Beam splitting assembly and laser radar system

Abstract

The invention discloses a beam splitting assembly and a laser radar system. The beam splitting assembly comprises a fixing piece and a reflecting piece. The fixing piece is used for fixing the reflecting piece. The first area corresponding to the reflecting part is used for reflecting light. And a second area between the reflecting piece and the fixing piece is used for transmitting light. Thus, according to the beam splitting assembly, the reflecting part can be fixed to the fixing part, light rays are reflected through the first area corresponding to the reflecting part, holes do not need to be dug in the beam splitting assembly, film coating does not need to be conducted on part of the area of the beam splitting assembly, the machining technology is simple, and batch production is facilitated. In addition, the light transmission medium of the second area between the reflecting piece and the fixing piece is air, so that when the light penetrates through the second area, the light transmittance can be enhanced, and the ranging capability of the laser radar is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of laser radar technology, and in particular to a beam splitting component and a laser radar system. Background Art

[0002] In the current LiDAR system, the key optical device is the beam splitter. The most common beam splitter is a glass hole reflector or a reflective film coated on a local area of ​​the glass. This type of beam splitter requires a glass substrate to be coated in different areas, or holes are drilled in local areas. The processing technology is complicated, resulting in high costs. In addition, the light-transmitting surface area of ​​the glass substrate of the beam splitter is mainly used to transmit and receive light. Therefore, since the light-transmitting surface area of ​​the glass substrate is glass, glass is a real light-transmitting medium. When light passes through the glass medium, it will cause a loss of light transmittance, resulting in a weaker LiDAR ranging capability. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention aims to solve one of the problems in the related art at least to a certain extent. To this end, the purpose of the present application is to provide a beam splitting component and a laser radar system.

[0004] The present application provides a beam splitter assembly, which includes a fixing member and a reflector, wherein the fixing member is used to fix the reflector; a first area corresponding to the reflector is used to reflect light, and a second area between the reflector and the fixing member is used to transmit light.

[0005] In this way, the beam splitter assembly of the present application can fix the reflector on the fixing member, and the first area corresponding to the reflector can reflect light, so that there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitter assembly, and there is no need to coat part of the area of ​​the beam splitter assembly. The processing technology is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium in the second area between the reflector and the fixing member is air, when the light passes through the second area, the optical transmittance can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0006] In some embodiments, the reflective element is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0007] In this way, the beam splitting assembly of the present application can set the reflector to be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral to meet the requirements of light reflection.

[0008] In some embodiments, the reflective element is partially located on a side wall of the fixing element.

[0009] Thus, the beam splitter assembly of the present application can be applied to the laser radar system of the rotating mirror non-coaxial solution by partially setting the reflector on the side wall of the fixing part, and there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitter assembly, and there is no need to coat part of the beam splitter assembly, and the processing technology is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area between the reflector and the fixing part is air, when the light passes through the second area, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0010] In some embodiments, the beam splitting assembly includes a connecting member, the connecting member includes one or more brackets, and the connecting member is used to fix the reflecting member on the fixing member.

[0011] Thus, the beam splitter assembly of the present application fixes the reflector to the fixing member through the connecting member, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area between the reflector and the fixing member is air, when the light passes through the second area, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0012] In some embodiments, the connecting member includes a first bracket, a second bracket and a third bracket, the second bracket is arranged between the first bracket and the third bracket, the end of the first bracket opposite to the second bracket is connected to the first end of the fixing member, the end of the third bracket opposite to the second bracket is connected to the second end of the fixing member, and the reflecting member is arranged on the second bracket.

[0013] In this way, the beam splitter assembly of the present application is arranged on the second bracket between the first bracket and the third bracket, so that the reflector is located in the cavity, and the reflector is fixedly arranged on the fixing member by connecting the end of the first bracket opposite to the second bracket to the first end of the fixing member and the end of the third bracket opposite to the second bracket to the second end of the fixing member, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area between the reflector and the fixing member is air, when the light passes through the second area, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket are integrally formed.

[0015] In this way, the first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket of the beam splitting assembly of the present application are integrally formed, which can simplify the production process and reduce the production cost.

[0016] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the second bracket is smaller than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector, and the second bracket is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0017] In this way, the beam splitting assembly of the present application can ensure that the second bracket will not block the light reflected from the object by setting the area of ​​the second bracket to be less than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector and setting the branch shape of the second bracket to be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0018] In some embodiments, the connecting member includes a fourth bracket, a fifth bracket, a sixth bracket, a seventh bracket and an eighth bracket, the sixth bracket is arranged between the fourth bracket and the fifth bracket, the sixth bracket is also arranged between the seventh bracket and the eighth bracket, the end of the fourth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the first end of the fixing member, the end of the fifth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the second end of the fixing member, the end of the seventh bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the third end of the fixing member, the end of the eighth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the fourth end of the fixing member, and the reflector is arranged on the sixth bracket.

[0019] In this way, the beam splitter assembly of the present application is arranged on the sixth bracket between the fourth bracket and the fifth bracket and between the seventh bracket and the eighth bracket, so that the reflector is located in the cavity, and the reflector is fixedly arranged on the fixing member by connecting the end of the fourth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket to the first end of the fixing member, the end of the fifth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket to the second end of the fixing member, the end of the seventh bracket opposite to the sixth bracket to the third end of the fixing member, and the end of the eighth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket to the fourth end of the fixing member, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area between the reflector and the fixing member is air, when the light passes through the second area, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the fourth bracket, the fifth bracket, the sixth bracket, the seventh bracket, and the eighth bracket are integrally formed.

[0021] In this way, the fourth bracket, the fifth bracket, the sixth bracket, the seventh bracket and the eighth bracket of the beam splitting assembly of the present application are integrally formed, which can simplify the production process and reduce the production cost.

[0022] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the sixth bracket is smaller than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector, and the sixth bracket is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0023] In this way, the beam splitting assembly of the present application can play the role of fixing the reflector by setting the area of ​​the sixth bracket to be smaller than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector, and the sixth bracket can be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral, and can ensure that the second bracket will not block the light reflected from the object, thereby not affecting the light reflected from the object passing through the second area, thereby enhancing the transmittance of light in the second area.

[0024] The present application also provides a laser radar system, wherein the laser radar system comprises a beam splitting component as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0025] In this way, the laser radar system of the present application can fix the reflector on the fixing part, and the first area corresponding to the reflector can reflect light, so that there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitting component, and there is no need to coat part of the beam splitting component. The processing technology is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium in the second area between the reflector and the fixing part is air, when the light passes through the second area, the optical transmittance can be enhanced, thereby improving the laser radar ranging capability.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the working scene of the beam splitting component in the related art;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a beam splitting component in the related art;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser radar system to which the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application can be applied;

[0031] Figure 4 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 5 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the working scene of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is the third structural schematic diagram of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 This is the fourth structural schematic diagram of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 9 This is the fifth structural schematic diagram of the beam splitting assembly of certain embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0038] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or can communicate with each other; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0040] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, which itself does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0041] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0042] In the current LiDAR system, the key optical device is the beam splitter, which is currently realized by a glass hole-drilled reflector or a reflective film coated on a local area of ​​the glass. This type of beam splitter requires a glass substrate to be coated in different areas or holes to be drilled in the local area. Figure 1 , 03 is a whole glass substrate, A is the light-transmitting area, which needs to be coated with an anti-reflection film. B is the reflective area, which needs to be coated with a reflective film. For details, please refer to Figure 2 , a beam splitter that achieves the beam splitting effect through regional coating. The upper and lower gray areas are structural parts used to support and fix the beam splitter.

[0043] Therefore, the processing technology of the beam splitter is complicated, which makes it impossible to reduce the cost and cannot meet the high demand for low cost of LiDAR. In addition, the light-transmitting surface area of ​​the glass substrate of the beam splitter is mainly used to transmit and receive light. Therefore, since the light-transmitting surface area of ​​the glass substrate is glass, glass is a real light-transmitting medium. When light passes through the glass medium, it will cause light transmittance loss, resulting in a reduction in the ranging capability of LiDAR.

[0044] See also Figure 3 In the laser radar system 1000 of the present application, the laser radar system 1000 may include a beam splitting component 100. The beam splitting component 100 may use a plane mirror 110 or a beam splitter with a hole 1101. Specifically, taking a plane mirror with a hole as an example, the plane mirror 110 uses the hole 1101 to transmit the emission light beam to guide the emission light beam to the scanning device 200, and uses a mirror to reflect the receiving light beam to guide the receiving light beam to the receiving device 300. That is, the emission light beam emitted from the transmitting device 400 can be directly transmitted through the plane mirror 110 via the hole 1101, and the reflected receiving light beam can be reflected by the mirror in the plane mirror 110. That is, the reverse receiving path can be separated from the forward transmitting path at the plane mirror 110. Thus, with the help of the plane mirror 110 with a hole, the laser radar system 1000 can achieve coaxial transmission and reception. Advantageously, the coaxial transmission and reception can avoid the problem of imaging position deviation of the return light spot of short-range and long-range detection caused by the separation of the optical axes of the two, thereby avoiding the additional calibration caused by this problem, which is conducive to mass production of products. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present application can also be a non-coaxial laser radar system.

[0045] The inventor of the present application realizes that the plane reflector with a hole has relatively loose requirements on the precision of the manufacturing and adjustment of the hole, as long as the emitted light beam can pass through. On this basis, by reducing the size of the hole, the loss of reflected light can be reduced.

[0046] Therefore, in some embodiments, the emission light beam is in a focused state when passing through the hole. For example, by designing the light beam characteristics of the emission light beam and / or adjusting the position of the plane reflector relative to the emission device 400, it can be ensured that the emission light beam is in a focused state when passing through the hole. Advantageously, by focusing the emission light beam at the hole, the hole can be minimized while ensuring that the emission light beam passes through the hole, thereby minimizing the loss of reflected light and further reducing the precision requirements for the manufacture and adjustment of the hole. However, it is easy to understand for those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to this.

[0047] The hole is usually located at the center of the plane reflector, but the present application is not limited thereto. In addition, to reduce the loss of reflected light, the shape of the hole can correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the emitted light beam when passing through the hole, and therefore is not necessarily circular.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present application may also use other methods to achieve coaxial transmission and reception. However, compared to other methods such as a beam splitter, the plane reflector with holes proposed in the present disclosure can reduce light loss and improve efficiency.

[0049] The laser radar system 1000 of the present application may also include a scanning device 200 , a receiving device 300 , and a transmitting device 400 .

[0050] In various embodiments, the transmitting device 400 can be configured to transmit an emission beam having a uniform energy distribution. Here, uniform energy distribution can also be interpreted as uniform illumination or light intensity. In some embodiments, such an emission beam having a uniform energy distribution can be obtained by shaping (homogenizing) using an emission optical system that will be discussed in detail later.

[0051] In various embodiments, the emitted light beam diverges in a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the emitting device, having a corresponding first divergence angle.

[0052] In addition, in various embodiments, the emission light beam is either parallel in a second direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the emission device 400 and perpendicular to the first direction, or divergent and the corresponding second divergence angle is smaller than a preset threshold.

[0053] In practical applications, the first direction ( Figure 3 The Y-axis direction shown in the figure) can usually refer to the vertical direction (V direction), while the second direction ( Figure 3 The Z-axis direction shown in the figure may generally refer to the horizontal direction (H direction). For ease of understanding, the following description is made by taking the case where the first direction corresponds to the vertical direction and the second direction corresponds to the horizontal direction as an example. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the first direction may also refer to the horizontal direction, and the second direction may refer to the vertical direction.

[0054] On the one hand, the emitted light beam diverges in the vertical direction, and the corresponding first divergence angle is defined as δθ V That is, the emitted light beam is at an angle δθ in the vertical direction. V Fan-shaped beam emission.

[0055] On the other hand, the emission light beam may be parallel in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the emission light beam may also be divergent in the horizontal direction, but the corresponding second divergence angle is less than the preset threshold. That is, the emission light beam is emitted in the horizontal direction as parallel light or at a very small angle. The selection of the preset threshold will be discussed in detail later.

[0056] That is, the emission light beam is a uniform linear or narrow rectangular light beam. As a result, the light spot projected in the field of view can appear as a narrow rectangle or even a line. The long side of the rectangle corresponds to the vertical direction, and the short side corresponds to the horizontal direction. Here, "narrow" may mean that the aspect ratio of the rectangle is greater than a preset aspect ratio threshold. Advantageously, by using an emission light beam that is linear or narrow rectangular, the laser radar system 1000 in the related art can achieve a more concentrated field of view angle energy, a longer distance detection, and a higher resolution.

[0057] The inventors of the present application have recognized that an emission light beam having the above-mentioned specific illumination distribution can be obtained by shaping a laser beam emitted from a common light source.

[0058] Therefore, in some embodiments, the transmitting device 400 includes a light source 410 and a transmitting optical system 430. The transmitting optical system 430 is configured to shape the laser beam emitted from the light source 410 to convert it into the above-mentioned transmitting light beam.

[0059] In some embodiments, the light source 410 may be a laser, such as a solid-state laser (such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge-emitting laser (EEL), an external-cavity diode laser (ECDL)), a laser diode, or a fiber laser. In some embodiments, the light source 410 may also include a light emitting diode (LED). However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present application does not specifically limit the type of device of the light source 410, as long as the output power of the light source 410 is large enough.

[0060] In some embodiments, the light source 410 may be an array light source 410. For example, the light source 410 may be a VCSEL array including a plurality of VCSELs. In a non-limiting example, the plurality of VCSELs may be configured to light up all at the same time during measurement, rather than lighting up in partitions and / or time divisions.

[0061] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the light source 410 may also be a single point light source 410. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present application does not impose any specific limitation on the arrangement of the light source 410.

[0062] In some embodiments, the light source 410 can emit light beams in different forms, including pulsed light, continuous wave (CW) and quasi-continuous light. The operating wavelength of the light source 410 can be 650nm to 1150nm, 800nm ​​to 1000nm, 850nm to 950nm or 1300nm to 1600nm. In some embodiments, the light source 410 can also include an optical component optically coupled to the light source for collimating or focusing the light beam emitted by the light source 410. Each emitted light beam emitted by the light source 410 can be continuous light lasting a certain period of time, or it can be one or more light pulses.

[0063] In some embodiments, the emission optical system 430 may include a diffusion unit configured to diffuse and shape the input laser beam. For example, the diffusion unit may diffuse and shape the beam based on diffraction and / or refraction, etc., to emit the above-mentioned uniform linear or narrow rectangular beam. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the present application may also obtain the above-mentioned emission beam through other shaping processes.

[0064] In some embodiments, the diffusion unit may include at least one of the following optical devices: an optical diffuser, a diffractive optical element (DOE), and an aspherical cylindrical mirror. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the above devices are merely examples of the diffusion unit, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0065] In the case of using an optical diffuser or DOE to perform diffusion shaping, the emission optical system 430 may further include a collimating unit, wherein the collimating unit may be configured to collimate the laser beam emitted from the light source 410 to obtain a collimated laser beam to be input into the diffuser or DOE.

[0066] In some embodiments, the collimating unit may include at least one of the following optical devices: a microlens or a collimating mirror. For example, the collimating unit may be an array of microlenses. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the above devices are only examples of collimating units, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0067] In various embodiments, the scanning device 200, such as a rotating mirror, can be configured to rotate around a rotation axis oriented in a vertical direction (a first direction, the Y-axis direction in the figure) to guide the emission light beam to scan the target object in the field of view. The target object can be any object that can reflect the scanning laser within the scanning field of view of the laser radar system, such as vehicles, pedestrians, animals, road signs, obstacles, trees, shelves, furniture, etc.

[0068] After irradiating the target object, the transmitted light beam is scattered back, and a portion of it returns to the laser radar system 1000 as a received light beam and is received by the receiving device 300.

[0069] In various embodiments, the receiving device 300 may be configured to receive and detect a receiving light beam returned from the target object. For example, the receiving light beam scattered and returned by the target object may return to the scanning device 200 along the original path, and then be guided by the scanning device 200 to the plane reflector 110, and then reflected by the plane reflector 110 to the receiving device 300.

[0070] In some embodiments, the receiving device 300 may include a photodetector 310. The photodetector 310 may measure the power, phase, or time characteristics of the received light and generate a corresponding current output.

[0071] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the photodetector 310 may include a plurality of photodetection units 3101 arranged along a direction. Among them, different photodetection units 3101 are configured to receive and detect light signals returned from target objects at different relative angles in the vertical direction of the field of view. The photodetector 310 may also include a receiving circuit (not shown) associated with each photodetection unit 3101. Each receiving circuit may be used to process the output electrical signal of the corresponding photodetection unit 3101.

[0072] The photodetection unit 3101 may include various forms of photodetection devices or one-dimensional or two-dimensional arrays of photodetection devices, and accordingly, the receiving circuit may be an array of one circuit or multiple circuits. In various embodiments, the photodetection device may be an avalanche diode (APD), a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a PN photodiode, or a PIN photodiode.

[0073] For example, the photodetection unit 3101 can be a photodetection device SPAD or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array thereof, so the photodetector 310 is an array of SPADs. Advantageously, since the spacing between SPADs is very small and they are closely arranged, the spatial resolution can be greatly improved. Moreover, different SPADs can simultaneously and individually perform direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) measurements, without the need to light up the light source 410 in different zones and at different times, which can greatly improve the temporal resolution.

[0074] In some embodiments, the receiving device 300 may further include a receiving optical system 330. The receiving optical system 330 may be configured to image the received light onto the photodetector 310. For example, in some embodiments, the receiving optical system 330 may include a receiving lens and an aperture. The receiving lens and the aperture are located upstream of the photodetector 310 on the receiving path. For example, the receiving lens may include an imaging system lens so that the focus of the received light beam is in front of or behind the receiving surface of the photodetector or just above the receiving surface. In some cases, instead of existing as a separate component, the receiving lens may also be integrated into the photodetector 310. The aperture is used to limit the angle of incident light incident on the photodetector 310, block stray light, etc.

[0075] As described above, the light spot projected into the field of view by the laser radar system 1000 can be a uniform line or a narrow rectangle extending in the vertical direction, so the received light beam returned from the target object will form a similar pattern on the receiving surface of the photodetector 310. By arranging a plurality of photodetection units 3101 correspondingly along the direction of the long side of the line or rectangle, and imaging the light returned from the target object at different relative angles in the vertical direction of the field of view to different photodetection units 3101 using the receiving optical system 330, these photodetection units 3101 can be made to correspond to the target objects at different relative angles in the vertical direction of the field of view, respectively. That is, different photodetection units 3101 are configured to receive and detect light signals returned from target objects at different relative angles in the vertical direction of the field of view. Therefore, based on the arrangement information of the photodetection unit 3101 and the parameter information of the optical system, etc., the relative angle of the corresponding target object can be accurately calculated.

[0076] Since a uniform linear (or narrow rectangular) transmitting light beam is adopted, it is only necessary to perform a simple adjustment on the laser radar system 1000 so that the receiving light spot imaged by the receiving optical system 330 on the photodetector 310 can cover the receiving surface of the photodetection unit 3101 (i.e., the photosensitive surface of all photodetection units 3101), and there is no need to perform separate alignment of the transmitting module and the receiving module. Here, the receiving light spot "covering" the receiving surface can be understood as the receiving light spot at least partially overlapping with the receiving surface, so that each photodetection unit can receive the light signal returned from the target object. For example, in some embodiments, the size of the receiving light spot can be made relatively small, and can only cover a portion of the receiving surface, so that the returned light signal can be received by the photodetection unit as much as possible to reduce waste. Therefore, advantageously, the scheme proposed in the present disclosure can greatly simplify the difficulty of adjustment and is conducive to realizing automated production.

[0077] The angular resolution δθ of the laser radar system 1000 in the vertical direction according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is V =Δθ V / , where Q is the number of photodetection units 3101 included in the photodetector 310. By reducing the emission angle Δθ V And / or increasing the number Q of the photodetection units 3101 in the photodetector 310 can reduce the angular resolution δθ in the vertical direction. V value, thereby improving the angular resolution in the vertical direction.

[0078] It is worth noting that, in some embodiments, each photodetection unit 3101 may include a plurality of photodetection devices (such as SPADs) arranged along one direction, wherein the arrangement direction of the plurality of photodetection devices is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of photodetection units 3101. With this arrangement, the number of photodetection devices in each photodetection unit 3101 can be increased without affecting the spacing of the photodetection units 3101, thereby improving the accuracy of detection without affecting the spatial resolution.

[0079] See also Figure 4 The present application provides a beam splitter assembly 100. The beam splitter assembly 100 includes a fixing member 10 and a reflector 30. The fixing member 10 is used to fix the reflector 30. The first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 is used to reflect light. The second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is used to transmit light.

[0080] The base material of the reflector 30 may be coated with a reflective film on the entire surface, so that the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect light. The present application simplifies the processing technology and facilitates mass production by coating the entire surface of the base material of the reflector 30 with a reflective film.

[0081] It should be noted that the light transmitted through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 refers to the light reflected from the object.

[0082] like Figure 5 As shown, the reflective assembly 30 can be directly mounted on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10 , or can be indirectly fixed to an inner area surrounded by the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10 .

[0083] In some embodiments, in order to reduce the weight of the beam splitting assembly 100 , a cavity 40 may be formed on the inner area of ​​the fixing member 10 , and the reflective member 30 may be located on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10 or in the cavity 40 .

[0084] That is, in one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the reflector 30 can be disposed in the cavity 40 formed by the inward depression of the fixing member 10, and is located at the center of the cavity 40. When the laser radar system emits light, the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect the light, and when the laser radar system receives the light reflected from the object, the light reflected from the object will directly pass through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10. Since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, the light reflected from the object can reduce the loss of optical transmittance when passing through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10, thereby avoiding the attenuation of the laser radar ranging.

[0085] It should be noted that when the reflective member 30 is set in the cavity 40 formed by the inward depression of the fixing member 10, the reflective member 30 is located in the position of the cavity 40. The reflective member 30 can be set at different positions of the cavity 40 according to the needs of actual applications. It is only necessary to ensure that the first area 50 corresponding to the reflective member 30 can reflect light and the second area 60 between the reflective member 30 and the fixing member 10 can transmit light.

[0086] In another embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the reflector 30 can be directly mounted on the fixing member 10, and can be located above the fixing member 10 or below the fixing member 10. When the laser radar system emits light, the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect the light. In addition, when the laser radar system receives a return light signal, the received return light signal will directly pass through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10. Since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, the light reflected from the object can enhance the optical transmittance when passing through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10, thereby improving the laser radar ranging capability.

[0087] The reflector 30 can be mounted on the fixing member 10 or arranged in the cavity 40 by means of an adhesive, and the adhesive can be, for example, a UV adhesive and a thermosetting adhesive, etc., which are not limited here. In this way, by mounting the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10 or arranging it in the cavity 40 by means of an adhesive, the flatness of the reflector 30 can be ensured.

[0088] In this way, the beam splitter assembly 100 of the present application can fix the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10, and the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect light, so that there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitter assembly 100, and there is no need to coat part of the area of ​​the beam splitter assembly 100, and the processing technology is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0089] In some embodiments, the reflector 30 is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral. That is, the shape of the reflector 30 can be set according to the reflection requirements, and is not limited here.

[0090] In this way, the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application meets the demand for light reflection by configuring the reflector 30 to be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0091] See also Figure 5 In some embodiments, the reflector 30 is partially located on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10. That is, a partial area of ​​the reflector 30 can be disposed on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10 by gluing to achieve the effect of beam splitting.

[0092] Specifically, when the reflector 30 is disposed on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10, a partial area of ​​the reflector 30 can be fixedly disposed on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10 by using a thermosetting adhesive. Figure 6 When the light reflected from the object is reflected by the rotating mirror, it can directly pass through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing part 10 of the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application. Since the transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing part 10 of the present application is air, the optical transmittance can be enhanced and the ranging capability of the laser radar can be improved.

[0093] Thus, the beam splitter assembly 100 of the present application can be applied to a laser radar system of a rotating mirror non-coaxial solution by partially setting the reflector 30 on the side wall 11 of the fixing member 10, and there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitter assembly 100, and there is no need to coat part of the beam splitter assembly 100, and the processing technology is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0094] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, the beam splitting assembly 100 includes a connecting member 70. The connecting member 70 includes one or more brackets 71. The connecting member 70 is used to fix the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10.

[0095] The material of the connector 70 may be aluminum alloy or other metal materials, which are not limited here. In this way, since the aluminum alloy is relatively light and has a certain hardness, the weight of the connector 70 can be further reduced while the rigidity can be improved. The connector 70 can be connected to the fixing member 10 by welding or adhesive. In this way, the connector 70 is connected to the fixing member 10 by welding, so that the connection between the connector 70 and the fixing member 10 can be more firmly connected. The connector 70 is connected to the fixing member 10 by adhesive, so that the connection between the connector 70 and the fixing member 10 can be more closely connected.

[0096] The reflector 30 can be fixed to the fixing member in an indirect manner, that is, the reflector 30 can be indirectly fixed to the fixing member 10 through the connecting member 70 , so that the reflector 30 is indirectly fixed to the fixing member 10 through the connecting member 70 and is located in the cavity 40 of the fixing member 10 .

[0097] Specifically, in one embodiment, the connecting member 70 includes a bracket 71, and both ends of the bracket 71 are respectively connected to different side walls 11 of the fixing member 10, and the reflecting member 30 is arranged on the bracket 71, so that the reflecting member 30 is located in the cavity 40 and is firmly connected to the fixing member 10. When the laser radar system emits light, the light can be reflected by the first area 50 corresponding to the reflecting member 30 arranged in the cavity 40.

[0098] In another embodiment, the connecting member 70 includes a plurality of brackets 71, which means that the connecting member 70 includes two brackets 71 or more than two brackets 71. The two or more brackets 71 may be two brackets 71, three brackets 71, four brackets 71 or other number of brackets 71, which are not limited here. That is, one end of the plurality of brackets 71 is respectively connected to different side walls 11 of the fixing member 10, and the other ends of the plurality of brackets 71 are connected to each other. The reflector 30 is disposed on the bracket 71 so that the reflector 30 is located in the cavity 40 and is firmly connected to the fixing member 10. When the laser radar system emits light, the light can be reflected by the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 disposed in the cavity 40.

[0099] In this way, the beam splitter assembly 100 of the present application fixes the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10 through the connector 70, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly 100 is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0100] See also Figure 7 In some embodiments, the connecting member 70 includes a first bracket 72, a second bracket 73, and a third bracket 74. The second bracket 73 is disposed between the first bracket 72 and the third bracket 74. The end of the first bracket 72 opposite to the second bracket 73 is connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10. The end of the third bracket 74 opposite to the second bracket 73 is connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10. The reflecting member 30 is disposed on the second bracket 73.

[0101] That is, by arranging the reflector 30 on the second bracket 73, the reflector 30 is located in the cavity 40, and when the laser radar system emits light, the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect the light. In addition, when the laser radar system receives the light reflected from the object, the light reflected from the object will directly pass through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10. Since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light reflected from the object passes through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0102] In this way, the beam splitter assembly 100 of the present application arranges the reflector 30 on the second bracket 73 between the first bracket 72 and the third bracket 74, so that the reflector 30 is located in the cavity 40, and the reflector 30 is fixedly arranged on the fixing member 10 by connecting the end of the first bracket 72 opposite to the second bracket 73 to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10 and the end of the third bracket 74 opposite to the second bracket 73 to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly 100 is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0103] In addition, the end of the first bracket 72 opposite to the second bracket 73 can be connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10 by welding, the second bracket 73 can be arranged between the first bracket 72 and the third bracket 74 by welding, and the end of the third bracket 74 opposite to the second bracket 73 can be connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10 by welding, so that the connecting member 70 is more firmly connected to the fixing member 10.

[0104] The end of the first bracket 72 opposite to the second bracket 73 can also be connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, the second bracket 73 can also be arranged between the first bracket 72 and the third bracket 74 by adhesive, and the end of the third bracket 74 opposite to the second bracket 73 can also be connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, so that the connecting member 70 is more closely connected to the fixing member 10.

[0105] The reflector 30 can be arranged on the second bracket 73 by an adhesive, for example, the adhesive can be glue. That is, by evenly applying glue on the second bracket 73, and connecting the surface opposite to the first area 50 of the reflector 30 corresponding to the first area 50 to the surface coated with glue, the flatness of the reflector 30 can be ensured.

[0106] In addition, the corners of the second bracket 73 can be processed into rounded corners during production to prevent the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 from generating stray light when reflecting light.

[0107] The width of the first bracket 72 and the third bracket 74 only needs to be sufficient to firmly fix the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10, so as to ensure that the reflector 30 is firmly set on the fixing member 10 while increasing the area of ​​the second region 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10, so that the second region 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 can pass more light.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first bracket 72, the second bracket 73 and the third bracket 74 are integrally formed. Thus, the first bracket 72, the second bracket 73 and the third bracket 74 of the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application are integrally formed, which can simplify the production process and reduce the production cost.

[0109] See also Figure 7 In some embodiments, the area of ​​the second bracket 73 is less than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector 30. The second bracket 73 is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0110] The following is an example in which the area of ​​the second bracket 73 is smaller than the area of ​​the reflector 30 .

[0111] For example, Figure 7 As shown, the area of ​​the reflector 30 is 10 cm 2 The area of ​​the second circular bracket 73 is 7 cm 2 , to ensure that the second bracket 73 does not block the light reflected from the object.

[0112] In this way, the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application can ensure that the second bracket 73 does not block the light reflected from the object by setting the area of ​​the second bracket 73 to be less than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector 30, and setting the shape of the second bracket 73 to be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0113] See also Figure 8 In some embodiments, the connecting member 70 includes a fourth bracket 75, a fifth bracket 76, a sixth bracket 77, a seventh bracket 78, and an eighth bracket 79. The sixth bracket 77 is disposed between the fourth bracket 75 and the fifth bracket 76, and the sixth bracket 77 is also disposed between the seventh bracket 78 and the eighth bracket 79. The end of the fourth bracket 75 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 is connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10. The end of the fifth bracket 76 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 is connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10. The end of the seventh bracket 78 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 is connected to the third end 14 of the fixing member 10. The end of the eighth bracket 79 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 is connected to the fourth end 15 of the fixing member 10. The reflecting member 30 is disposed on the sixth bracket 77.

[0114] That is, the present application sets the reflector 30 on the sixth bracket 77 so that the reflector 30 is located in the cavity 40. When the laser radar system emits light, the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 can reflect the light. When the laser radar system receives the light reflected from the object, the light reflected from the object will directly pass through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10. Since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light reflected from the object passes through the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0115] In this way, the beam splitter assembly 100 of the present application sets the reflector 30 on the sixth bracket 77 between the fourth bracket 75 and the fifth bracket 76 and between the seventh bracket 78 and the eighth bracket 79, so that the reflector 30 is located in the cavity 40, and the reflector 30 is fixedly set on the fixing member 10 by connecting the end of the fourth bracket 75 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10, the end of the fifth bracket 76 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10, the end of the seventh bracket 78 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 to the third end 14 of the fixing member 10, and the end of the eighth bracket 79 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 to the fourth end 15 of the fixing member 10, so that the processing technology of the beam splitter assembly 100 is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the transmittance of the light can be enhanced, thereby improving the ranging capability of the laser radar.

[0116] In addition, the end of the fourth bracket 75 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10 by welding, the end of the fifth bracket 76 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10 by welding, the end of the seventh bracket 78 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the third end 14 of the fixing member 10 by welding, and the end of the eighth bracket 79 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the fourth end 15 of the fixing member 10 by welding, so that the connecting member 70 is more firmly connected to the fixing member 10.

[0117] The end of the fourth bracket 75 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the first end 12 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, the end of the fifth bracket 76 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the second end 13 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, the end of the seventh bracket 78 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the third end 14 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, and the end of the eighth bracket 79 opposite to the sixth bracket 77 can be connected to the fourth end 15 of the fixing member 10 by adhesive, so that the connecting member 70 is more closely connected to the fixing member 10.

[0118] The reflector 30 can be arranged on the sixth bracket 77 by an adhesive, for example, the adhesive can be glue. That is, by evenly applying glue on the sixth bracket 77, and connecting the surface opposite to the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 to the surface coated with glue, the flatness of the reflector 30 can be ensured.

[0119] In addition, the corners of the sixth bracket 77 can be processed into rounded corners during production to prevent the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30 from generating stray light when reflecting light.

[0120] In some embodiments, the fourth bracket 75, the fifth bracket 76, the sixth bracket 77, the seventh bracket 78 and the eighth bracket 79 are integrally formed. In this way, the fourth bracket 75, the fifth bracket 76, the sixth bracket 77, the seventh bracket 78 and the eighth bracket 79 of the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application are integrally formed, which can simplify the production process and reduce the production cost.

[0121] See also Figure 8 or Fig. 9 In some embodiments, the area of ​​the sixth bracket 77 is less than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector 30. The sixth bracket 77 is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

[0122] The following is an example in which the area of ​​the sixth bracket 77 is smaller than the area of ​​the reflector 30 .

[0123] For example, Figure 8 As shown, the area of ​​the reflector 30 is 12 cm 2 The area of ​​the sixth circular bracket 77 is 10 cm 2 , to ensure that the sixth bracket 77 does not block the light reflected from the object.

[0124] For example, Fig. 9 As shown, the area of ​​the reflector 30 is 10 cm 2 The area of ​​the sixth quadrilateral support 77 is 8 cm 2 , to ensure that the first flow bracket 71 does not block the light reflected from the object.

[0125] In this way, the beam splitting assembly 100 of the present application sets the area of ​​the sixth bracket 77 to be less than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector 30, and the sixth bracket 77 can be circular, elliptical or quadrilateral, which can play the role of fixing the reflector 30 and ensure that the second bracket 73 will not block the light reflected from the object, thereby not affecting the light reflected from the object through the second area 60, thereby enhancing the transmittance of light in the second area 60.

[0126] The present application also provides a laser radar system, which includes the beam splitting assembly 100 as described above.

[0127] In this way, the laser radar system of the present application can fix the reflector 30 on the fixing member 10, and the light can be reflected by the first area 50 corresponding to the reflector 30, so that there is no need to dig holes in the beam splitting component 100, and there is no need to coat part of the area of ​​the beam splitting component 100. The processing technology of the beam splitting component 100 is simple and convenient for mass production. In addition, since the light transmission medium of the second area 60 between the reflector 30 and the fixing member 10 is air, when the light passes through the second area 60, the optical transmittance can be enhanced, thereby improving the laser radar ranging capability.

[0128] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A beam splitting component, characterized in that: The beam splitting assembly includes a fixing member and a reflecting member, wherein the fixing member is used to fix the reflecting member; a first area corresponding to the reflecting member is used to reflect light, and a second area between the reflecting member and the fixing member is used to transmit light.

2. The beam splitter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflective element is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

3. The beam splitter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflective component is partially located on the side wall of the fixing component.

4. The beam splitter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beam splitting assembly includes a connecting member, which includes one or more brackets. The connecting member is used to fix the reflecting member on the fixing member.

5. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting member includes a first bracket, a second bracket and a third bracket, the second bracket is arranged between the first bracket and the third bracket, the end of the first bracket opposite to the second bracket is connected to the first end of the fixing member, the end of the third bracket opposite to the second bracket is connected to the second end of the fixing member, and the reflecting member is arranged on the second bracket.

6. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket are integrally formed.

7. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The area of ​​the second bracket is smaller than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector, and the second bracket is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

8. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting member includes a fourth bracket, a fifth bracket, a sixth bracket, a seventh bracket and an eighth bracket, the sixth bracket is arranged between the fourth bracket and the fifth bracket, the sixth bracket is also arranged between the seventh bracket and the eighth bracket, the end of the fourth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the first end of the fixing member, the end of the fifth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the second end of the fixing member, the end of the seventh bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the third end of the fixing member, the end of the eighth bracket opposite to the sixth bracket is connected to the fourth end of the fixing member, and the reflecting member is arranged on the sixth bracket.

9. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fourth bracket, the fifth bracket, the sixth bracket, the seventh bracket and the eighth bracket are integrally formed.

10. The beam splitting assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The area of ​​the sixth bracket is smaller than or equal to the area of ​​the reflector, and the sixth bracket is circular, elliptical or quadrilateral.

11. A laser radar system, characterized in that: The laser radar system includes the beam splitting assembly described in any one of claims 1-10.

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