Transmitting device, TOF module and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a transmitting device, a TOF module and electronic equipment. The transmitting device comprises a laser for transmitting a light beam; the diffuser is arranged corresponding to the laser and is used for expanding the emission angle of the light beam; the optical splitter is arranged corresponding to the laser and the diffuser and is used for splitting the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions; wherein at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles are partially overlapped and superposed to form a detection light beam. According to the invention, a larger emission angle can be obtained through a single emission device, the cost and the size of a product are reduced, and the value of the product is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of optoelectronic technology, and in particular to a transmitting device, a TOF module and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] The maximum emission angle of a single existing emitting device is generally only 120°. If you want to obtain an emission angle of more than 180°, you need to use two or more emitting devices in superposition, such as the detection light emitting device in a time of flight (TOF) camera. By setting two emitting devices at a certain angle in a TOF camera, the two emitting devices emit light beams in two different directions respectively, and the light beams emitted by the two emitting devices partially overlap, the light beams emitted by the two emitting devices can be superimposed to obtain an emission angle of up to 220°.

[0003] However, using two or more transmitting devices to stack and obtain a larger transmitting angle will increase the cost and volume. Summary of the invention

[0004] The transmitting device, TOF module and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application can solve or partially solve the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art or other deficiencies in the prior art.

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present application, the emitting device includes: a laser, which emits a light beam; a diffuser, which is arranged corresponding to the laser and expands the emission angle of the light beam; and a beam splitter, which is arranged corresponding to the laser and the diffuser and divides the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions; wherein the at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles partially overlap and are superimposed to form a detection beam.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present application, the light beam emitted by the laser first passes through the diffuser to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and then passes through the beam splitter to be divided into at least two light beams with different emission directions.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present application, the laser includes a VCSEL laser, and the emitting device also includes a first circuit board, and the VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board; a mounting bracket is also provided on the first circuit board, and the diffuser is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, and the spectrometer is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the diffuser.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, the light beam emitted by the laser is firstly split into at least two light beams with different emission directions by the beam splitter, and then the emission angle of the light beam is expanded by the diffuser.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, the laser includes a VCSEL laser, and the emitting device also includes a first circuit board, and the VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board; a mounting bracket is also provided on the first circuit board, and the beam splitter is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, and at least two of the diffusers are respectively arranged on the mounting bracket and respectively cover the upper surface of the beam splitter and at least one side surface adjacent thereto.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present application, the beam splitter comprises a beam splitter prism, and the light beam is split into two light beams with perpendicular emission directions by the beam splitter prism.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, the VCSEL laser is disposed on a heat dissipation substrate, and the heat dissipation substrate is electrically connected to the first circuit board; the first circuit board is disposed on a pad, a countersunk hole is provided on the pad, and a through hole corresponding to the countersunk hole is provided on the first circuit board, and the heat dissipation substrate is disposed in the countersunk hole and exposes the VCSEL laser to the through hole.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, an electromagnetic shielding layer is provided on the inner wall of the through hole, and an electromagnetic shielding sheet is provided around the through hole on the surface of the first circuit board away from the pad.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, a protective bracket is further included, wherein the protective bracket is connected to the cushion block to form a shell covering the first circuit board and exposing the mounting bracket.

[0014] The TOF module provided according to the second aspect of the present application includes: the transmitting device according to the first aspect, which transmits the detection light beam; and a receiving device, which is arranged corresponding to the transmitting device, and the angle between the main receiving direction of the receiving device and the main emitting direction of the transmitting device is between 0° and 180°, and receives the detection light beam reflected back by the target to obtain the depth information of the target.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present application, the main receiving direction of the receiving device is perpendicular to the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, the receiving field of view of the receiving device is greater than 180°.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, the receiving field of view of the receiving device covers the transmitting field of view of the transmitting device.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, it is characterized in that it also includes a second circuit board, and the transmitting device and the receiving device are arranged on the second circuit board and are electrically connected to the second circuit board respectively.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present application, the pad of the transmitting device is electrically connected to the second circuit board via screws.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present application, the receiving device includes an image sensor and an imaging lens disposed on a photosensitive side of the image sensor, and the imaging lens is a fisheye lens.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present application, the light emitting surface of the laser of the transmitting device is perpendicular to the light sensing surface of the image sensor of the receiving device.

[0022] The electronic device provided according to the third aspect of the present application includes: a device body; and the TOF module according to the second aspect, wherein the TOF module is arranged on the device body to provide depth information for the device body.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present application, the TOF module is embedded in the device body.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present application, the transmitting device and the receiving device partially protrude from the upper surface of the device body.

[0025] According to the transmitting device, TOF module and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application, by setting a diffuser and a spectrometer, the diffuser is used to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and the spectrometer is used to divide the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions. This can achieve a larger emission angle through a single transmitting device, reduce the cost and volume of the product, and enhance the value of the product.

[0026] The content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features, purposes and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are used to better understand the present solution and do not constitute a limitation of the present application. Among them:

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transmitting device and a receiving device in an existing TOF camera;

[0029] Figure 2A and Figure 2Bis a schematic structural diagram of a transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2C is a schematic structural diagram of a transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a structural schematic diagram and a stereoscopic diagram of a launching device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a TOF module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a light spot formed on a photosensitive surface of a receiving device by a transmitting device in a TOF module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the field of view of a TOF module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram of a TOF module according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B It is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present application to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. Similarly, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, the description of well-known functions and structures is omitted in the following description.

[0038] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0039] A TOF camera is a device that detects the depth information of the surrounding environment by emitting and receiving light. Usually, a TOF camera is provided with a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device is used to transmit the detection beam, and the receiving device is used to receive the detection beam reflected by the target to obtain the depth information of the target. In order to make the detection beam emitted by the TOF camera obtain an emission angle of more than 180°, two or more transmitting devices need to be superimposed. Figure 1As shown, a TOF camera 100 is provided with transmitting devices 110, 120 and a receiving device 130, and the transmitting devices 110 and 120 are symmetrically arranged at both sides of the receiving device 130 at an angle of 90°, so that the emission directions of the light beams emitted by the transmitting devices 110 and 120 are different, wherein the emission angle of the light beam emitted by each transmitting device 110, 120 is 120°, and the light beams emitted by the transmitting devices 110 and 120 partially overlap, and the superposition of the light beams emitted by the transmitting devices 110 and 120 can obtain a detection light beam with an emission angle of 220°.

[0040] In the related art, the TOF camera obtains a larger emission angle by superimposing two or more emitting devices, which not only increases the size and cost of the TOF camera, but also the tolerance control of the emitting device in the TOF camera needs to adopt the AA method. Since the light beam imaged by the receiving device is obtained by debugging of more than two emitting devices, the light intensity of the imaged light spot will have a strong deviation. At the same time, when the TOF camera is hit, the more than two emitting devices are greatly affected. It is very easy for the light beam emitted by the emitting device to deviate from the receiving range of the receiving device, or the light intensity of the light spot imaged by the receiving device is uneven, and the performance of the product cannot be guaranteed.

[0041] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a transmitting device 200.

[0042] Figure 2A and Figure 2B FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a transmitting device 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the transmitting device 200 of the embodiment of the present application may include: a laser 210, a diffuser 220 and a beam splitter 230. Among them, the laser 210 emits a light beam, the diffuser 220 is correspondingly arranged with the laser 210, and is used to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and the beam splitter 230 is correspondingly arranged with the laser 210 and the diffuser 220, and is used to divide the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions. After passing through the diffuser 220 and the beam splitter 230, the light beam emitted by the laser 210 obtains at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles, and the obtained at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles partially overlap and superimpose to form a detection light beam. In the case where the diffuser 220 expands the emission angle of the light beam to 120° and the beam splitter 230 divides the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions, the at least two light beams with different emission angles and expanded emission angles of 120° partially overlap and superimpose, and the emission angle of the formed detection light beam will be greater than 120°.

[0043] The transmitting device 200 provided in the embodiment of the present application, through the arrangement of the diffuser 220 and the beam splitter 230, utilizes the diffuser 220 to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and utilizes the beam splitter 230 to divide the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions, so that a larger emission angle can be obtained through a single transmitting device, thereby reducing the cost and volume of the product and improving the value of the product. Moreover, a light beam with a larger angle can be emitted by a single transmitting device, and the tolerance control of the transmitting device can adopt the HA method. Since the light beam imaged by the receiving device comes from a single transmitting device, the light intensity of the imaged light spot is more uniform. At the same time, when the product is hit, the single transmitting device is relatively less affected, and it is not easy for the light beam emitted by the transmitting device to deviate from the receiving range of the receiving device, or the light intensity of the light spot imaged by the receiving device is uneven, thereby effectively ensuring the usability of the product.

[0044] It should be understood that the diffuser 220 in the embodiment of the present application is a shaping optical element that forms a uniform light beam at a specific angle. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific angle of the light beam formed by the diffuser 220. For example, the specific angle of the light beam formed by the diffuser 220 can be 90°, 100°, 120°, etc.

[0045] It should be understood that the beam splitter 230 in the embodiments of the present application is an optical element that splits a beam into at least two beams with a specific angle, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of beams obtained by the beam splitter 230 and the specific angle between the beams. For example, the number of beams obtained by the beam splitter 230 can be two beams, three beams, etc., and the angle between the beams can be 45°, 90°, etc.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2A As shown, the light beam emitted by the laser 210 first passes through the diffuser 220 to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and then passes through the beam splitter 230 to be divided into at least two light beams with different emission directions, thereby obtaining at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles, and the at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles partially overlap, and a detection light beam with a larger emission angle can be formed by superimposing the at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles.

[0047] In one example of this application, Figure 2AAs shown, the laser 210 includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser, VCSEL for short), and the emitting device 200 also includes a first circuit board 240. The VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board 240, and a mounting bracket 250 is also provided on the first circuit board 240. The diffuser 220 is arranged on the mounting bracket 250 and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, that is, the light emitting surface, and the beam splitter 230 is arranged on the mounting bracket 250 and covers the upper surface of the diffuser 220. Optionally, the diffuser 220 may include a diffuser, and the beam splitter 230 may include a beam splitter prism, and the light beam is divided into two light beams with perpendicular emission directions through the beam splitter prism. The light beam emitted by the VCSEL laser first passes through a diffuser to expand the emission angle of the light beam to 120°. The light beam with the expanded emission angle is then divided into two light beams with an emission angle of 120° in perpendicular directions through a beam splitter prism. The two light beams with an emission angle of 120° in perpendicular directions partially overlap, and after superposition, a detection beam with an emission angle of 220° is formed.

[0048] In other embodiments of the present application, Figure 2B As shown, the light beam emitted by the laser 210 is first divided into at least two light beams with different emission directions by the beam splitter 230, and then the emission angle of the light beam is expanded by the diffuser 220, thereby obtaining at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles, and the obtained at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles partially overlap, and a detection light beam with a larger emission angle can be formed by superimposing the obtained at least two light beams with different emission directions and expanded emission angles.

[0049] In another example of the present application, Figure 2B As shown, the laser 210 includes a VCSEL laser, and the emitting device 200 also includes a first circuit board 240. The VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board 240. A mounting bracket 250 is also provided on the first circuit board 240. The beam splitter 230 is arranged on the mounting bracket 250 and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, that is, the light-emitting surface. At least two diffusers 220 are respectively arranged on the mounting bracket 250 and respectively cover the upper surface of the beam splitter 230 and at least one side surface adjacent thereto. Optionally, the diffuser 220 may include a diffuser, and the beam splitter 230 may include a beam splitter prism. The light beam is divided into two light beams with perpendicular emission directions by the beam splitter prism. The light beam emitted by the VCSEL laser is first divided into two light beams with perpendicular emission directions by the beam splitter prism. The two light beams with perpendicular emission directions are then respectively expanded by the diffuser to an emission angle of 120°. The two light beams with perpendicular emission directions and an emission angle of 120° partially overlap, and after superposition, a detection light beam with an emission angle of 220° is formed. With respect to Figure 2A For example, Figure 2B In the example, since the expansion of the beam emission angle is performed after the beam is divided into two beams with perpendicular emission directions, the ratio Figure 2A In the example, the smaller size of the beam splitter prism can further reduce the volume of the transmitting device, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the transmitting device.

[0050] It should be noted that the diffuser can adopt a diffractive optical element (DOE) or a refractive optical element (ROE), and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The beam splitter prism can flexibly distribute the light intensity of two light beams with perpendicular emission directions by changing the parameters of the beam splitter film to meet the use requirements of various scenarios, such as simultaneously realizing strong light long-distance recognition and weak light close-range recognition. The size of the beam splitter prism is not limited as long as it meets the requirements of the emission light beam, and the size of the beam splitter prism is smaller than that of a general cylindrical mirror. The manufacturing process of the beam splitter prism is simple, the mass production is strong, and the cost is low. Since the beam splitter prism is usually formed by gluing two triangular prisms together, the two outgoing light beams can be changed by changing the shape and / or size of the two triangular prisms, so that the emission angle of the light beam finally emitted by the emitting device can be changed to achieve adaptation to a larger emission angle, such as replacing the triangular prisms that make up the beam splitter prism with a trapezoidal prism, or lengthening the length of one side of the triangular prism.

[0051] like Figure 2C As shown, the beam splitter prism 231 is formed by gluing two trapezoidal prisms 231a and 231b together, and the beam splitter film 231c is disposed on the matching inclined surfaces of the two trapezoidal prisms 231a and 231b. In the beam splitter prism 231, the plane corresponding to the right-angled side 231d of the trapezoidal prism 231a is the light incident surface to receive the light beam emitted by the VCSEL laser 211, and the plane corresponding to the lower base 231e of the trapezoidal prism 231a and the right-angled side 231f of the trapezoidal prism 231b is the light exit surface, and the length of the right-angled side 231f is greater than the length of the lower base 231e. Correspondingly, the diffuser 221 arranged on the side of the plane corresponding to the right-angled side 231f is larger than the diffuser 222 arranged on the side of the plane corresponding to the lower base 231e, so that the light beam emitted from the plane corresponding to the right-angled side 231f has a larger coverage area than the light beam emitted from the plane corresponding to the lower base 231e after passing through the diffuser, so that a detection light beam with a larger emission angle can be obtained after the two light beams are superimposed.

[0052] In another example of the present application, Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, the VCSEL laser 211 is disposed on a heat dissipation substrate 241, and the heat dissipation substrate 241 is electrically connected to the first circuit board 240. The first circuit board 240 is disposed on a pad 242, and a countersunk hole 242a is provided on the pad 242. A through hole 240a corresponding to the countersunk hole 242a is provided on the first circuit board 240. The heat dissipation substrate 241 is disposed in the countersunk hole 242a and exposes the VCSEL laser 211 to the through hole 240a. The mounting bracket 250 is disposed on the first circuit board 240, and the beam splitter prism 231 is disposed on the mounting bracket 250 and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser 211. Two diffusion sheets 221 and 222 are respectively disposed on the mounting bracket 250 and respectively cover the upper surface of the beam splitter prism 231 and a side surface adjacent thereto. Among them, the first circuit board 240 can be a soft-hard combination board, the heat dissipation substrate 241 can be a ceramic substrate, and the pad 242 can be a metal pad. As shown in FIG. Figure 3A As shown, the heat dissipation substrate 241 can be soldered to the back of the first circuit board 240 through solder paste 246 to be electrically connected to the first circuit board 240, and heat dissipation materials such as silicone grease can also be filled between the heat dissipation substrate 241 and the pad 242. Figure 3B As shown, the first circuit board 240 and the cushion block 242 can be positioned by positioning columns to facilitate assembly of the first circuit board 240 and the cushion block 242, and the first circuit board 240 and the cushion block 242 can be bonded by glue to simultaneously seal the first circuit board 240.

[0053] By arranging the VCSEL laser 211 on the heat dissipation substrate 241 and in the countersunk hole 242a of the pad 242, not only the VCSEL laser 211 and the pad 242 are in contact through the heat dissipation substrate 241 with better heat dissipation performance, but also a better heat dissipation effect can be obtained compared to the heat dissipation method of directly arranging the VCSEL laser on the first circuit board and then arranging the first circuit board on the pad, thereby meeting the heat dissipation requirements of the VCSEL laser 211 with high power and high heat generation when a larger emission angle is obtained through a single emitting device. At the same time, the overall height of the components on the first circuit board 240 can be reduced, and the volume of the emitting device can be further reduced, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the emitting device.

[0054] Optionally, an electromagnetic shielding layer may be provided on the inner wall of the through hole 240a, and an electromagnetic shielding sheet 243 may be provided around the through hole 240a on the surface of the first circuit board 240 away from the pad 242, such as Figure 3AAs shown, the electromagnetic shielding sheet 243 can be located on the inner side of the mounting bracket 250. The electromagnetic shielding layer can be a copper layer, and the electromagnetic shielding sheet 243 can be a metal sheet with electromagnetic shielding function. This electromagnetic shielding method is not only small in size, but also embedded in the first circuit board 240 and the components arranged thereon, which will not increase the volume of the transmitting device, and is conducive to the miniaturization of the transmitting device.

[0055] It should be understood that the first circuit board 240 in the embodiment of the present application is not limited to a rigid-flexible board. In other examples of the present application, the first circuit board 240 may also be a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit board. The heat dissipation substrate 241 in the embodiment of the present application is also not limited to a ceramic substrate. In other examples of the present application, the heat dissipation substrate 241 may also be an aluminum substrate or other types of heat dissipation substrates.

[0056] It should be understood that Figure 3A and Figure 3B The embodiment in which the light beam emitted by the VCSEL laser 211 first passes through the beam splitter 230 and then passes through the diffuser 220 is used as an example for description. For the embodiment in which the light beam emitted by the VCSEL laser 211 first passes through the diffuser 220 and then passes through the beam splitter 230, the VCSEL laser 211 can be arranged on the circuit board 240 in a similar manner.

[0057] In another example of the present application, FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C As shown, the launch device 200 may further include a protective bracket 260, which is connected to the cushion block 242 to form a shell covering the first circuit board 240 and exposing the mounting bracket 250, so as to protect the components on the first circuit board 240. The protective bracket 260 and the cushion block 242 may be connected by a triangular buckle to facilitate assembly of the two and ensure a firm connection. After the protective bracket 260 and the cushion block 242 are connected, a cylindrical shape may be formed, so that the appearance of the launch device 200 is beautiful and symmetrical as a whole.

[0058] The embodiment of the present application also provides a TOF module 1000 . Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a TOF module 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the TOF module 1000 of the embodiment of the present application may include: the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 in the above embodiment. Among them, the transmitting device 200 is used to transmit the detection beam, the receiving device 300 is set corresponding to the transmitting device 200, and the angle θ between the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 and the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device 200 is greater than 0° and less than 180°, that is, 0°<θ<180°, and the receiving device 300 is used to receive the detection beam reflected back by the target to obtain the depth information of the target.

[0059] It should be understood that the main emission direction in the embodiments of the present application refers to the emission direction of the main light in the detection beam emitted by the transmitting device 200, and the main receiving direction in the embodiments of the present application refers to the incident direction of the main light in the detection beam received by the receiving device 300.

[0060] The TOF module 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application can make the angle θ between the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 and the main emitting direction of the emitting device 200 greater than 0° and less than 180°, so that even if the main receiving optical axis of the TOF module 1000 is not parallel to the main emitting optical axis, the area where the detection light beam emitted by the emitting device 200 in the TOF module 1000 forms a light spot on the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 can be an annular area, such as Figure 5 As shown, a ring-shaped depth image can be obtained, so that the size of the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 can be controlled while obtaining an ultra-wide-angle effect through the transmitting device 200, thereby avoiding a significant increase in cost.

[0061] It should be understood that the annular region in the embodiments of the present application may include, but is not limited to, a circular annular region, an elliptical annular region, a notched annular region, or an arc-shaped region or other curved regions.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 6 As shown, the receiving field of view of the receiving device 300 covers the transmitting field of view of the transmitting device 200, and the angle θ between the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 and the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device 200 is greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 135°, that is, 45°<θ<135°, thereby fully identifying the transmitting field of view of the transmitting device 200 while improving the utilization rate of the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300.

[0063] Alternatively, if Figure 4 As shown, the angle θ between the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 and the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device 200 is equal to 90°, that is, θ=90°. In other words, the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 is perpendicular to the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device 200, so that the area where the detection light beam emitted by the transmitting device 200 in the TOF module 1000 forms a light spot on the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 is a circular ring area or an arc area, and the area for detecting the depth information of the target can be divided from the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 to reduce the area of ​​the required photosensitive surface, and then other areas on the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 can be used to collect image information for positioning and mapping, object recognition or gesture recognition, etc., so that the utilization rate of the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 can be further improved.

[0064] Alternatively, if Figure 6 As shown, the receiving field of view of the receiving device 300 is greater than 180° to ensure that the receiving field of view of the receiving device 300 can cover the transmitting field of view of the transmitting device 200 .

[0065] In one example of the present application, the transmitting device 200 is located outside the receiving field of view of the receiving device 300 to prevent the transmitting device 200 from blocking the field of view of the receiving device 300 .

[0066] In other embodiments of the present application, FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C As shown, the TOF module 1000 also includes a second circuit board 400, on which the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 are both arranged, and the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 are both electrically connected to the second circuit board 400, and the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 can be controlled by the second circuit board 400 to perform depth detection.

[0067] Optionally, the receiving device 300 may include an imaging lens 310 and an image sensor 320. The imaging lens 310 is disposed on the photosensitive side of the image sensor 320. Light enters the receiving device 300 through the imaging lens 310 and is imaged on the image sensor 320 to obtain image information. The depth information of the target can be obtained by combining the information of the detection light beam emitted by the transmitting device 200. It should be understood that in this embodiment, the main receiving direction of the receiving device 300 refers to the direction along the optical axis of the imaging lens 310 and toward the photosensitive surface 321 of the image sensor 320.

[0068] Alternatively, if FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C As shown, the imaging lens 310 of the receiving device 300 is a fisheye lens, so that the receiving device 300 forms a fisheye camera, so that a field of view angle greater than 180° can be obtained, and then a 360° surround view covers the transmission field of the transmitting device 200. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the image sensor 320 of the receiving device 300 can be an indirect time of flight method (Indirect TOF, referred to as I-TOF) chip or a direct time of flight method (Direct TOF, D-TOF) chip, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0069] Optionally, the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 are arranged on the same circuit board, and the light-emitting surface of the laser 210 of the transmitting device 200 and the photosensitive surface 321 of the image sensor 320 of the receiving device 300 are not parallel to each other, so that the angle θ between the main receiving direction and the main projection direction in the TOF module 1000 is greater than 0° and less than 180°.

[0070] In one example of the present application, the light emitting surface of the laser 210 of the transmitting device 200 is perpendicular to the photosensitive surface 321 of the image sensor 320 of the receiving device 300, so that the angle θ between the main receiving direction and the main projection direction in the TOF module 1000 is equal to 90°.

[0071] In one example of the present application, the area where the detection light beam emitted by the transmitting device 200 of the TOF module 1000 forms a light spot on the photosensitive surface 321 of the receiving device 300 is as follows: Figure 5 The arc-shaped area shown in the figure is used to obtain an arc-shaped image. After being processed by the image algorithm, the horizontal size of the image can be increased by 1.9 times, so that the TOF module 1000 can increase the horizontal pixels of the image without increasing the photosensitive surface 321. In other words, assuming that the existing TOF camera needs to occupy 13 pixels to recognize an object, and the TOF module 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application only needs to occupy 10 pixels, the pixels of the object of the same size are reduced by 1.9 times, which is relatively speaking. The pixels of the same object are increased by 1.9 times.

[0072] It should be noted that Figure 5 The distance d between the center of the arc-shaped image and the imaging center of the photosensitive surface 321 satisfies the following relationship: d=Y / 2-X / 2*sin70°, where the size of the photosensitive surface 321 is X*Y, and the field of view of the TOF module 1000 is 220°.

[0073] In addition, the arc-shaped area on the photosensitive surface 321 can collect light information within the emission field of view of the transmitting device 200 (i.e., light emitted by the transmitting device 200 and reflected back by the environment) to obtain first image information, such as a depth image (depth information calculated using the TOF principle); at the same time, the area outside the arc-shaped area on the photosensitive surface 321 can collect light information outside the emission field of view of the transmitting device 200 to obtain second image information, such as a grayscale image, which can be used for applications such as SLAM, object recognition, or gesture recognition, which helps to improve the utilization rate of the image sensor 320 of the receiving device 300.

[0074] In one example of this application, Figure 7B As shown, the pad 242 of the transmitting device 200 can be connected to the second circuit board 400 by screws 244 and 245, so that the heads of the screws 244 and 245 are electrically connected to the second circuit board 400 on the back side of the second circuit board 400, thereby forming a loop to ground the pad 242. Compared with the method of attaching the pad 242 to the second circuit board 400, the method of locking the pad 242 to the second circuit board 400 by screws 244 and 245 can obtain a better heat dissipation effect.

[0075] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device 2000, Fig. 8A and Figure 8B FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B As shown, the electronic device 2000 of the embodiment of the present application may include the TOF module 1000 and the device body 3000 in the above embodiment, and the TOF module 1000 is arranged in the device body 3000 to provide depth information for the device body 3000.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, Fig. 8A As shown, when the field of view of the TOF module 1000 is less than 360°, the TOF module 1000 can be embedded in the device body 3000, which is conducive to the thinness of the electronic device 3000. Since the closer to the bottom surface of the device body 3000, the larger the scanning blind area, the shell part of the device body 3000 within the field of view can be made of transparent materials.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 8B As shown, when the field of view of the TOF module 1000 is equal to 360°, the transmitting device 200 and the receiving device 300 of the TOF module 1000 can partially protrude above the device body 3000 to ensure the projection and reception of light, thereby facilitating 360° full field of view surround detection and identification without blind spots.

[0078] It should be understood that the electronic device 2000 in the embodiments of the present application is intended to represent various forms of digital computers. The electronic device 2000 may also represent various forms of mobile devices capable of running computing programs.

[0079] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A launching device, characterized in that: include: Laser, which emits a beam of light; A diffuser, arranged corresponding to the laser, to expand the emission angle of the light beam; as well as A beam splitter, arranged corresponding to the laser and the diffuser, for splitting the light beam into at least two light beams with different emission directions; Among them, at least two light beams with expanded emission angles and different emission directions partially overlap and are superimposed to form a detection light beam.

2. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The light beam emitted by the laser first passes through the diffuser to expand the emission angle of the light beam, and then passes through the beam splitter to be divided into at least two light beams with different emission directions.

3. The transmitting device according to claim 2, wherein: The laser includes a VCSEL laser, and the emitting device also includes a first circuit board, and the VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board; A mounting bracket is also provided on the first circuit board, the diffuser is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, and the beam splitter is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the diffuser.

4. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The light beam emitted by the laser is firstly divided into at least two light beams with different emission directions by the beam splitter, and then the emission angle of the light beam is expanded by the diffuser.

5. The transmitting device according to claim 4, wherein: The laser includes a VCSEL laser, and the emitting device also includes a first circuit board, and the VCSEL laser is arranged on the first circuit board; A mounting bracket is also provided on the first circuit board, the beam splitter is arranged on the mounting bracket and covers the upper surface of the VCSEL laser, and at least two diffusers are respectively arranged on the mounting bracket and respectively cover the upper surface of the beam splitter and at least one side surface adjacent thereto.

6. The transmitting device according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The beam splitter comprises a beam splitter prism, through which the light beam is split into two light beams with perpendicular emission directions.

7. The transmitting device according to claim 3 or 5, wherein: The VCSEL laser is disposed on a heat dissipation substrate, and the heat dissipation substrate is electrically connected to the first circuit board; The first circuit board is arranged on a pad, a countersunk hole is arranged on the pad, a through hole corresponding to the countersunk hole is arranged on the first circuit board, the heat dissipation substrate is arranged in the countersunk hole and the VCSEL laser is exposed to the through hole.

8. The transmitting device according to claim 7, wherein: An electromagnetic shielding layer is arranged on the inner wall of the through hole, and an electromagnetic shielding sheet is arranged around the through hole on the surface of the first circuit board away from the pad.

9. A TOF module, characterized in that: include: The emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, emitting the detection light beam; as well as A receiving device is arranged corresponding to the transmitting device, and the angle between the main receiving direction of the receiving device and the main transmitting direction of the transmitting device is between 0° and 180°. The receiving device receives the detection light beam reflected back by the target to obtain the depth information of the target.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: Equipment body; as well as According to the TOF module of claim 9, the TOF module is arranged on the device body to provide depth information for the device body.

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