlling the first flipping component to flip to the second position, the second direction being the direction in which the vehicle is moving backward.

[0210] For example, the computing platform can acquire signals collected by the gear position sensor to determine the vehicle's current gear information. When the computing platform determines that the vehicle's current gear is D, it can control the first flipping mechanism to flip to the first position, thereby enabling the first lidar to perceive the environment in the vehicle's forward driving direction; or, when the computing platform determines that the vehicle's current gear is R, it can control the first flipping mechanism to flip to the second position, thereby enabling the first lidar to perceive the environment in the vehicle's backward driving direction.

[0211] Optionally, the method 2000 further includes: controlling a second flipping component to flip according to the control command, the second flipping component connecting a second lidar to a second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component flips to a third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component flips to a fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0212] Optionally, the second lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0213] Optionally, the method 2000 further includes: constructing a map based on the point cloud data acquired by the first lidar.

[0214] Optionally, the mapping based on the point cloud data collected by the first lidar includes: mapping based on the point cloud data collected by the first lidar and data collected by other sensors.

[0215] For example, data collected by other sensors includes, but is not limited to: point cloud data collected by long-range lidar, point cloud data collected by millimeter-wave radar, or image data collected by cameras.

[0216] This application provides a control device for implementing any of the above methods. For example, a control device is provided that includes a unit (or means) for implementing the steps performed by the vehicle in any of the above methods.

[0217] Figure 21 A schematic block diagram of a control device 2100 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 21 As shown, the control device 2100 includes: an acquisition unit 2110 for acquiring instructions; and a control unit 2120 for controlling a first flipping component to flip according to the instructions, the first flipping component connecting a first lidar to a first side of the vehicle; wherein, when the first flipping component flips to a first position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a first direction; or, when the first flipping component flips to a second position, the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in a second direction.

[0218] Optionally, the first lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0219] Optionally, the instruction includes the vehicle's driving state, and the control unit 2120 is specifically used to: control the first flipping component to flip to the first position when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving forward, and the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the direction of the vehicle's forward driving; or, control the first flipping component to flip to the second position when the driving state indicates that the vehicle is moving backward, and the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the direction of the vehicle's backward driving.

[0220] Optionally, the second lidar can be a long-range lidar or a short-range lidar.

[0221] Optionally, the control unit 2120 is further configured to control the second flipping component to flip according to the control command, the second flipping component connecting the second lidar to the second side of the vehicle; wherein, when the second flipping component flips to the third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or, when the second flipping component flips to the fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

[0222] Optionally, the device further includes a mapping unit for mapping based on point cloud data acquired by the first lidar.

[0223] For example, the acquisition unit 2110 can be implemented by a processor 151 in a computing platform. The processor 151 can acquire gear information collected by the gear sensor.

[0224] For example, the control unit 2120 can be implemented by a processor 152 in a computing platform. When the gear information indicates that the current vehicle is in D gear, the processor 152 can control the first flipping component to flip to a first position, so that the horizontal FOV of the first lidar corresponds to the direction of the vehicle's forward movement. The processor 152 can also control the second flipping component to flip to a third position, so that the horizontal FOV of the second lidar corresponds to the direction of the vehicle's forward movement.

[0225] The functions implemented by the acquisition unit 2110 and the control unit 2120 can be implemented by different processors in the computing platform, or they can be implemented by the same processor in the computing platform. The comparison of the embodiments in this application is not limited.

[0226] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software; for example, the device includes a processor connected to memory, which stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of each unit in the device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a CPU or microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units in the device can be implemented as hardware circuits. The functions of some or all units can be implemented through the design of the hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an ASIC, and the functions of some or all units are implemented through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a PLD, such as an FPGA, which can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby implementing the functions of some or all units. All units of the above devices can be implemented entirely through processor calling software, or entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor calling software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0227] In this application embodiment, a processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a CPU, microprocessor, GPU, or DSP. In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. These logical relationships are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor may be a hardware circuit implemented as an ASIC or PLD, such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as an NPU, TPU, or DPU.

[0228] As can be seen, each unit in the above device can be one or more processors (or processing circuits) configured to implement the above methods, such as: CPU, GPU, NPU, TPU, DPU, microprocessor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or a combination of at least two of these processor forms.

[0229] Furthermore, the units in the above devices can be integrated in whole or in part, or they can be implemented independently. In one implementation, these units are integrated together as a system-on-a-chip (SOC). The SOC may include at least one processor for implementing any of the above methods or implementing the functions of the units in the device. The at least one processor may be of different types, such as CPU and FPGA, CPU and artificial intelligence processor, CPU and GPU, etc.

[0230] This application also provides an apparatus comprising a processing unit and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit is used to store instructions, and the processing unit executes the instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the apparatus to perform the methods or steps described in the above embodiments.

[0231] Optionally, if the device is located in a vehicle, the aforementioned processing unit may be Figure 1 The processors shown are 151-15n.

[0232] This application also provides a vehicle that may include the aforementioned lidar system 1800 and / or control device 2100.

[0233] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the above-described method.

[0234] This application also provides a computer-readable medium storing program code that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the above-described method.

[0235] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, power-on erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0236] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the memory may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor.

[0237] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0239] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0241] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0242] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0243] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0244] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology 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 lidar system, characterized in that, include: The first lidar, the first lidar is a short-range lidar; A lidar on the front side of the vehicle, wherein the ranging capability of the lidar on the front side of the vehicle is greater than that of the first lidar, and / or, the ranging accuracy of the lidar on the front side of the vehicle is less than that of the first lidar. A first flipping component is used to connect the first lidar to the rearview mirror on the first side of the vehicle. The first lidar is fixedly connected to the first flipping component. The first side is the left side or the right side of the vehicle. The rearview mirror on the first side includes a folding mechanism, which is used to control the rearview mirror on the first side to be in a folded or unfolded state. When the first flipping component flips to the first position, the horizontal field of view of the first lidar corresponds to the first direction, and the first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or... When the first flipping component flips to the second position, the horizontal field of view of the first lidar corresponds to the second direction. The first lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction. The first direction is the direction in which the vehicle is traveling forward, and the second direction is the direction in which the vehicle is traveling backward.

2. The lidar system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lidar system also includes: Second lidar; The second flipping component is used to connect the second lidar to the second side of the vehicle; When the second flipping component flips to the third position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the first direction; or... When the second flipping component flips to the fourth position, the second lidar is used to perceive the environment in the second direction.

3. The lidar system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first and second lidars are symmetrical about the centerline in the width direction of the vehicle.

4. The lidar system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The second lidar is mounted on the second side rearview mirror; or, The second lidar is mounted on the second side wheel arch; or, The second lidar is mounted on the B-pillar on the second side; or, The second lidar is mounted on the door handle on the second side.

5. The lidar system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The lidar system also includes: The third lidar is located at the rear of the vehicle.

6. The lidar system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lidar system also includes: The fourth lidar is located at the rear of the vehicle; The third and fourth lidar sensors are respectively located on either side of the license plate at the rear of the vehicle; or, The third and fourth lidar sensors are mounted on the rear wing of the vehicle; or, The third and fourth lidar sensors are positioned above or below the license plate at the rear of the vehicle.

7. The lidar system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The lidar system also includes: A control device is configured to acquire instructions, the instructions being used to instruct the first lidar to perceive the environment in the first direction or the second direction; The control device is also used to control the first flipping component to flip according to the instruction.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the lidar system as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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