Light emitting module for laser radar and laser radar

Abstract

The invention provides a light emitting module for a laser radar and the laser radar. The light emitting module comprises a circuit board; the light source is located on the surface of the circuit board, the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements, and the light-emitting elements emit detection light in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board; and the deflection unit comprises a plurality of wedge-shaped lenses, and the different wedge-shaped lenses deflect the detection light emitted by the different light-emitting elements so as to enable the detection light to enter the same lens group. Different wedge-shaped mirrors are utilized to deflect detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements so as to enable the detection light to enter the same lens group, light beam deflection can be achieved through a deflection unit with a smaller size, particularly, the size of the deflection unit in the direction perpendicular to the light beam transmission direction can be reduced, and therefore the height of the laser radar can be effectively reduced, and the laser radar can be used more conveniently. The laser radar size is reduced, and the cost is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of laser radar, and in particular to a light transmitting module for laser radar and a laser radar. Background Art

[0002] LiDAR is a commonly used distance measurement sensor with the characteristics of long detection distance, high resolution, and low environmental interference. It is widely used in intelligent robots, drones, unmanned driving and other fields. In recent years, autonomous driving technology has developed rapidly, and LiDAR, as its core sensor for distance perception, has become indispensable.

[0003] Laser light source, or laser, is one of the core components of LiDAR, and its performance has a great impact on the performance of LiDAR. Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL), due to its advantage of being easy to set up into a two-dimensional array on the same circuit board, is increasingly used as a light source in LiDAR.

[0004] like Figure 1 As shown, the laser radar transmitting system 10 includes an array light source 11 and a telecentric lens group, and the telecentric lens group includes: a first lens 121 and a second lens 122, wherein the first lens 121 is arranged close to the array light source 11, receives the laser beam L1 from the array light source 11, and generates a light beam L2 after deflection, and the light beam L2 is incident on the second lens 122. The second lens 122 can be a collimating lens, which is configured to collimate and emit the deflected laser beam.

[0005] The area array light source 11 is an area array light source composed of VCSEL. The optical system in the laser radar using VCSEL is often set as a telecentric system, that is, the optical system is designed as an object-side telecentric system. The size of the first lens 121 close to the area array light source 11 is larger than the size of the circuit board 111 of the area array light source, that is, the diameter of the first lens 121 close to the area array light source 11 is larger.

[0006] like Figure 2As shown, the laser far away from the optical axis 115 of the optical system is the laser 112 of the edge emitting channel. In order to ensure the light output power of the laser 112 of the edge emitting channel emitted from the laser radar and avoid the laser emitted by the laser 112 of the edge emitting channel from failing to be transmitted through the optical system, the diameter of the lens adjacent to the surface array light source 11 needs to be at least greater than the height of the surface array light source 11, so that the distance H2 between the edge of the lens adjacent to the surface array light source 11 and the optical axis 115 is at least greater than the distance H1 between the laser 112 of the edge emitting channel and the optical axis 115, that is, the radius H2 of the lens is greater than the half height H1 of the surface array light source 11, thereby causing the height of the laser radar to be too large, and the cost of the lens is proportional to its size. The lens adjacent to the surface array light source 11 adopts a large-size lens, so the cost of the laser radar will also increase.

[0007] Therefore, existing laser radars using VCSEL are prone to problems such as high height and high cost. Summary of the invention

[0008] The problem solved by the present invention is how to reduce the size and cost of LiDAR.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a light transmitting module for laser radar, comprising:

[0010] A circuit board; a light source, the light source is located on the surface of the circuit board, the light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, the light-emitting elements emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board; a deflection unit, the deflection unit includes a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors, different wedge-shaped mirrors deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group.

[0011] Optionally, at least one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is paired with one of the wedge-shaped mirrors among the plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors.

[0012] Optionally, the light source includes: a plurality of light emitting element columns arranged along a first direction, the light emitting element columns include a plurality of light emitting element groups arranged along a second direction, the light emitting element groups include a plurality of the light emitting elements, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0013] Optionally, the plurality of light emitting element groups in one light emitting element column and the plurality of light emitting element groups in an adjacent light emitting element column are arranged alternately along the second direction.

[0014] Optionally, at least part of the light emitting elements in the plurality of light emitting element groups in one light emitting element column and at least part of the light emitting elements in the plurality of light emitting element groups in an adjacent light emitting element column are arranged alternately along the second direction.

[0015] Optionally, multiple light emitting elements of the same light emitting element group are paired with the same wedge-shaped mirror.

[0016] Optionally, it further includes: a driving unit, the driving unit is located on the surface of the circuit board, and the driving unit is suitable for being electrically connected to the light-emitting element to drive the light-emitting element to emit detection light.

[0017] Optionally, the driving unit includes: a plurality of driving sub-units, and the plurality of driving sub-units correspond one-to-one to the plurality of light emitting element groups.

[0018] Optionally, the wedge-shaped mirror includes a wedge-shaped prism; or, at least one of a surface on which the detection light enters the wedge-shaped mirror and a surface on which the detection light exits the wedge-shaped mirror is a curved surface.

[0019] Optionally, all the wedge-shaped mirrors in the deflection unit are an integrated structure; or, in the deflection unit, a plurality of the wedge-shaped mirrors are divided into a plurality of wedge-shaped mirror groups, and a plurality of the wedge-shaped mirrors in each wedge-shaped mirror group are an integrated structure.

[0020] Optionally, it also includes: an optical isolation element, wherein the optical isolation element is located between adjacent wedge-shaped mirrors or adjacent wedge-shaped mirror groups.

[0021] Optionally, the wedge angles of different wedge mirrors are equal, and the refractive indices of the materials of the different wedge mirrors are unequal.

[0022] Optionally, the refractive index of the materials of different wedge-shaped mirrors is equal, and the greater the distance between the wedge-shaped mirror and the main optical axis of the lens group, the greater the wedge angle of the wedge-shaped mirror.

[0023] Optionally, along a direction perpendicular to the principal optical axis of the lens group, the wedge angles of the plurality of wedge mirrors are in an arithmetic progression.

[0024] Optionally, the distance between the deflection unit and the light source enables the detection light emitted by each of the light-emitting elements to directly enter the deflection unit.

[0025] Optionally, the maximum distance between the deflection unit and the light source is determined according to the size of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element, the distance between the centers of the light-emitting surfaces of adjacent light-emitting elements, and the divergence angle of the detection light.

[0026] Optionally, in a plane perpendicular to the principal optical axis of the lens group, a plurality of light-emitting elements in the light source are symmetrically arranged; in a plane perpendicular to the principal optical axis of the lens group, a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors are symmetrically arranged.

[0027] Optionally, the symmetric setting includes mirror symmetry or axial symmetry.

[0028] Accordingly, the present invention further provides a laser radar, comprising:

[0029] A light transmitting module, the light transmitting module comprising: a circuit board; a light source, the light source is located on the surface of the circuit board, the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements, the light emitting elements emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board; a deflection unit, the deflection unit comprises a plurality of wedge mirrors, different wedge mirrors deflect detection light emitted by different light emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group; an optical module, the optical module comprises the lens group, the optical module transmits the detection light to emit; the emitted detection light is reflected by an obstacle to form echo light; a light receiving module, the light receiving module is suitable for receiving the echo light.

[0030] Optionally, it further includes: a scanning module, wherein the scanning module is located downstream of the optical module in the optical path of the detection light.

[0031] Optionally, the scanning module causes the detection light transmitted by the optical module to scan along a first direction.

[0032] Optionally, the laser radar is a vehicle-mounted laser radar, and the first direction is a horizontal direction.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] In the technical solution of the present invention, the deflection unit includes a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors, and different wedge-shaped mirrors deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group. By using wedge-shaped mirrors to deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group, a smaller-sized deflection unit can be used to achieve beam deflection, and in particular, the size of the deflection unit in the direction perpendicular to the beam transmission direction can be reduced, thereby effectively reducing the height of the laser radar, which is conducive to reducing the size of the laser radar and saving costs.

[0035] In an optional solution of the present invention, the plurality of light-emitting element groups in a light-emitting element column are staggered along the second direction with the plurality of light-emitting element groups in an adjacent light-emitting element column; or, at least part of the light-emitting elements in the plurality of light-emitting element groups in a light-emitting element column are staggered along the second direction with at least part of the light-emitting elements in the plurality of light-emitting element groups in an adjacent light-emitting element column. By staggering the light-emitting elements in multiple columns, not only can the density of light-emitting elements on the circuit board be increased, the detection resolution can be improved, but also the size of the light source can be reduced, especially the size of the circuit board, which is conducive to reducing the height and cost of the laser radar. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative work. The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of a laser radar in the prior art;

[0038] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the laser radar shown;

[0039] Figure 3 2 is a schematic side view of the structure of the first embodiment of the optical transmission module for laser radar of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An enlarged structural diagram of a circuit board, a light source and a deflection unit in the embodiment of the light transmitting module shown;

[0041] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the light source along direction A in the embodiment of the light emitting module shown;

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a deflection unit of a second embodiment of an optical transmission module for a laser radar according to the present invention;

[0043] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a deflection unit of a third embodiment of an optical transmission module for a laser radar according to the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 2 is a schematic side view of the structure of a fourth embodiment of an optical transmission module for a laser radar according to the present invention;

[0045] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a light source in a fifth embodiment of an optical transmission module for a laser radar according to the present invention;

[0046] Fig.10 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a laser radar of the present invention;

[0047] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of another embodiment of the laser radar of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and non-restrictive in nature.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, 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 directly connected, or indirectly connected 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 the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0051] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0052] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, 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 invention. In addition, the present invention can repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and this repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, which itself does not indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present invention provides various specific examples of processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art can be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0053] As can be seen from the background technology, the laser radar in the prior art is prone to problems of large system size and high cost.

[0054] In order to solve the technical problem, the present invention provides a light transmitting module and a laser radar for a laser radar, wherein the light transmitting module comprises: the deflection unit comprises a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors, and different wedge-shaped mirrors deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group. By using different wedge-shaped mirrors to deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group, a smaller-sized deflection unit can be used to achieve beam deflection, and in particular, the size of the deflection unit in the direction perpendicular to the beam can be reduced, thereby effectively reducing the height of the laser radar, which is beneficial to reducing the size and cost of the laser radar.

[0055] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] refer to Figure 3 to Figure 4 , shows a schematic diagram of the side view structure of an embodiment of the optical transmission module for laser radar of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the optical transmission module; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The enlarged structural diagram of the circuit board, light source and deflection unit in the optical transmission module embodiment is shown.

[0057] The optical transmission module 100a includes: a circuit board 110; a light source 120, wherein the light source 120 is located on the surface of the circuit board 110, and the light source 120 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 121, and the light-emitting elements 121 emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board 110; a deflection unit 130, wherein the deflection unit 130 includes a plurality of wedge mirrors 131, and different wedge mirrors 131 deflect detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements 121 to be incident on the same lens group 151.

[0058] By using different wedge mirrors 131 to deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements 121 so as to be incident on the same lens group 151, it is possible to achieve light beam deflection with a smaller deflection unit 130, and in particular, to reduce the size of the deflection unit 130 in the vertical direction, thereby effectively reducing the height of the laser radar, which is beneficial to reducing the size and cost of the laser radar.

[0059] The specific technical solution of an embodiment of the optical transmission module for laser radar of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the circuit board 110 of the optical transmission module 100a is used to fix the light emitting element 121 and realize electrical connection.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, the laser radar used in the optical transmission module 100a is a vehicle-mounted laser radar, and the main detection area of ​​the laser radar is close to the ground. Therefore, the circuit board 110 is set vertically to the horizontal plane, that is, the surface of the circuit board 110 is vertically to the horizontal plane.

[0062] The light source 120 is used to emit detection light. The light source 120 includes a plurality of light emitting elements 121 , which are fixed to the surface of the circuit board 110 , and are connected to an external circuit through the circuit board 110 to realize power supply and control.

[0063] It should be noted that in some embodiments of the present invention, the multiple light-emitting elements 121 of the light source 120 can emit light in time, that is, emit light in sequence according to a preset timing to avoid crosstalk between different light-emitting elements; in other embodiments of the present invention, the multiple light-emitting elements of the light source can also emit light at the same time.

[0064] It should also be noted that in some embodiments of the present invention, the detection light emitted by each light-emitting element 121 is suitable for detecting the corresponding area in the vertical field of view, different light-emitting elements 121 correspond to different areas in the vertical field of view, and the areas corresponding to different light-emitting elements 121 do not overlap, and the areas corresponding to all light-emitting elements 121 in the light source 121 cover the entire vertical field of view, that is, the detection light generated by all light-emitting elements 121 in the light source 121 can detect the entire vertical field of view.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 121 is parallel to the surface of the circuit board 110, and the emitted detection light is emitted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board 110. In some specific embodiments, the light emitting element 121 is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser, VCSEL).

[0066] Combined with reference Figure 5 , showing Figure 3 The structure diagram of the light source in the light emission module embodiment is shown as viewed along direction A.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present invention, the light source 110 includes: a plurality of light emitting element columns arranged along a first direction X, the light emitting element columns include a plurality of light emitting element groups 123 arranged along a second direction Y, the light emitting element groups 123 include a plurality of light emitting elements 121, and the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X. In some specific embodiments, the plurality of light emitting element groups 123 of a light emitting element column and the plurality of light emitting element groups 123 of an adjacent light emitting element column are staggered along the second direction Y.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, the light emitting module includes: a light emitting element column 122a and a light emitting element column 122b, wherein the light emitting element column 122a and the light emitting element column 122b are adjacently arranged along a first direction X, i.e., no other light emitting elements or light emitting element columns are arranged between the light emitting element column 122a and the light emitting element column 122b.

[0069] The light emitting element column 122a and the light emitting element column 122b respectively include a plurality of light emitting element groups 123, each of which includes a plurality of light emitting elements 121 (such as Figure 4 shown).

[0070] The multiple light emitting element groups 123 of the light emitting element column 122a and the multiple light emitting element groups 123 of the light emitting element column 122b are alternately arranged along the second direction Y, that is, along the second direction Y, the light emitting element group 123 of the light emitting element column 122a is located between two light emitting element groups 123 adjacent to the light emitting element column 122b, and the light emitting element group 123 of the light emitting element column 122b is located between two light emitting element groups 123 adjacent to the light emitting element column 122a.

[0071] Specifically, each light emitting element group 123 includes 16 light emitting elements 121, that is, each light emitting element group 123 has 16 emission channels, and 8 light emitting element groups can constitute 128 emission channels. Under the premise of ensuring 128 emission channels along the second direction Y, compared with all emission channels along the second direction Y being arranged in a row, the staggered arrangement can effectively reduce the size of the light source 120 along the second direction Y, especially can effectively reduce the size of the circuit board 110, which is conducive to reducing the height of the laser radar.

[0072] It should be noted that Figure 5In some of the embodiments shown, the multiple light emitting elements in each of the light emitting element groups 123 are arranged along the second direction Y to form a one-dimensional array. In other embodiments of the present invention, the multiple light emitting elements in the light emitting element groups may also be arranged along the first direction and the second direction perpendicular to each other to form a two-dimensional array. In other embodiments of the present invention, the multiple light emitting elements in the light emitting element groups may also form arrays of other shapes and other distribution methods.

[0073] In addition, in some embodiments of the present invention, the optical transmission module 100a (eg Figure 3 As shown) also includes: a driving unit, the driving unit is located on the surface of the circuit board 110, and the driving unit is suitable for being electrically connected to the light-emitting element to drive the light-emitting element to emit detection light.

[0074] like Figure 5 As shown, the driving unit includes: a plurality of driving subunits 141, and the plurality of driving subunits 141 correspond one-to-one to a plurality of light emitting element groups 123. In some specific embodiments, the driving subunits 141 and the plurality of light emitting elements 121 of the corresponding light emitting element group 123 are integrated into the same laser chip.

[0075] In some embodiments, the light source includes a plurality of laser chips, and a plurality of light-emitting elements of the same light-emitting element group are integrated into the same laser chip. For example, the light-emitting elements of the same light-emitting element group are VCSELs integrated into the same laser chip.

[0076] Continue to refer Figure 3 The deflection unit 130 of the optical transmitter module 100a is used to deflect the detection light to be incident on the same lens group 151. Specifically, the deflection unit 130 deflects the detection light emitted by all the light emitting elements 121 to the same lens group 151.

[0077] In some embodiments, the laser radar used in the optical transmission module 100a is a vehicle-mounted laser radar. Therefore, after the detection light is deflected to the lens group 151, the lens group performs beam shaping and aberration optimization, so that the detection light is collimated and emitted as parallel light.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present invention, the wedge mirror 131 of the deflection unit 130 is a wedge prism, that is, each surface of the wedge mirror is a plane. In other embodiments of the present invention, the wedge mirror may also be a wedge-shaped curved lens, that is, at least one of the surface on which the detection light enters the wedge mirror and the surface on which the detection light exits the wedge mirror is a curved surface. For example, in some embodiments, at least one of the surface on which the detection light enters the wedge mirror and the surface on which the detection light exits the wedge mirror is a convex surface. By setting the surface of the wedge mirror to a curved surface, the effect of shaping the detection light can be achieved.

[0079] Continue to refer Figure 4 The angle at which the wedge mirror 131 deflects the light beam is related to the wedge angle of the wedge mirror 131. Specifically, when passing through the wedge mirror 131, the angle δ at which the detection light is deflected is determined by the refractive index n of the material of the wedge mirror 131 and the wedge angle α of the wedge mirror 131: δ=2(n-1)×α.

[0080] Therefore, if Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the deflection angle of the detection light emitted by the light-emitting element 121 far from the main optical axis of the lens group 151 is larger than the deflection angle of the detection light emitted by the light-emitting element 121 close to the main optical axis of the lens group 151; combined with the formula of the deflection angle δ, it can be known that in some embodiments of the present invention, the wedge angles of different wedge mirrors 131 are equal, and the refractive indices of the materials of different wedge mirrors 131 are not equal, so that the detection lights emitted by the light-emitting elements 121 at different positions are all incident on the same lens group 151.

[0081] In other embodiments of the present invention, different wedge mirrors 131 can be set to materials with the same refractive index, specifically, the same material, and different wedge angles can be set for different wedge mirrors 131 so that the detection lights emitted by light-emitting elements 121 at different positions are all incident on the same lens group 151.

[0082] In some specific embodiments, the material of the wedge-shaped mirror 131 is glass, and the refractive index of glass is in the range of 1.4 to 1.9. In other embodiments of the present invention, the material of the wedge-shaped mirror 131 can also be a polymer material used in injection molding or nano-imprinting process.

[0083] Continue to refer Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, the distance d between the deflection unit 130 and the light source 120 enables the detection light emitted by each of the light-emitting elements 121 to directly enter the deflection unit 130 .

[0084] It should be noted that the detection light emitted by the light emitting element 121 directly enters the deflection unit 130, which means that the detection light emitted from the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 121 is directly projected onto the deflection unit 130, and no other optical element is arranged between the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 121 and the deflection unit 130.

[0085] In some embodiments, the maximum distance d between the deflection unit 130 and the light source 120 is determined according to the size a1 of the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 121, the distance a2 between the centers of the light emitting surfaces of adjacent light emitting elements 121, and the divergence angle a3 of the detection light. Figure 4 As shown, the distance d between the deflection unit 130 and the light source 120 should be smaller than (a2-a1) / (2*tana3).

[0086] On the other hand, in the plane of the main optical axis of the vertical lens group 151, the maximum size of the wedge mirror 131 is (a2-a1). It can be seen that the closer the wedge mirror 131 is to the light emitting element 121, that is, the smaller the distance d between the deflection unit 130 and the light source 120 is, the smaller the size of the wedge mirror 131 can be made in the plane of the main optical axis of the vertical lens group 151.

[0087] like Figure 4 As shown, the deflection unit 130 includes a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors 131. By using different wedge-shaped mirrors 131 to deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements 121 to be incident on the same lens group, a smaller-sized deflection unit 130 can be used to achieve beam deflection, and in particular, the size of the deflection unit 130 in the direction perpendicular to the beam can be reduced, thereby effectively reducing the height of the laser radar, which is beneficial to reducing the size and cost of the laser radar.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least one light emitting element 121 among the plurality of light emitting elements 121 is paired with one wedge-shaped mirror 131 among the plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors 131. Figure 4 In some of the embodiments shown, the plurality of light emitting elements 121 are paired one-to-one with the plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors 131. By adopting the method of pairing the light emitting elements 121 with the wedge-shaped mirrors 131 one-to-one, that is, each light emitting element 121 is provided with a corresponding wedge-shaped mirror 131 for light beam deflection, the emission direction of the detection light emitted by each light emitting element 121 can be accurately controlled.

[0089] It should be noted that, in some embodiments of the present invention, the optical transmitter module 100a further includes: an optical isolator (not shown in the figure), which is located between adjacent wedge-shaped mirrors 131. The optical isolator is formed by ink coating on each wedge-shaped mirror 131, which can optimize the stray light problem, that is, the stray light problem formed after the light beam enters the wedge-shaped mirror 131 corresponding to the adjacent light-emitting element due to the close distance between the adjacent light-emitting elements 121 and is deflected by the wedge-shaped mirror 131 and emitted.

[0090] Continue to refer Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, in a plane perpendicular to the main optical axis of the lens group 151, the plurality of light emitting elements 121 in the light source 120 are symmetrically arranged; in a plane perpendicular to the main optical axis of the lens group 151, the wedge mirrors 131 paired with the light emitting elements 121 are also symmetrically arranged. Specifically, the symmetrical arrangement includes mirror symmetry or axial symmetry.

[0091] In some specific embodiments, the laser radar used in the optical transmission module 100a is a vehicle-mounted laser radar. On the surface of the circuit board 110, the multiple light-emitting elements 121 are mirror-symmetrical with the horizontal plane as the symmetry plane; in the plane perpendicular to the main optical axis of the lens group 151, the paired wedge mirror 131 is also mirror-symmetrical with the horizontal plane as the symmetry plane.

[0092] It should also be noted that in the deflection unit 130, the wedge angles of different wedge mirrors 131 are equal, and the refractive indexes of the materials of different wedge mirrors 131 are unequal. In other embodiments of the present invention, multiple wedge mirrors may be made of the same material, and different deflection angles may be achieved by using different wedge angles.

[0093] refer to Figure 6 , showing a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a deflection unit of another embodiment of an optical transmission module for a laser radar according to the present invention.

[0094] The present invention will not repeat the same points as the above embodiments. The difference from the above embodiments is that in some embodiments of the present invention, the refractive index of the materials of different wedge mirrors 231 is equal, and the greater the distance between the wedge mirror 231 and the main optical axis of the lens group 151, the greater the wedge angle of the wedge mirror 231. Figure 6 In some specific embodiments shown, along a direction perpendicular to the principal optical axis of the lens group, the wedge angles of the plurality of wedge mirrors 231 are in an arithmetic progression.

[0095] The multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 in the deflection unit 230 are manufactured using the same material, and different wedge angles are set to achieve different deflection angles of detection light emitted by light-emitting elements at different positions. This can not only effectively reduce manufacturing costs, but also expand the range of optional manufacturing materials and the range of manufacturing process options. In particular, when the multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 are formed using injection molding or nanoimprinting technology, batch manufacturing can be achieved, thereby further saving production costs.

[0096] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 of the deflection unit 230 are an integrated structure, that is, the multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 of the deflection unit 230 are connected as a whole without obvious boundaries. The multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 are connected as a whole, that is, the multiple wedge-shaped mirrors 231 are integrated into an array, which facilitates the production and integration of the deflection unit 230. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the multiple wedge mirrors of the deflection unit can also be separated from each other.

[0097] In addition, another difference from the above-mentioned embodiment is that, in some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of light emitting elements (not shown in the figure) are paired with one wedge-shaped mirror 231. In some specific embodiments, the light source includes a plurality of light emitting element groups, so the plurality of light emitting elements of the same light emitting element group are paired with the same wedge-shaped mirror 231.

[0098] In some embodiments, multiple light emitting elements of the same light emitting element group are integrated into the same laser chip, so that the light emitting elements paired with the same wedge mirror 231 belong to the same light emitting element group, which can effectively simplify the structure of the deflection unit and the structure of the light emitting module.

[0099] In addition, in some other embodiments of the present invention, Figure 7 As shown, the deflection unit 330 includes: a plurality of wedge mirror groups 332, wherein the wedge mirror group 332 has a plurality of wedge mirrors 331, and the plurality of wedge mirrors 331 in the wedge mirror group 332 are an integrated structure. In addition, Figure 7 In some embodiments shown, the optical transmitter module further includes an optical isolator 334, and the optical isolator 334 is located between adjacent wedge-shaped mirror groups 332. Specifically, the deflection unit 330 is divided into multiple sections, each section is a wedge-shaped mirror group 332, and an optical isolator 334 is provided between adjacent wedge-shaped mirror groups 332 to suppress crosstalk between different wedge-shaped mirror groups.

[0100] It should be noted that Figure 7 In some of the embodiments shown, the wedge-shaped mirror group 332 in the deflection unit 330 can be an integral structure or a split structure, that is, the wedge-shaped mirror groups 332 can be integrally connected or separately arranged, as long as the same wedge-shaped mirror group 332 can be paired with the same light-emitting element group.

[0101] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the optical emission module has multiple light emitting element groups, and multiple light emitting elements of the same light emitting element group are integrated into the same laser chip; the multiple light emitting element groups of the optical emission module are paired one-to-one with the multiple wedge mirror groups 332 of the deflection unit 330, that is, each laser chip is assigned a wedge mirror group with an integrated structure. Compared with the arrangement of pairing the light emitting element 121 with the wedge mirror 131 one-to-one, the one-to-one pairing of multiple light emitting element groups with multiple wedge mirror groups can effectively improve assembly efficiency, reduce assembly difficulty, and facilitate mass production.

[0102] It should also be noted that, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the light emitting elements are paired with the wedge-shaped mirrors one by one. In other embodiments of the present invention, other pairing methods may be used between the light emitting elements and the wedge-shaped mirrors. Figure 8As shown, a plurality of the light emitting elements 421 are paired with one wedge-shaped mirror 431, or a light emitting element group including a plurality of the light emitting elements 421 is paired with one wedge-shaped mirror 431. Specifically, Figure 8 In some specific embodiments shown, four of the light emitting elements 421 are paired with one of the wedge-shaped mirrors 431 , that is, the detection lights emitted by the four light emitting elements 421 are deflected by the same wedge-shaped mirror 431 .

[0103] It should be noted that in some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the light emitting element groups of different light emitting element columns are arranged in an interlaced manner. This arrangement is only an example. In some other embodiments, at least part of the light emitting elements in the multiple light emitting element groups of a light emitting element column and at least part of the light emitting elements in the multiple light emitting element groups of an adjacent light emitting element column are arranged in an interlaced manner along the second direction. Specifically, along the second direction Y, the light emitting elements of the light emitting element group in a certain light emitting element column are located between two light emitting elements of the light emitting element group in its adjacent light emitting element column.

[0104] like Fig. 9 In some specific embodiments shown, the light emitting module includes: a light emitting element column 522a and a light emitting element column 522b, wherein the light emitting element column 522a and the light emitting element column 522b are adjacently arranged along a first direction X, that is, no other light emitting element or light emitting element column is arranged between the light emitting element column 522a and the light emitting element column 522b. The light emitting element column 522a and the light emitting element column 522b respectively include a plurality of light emitting element groups 523, and each of the light emitting element groups 523 includes a plurality of light emitting elements 521.

[0105] At least some of the light emitting elements 521 in the multiple light emitting element groups 523 of the light emitting element column 522a and at least some of the light emitting elements 521 in the multiple light emitting element groups 523 of the light emitting element column 522b are alternately arranged along the second direction Y, that is, along the second direction Y, the light emitting element 521 in the light emitting element group 523 in the light emitting element column 522a is located between two adjacent light emitting elements 521 in the light emitting element group 523 in the light emitting element column 522b, and similarly, the light emitting element 521 in the light emitting element group 523 in the light emitting element column 522b is located between two adjacent light emitting elements 521 in the light emitting element group 523 in the light emitting element column 522a.

[0106] It should be noted that Fig. 9 The dotted lines in FIG. 5 show the positions of the light emitting elements 521 in the light emitting element group 523 in the light emitting element column 522a along the second direction Y. Fig. 9The positions of the light emitting elements 521 in the light emitting element group 523 within the light emitting element column 522 b along the second direction Y are shown by dotted lines.

[0107] Correspondingly, the present invention also provides a laser radar.

[0108] refer to Fig.10 , shows a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the laser radar of the present invention.

[0109] Combined with reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , showing Fig.10 The schematic diagram of the structure of the optical transmission module in the laser radar embodiment is shown.

[0110] The laser radar includes: a light emitting module 100a, wherein the light emitting module 100a includes: a circuit board 110; a light source 120, wherein the light source 120 is located on the surface of the circuit board 110, wherein the light source 120 includes a plurality of light emitting elements 121, wherein the light emitting elements 121 emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board 110; a deflection unit 130, wherein the deflection unit 130 includes a plurality of wedge mirrors 131, wherein different wedge mirrors 131 deflect detection light emitted by different light emitting elements 121 to be incident on the same lens group 151; an optical module 100b, wherein the optical module 100b includes the lens group 151, wherein the optical module 100b transmits the detection light to emit; the emitted detection light is reflected by an obstacle to form an echo light; and a light receiving module 100c, wherein the light receiving module 100c is suitable for receiving the echo light.

[0111] In some specific embodiments, the optical transmitter module 100a is the optical transmitter module of the present invention. The specific technical solution of the optical transmitter module is referred to the embodiment of the optical transmitter module mentioned above, and the present invention will not repeat it here.

[0112] The optical module 100b includes the lens group 151. The optical module 100b transmits the detection light, and performs shape adjustment such as collimation and shaping on the detection light during the transmission of the detection light.

[0113] like Fig.10 In some of the embodiments shown, the laser radar further includes: a scanning module 100d, wherein the scanning module 100d is located downstream of the optical module 100b in the optical path of the detection light, and is located upstream of the optical module 100b in the optical path of the echo light.

[0114] The scanning module 100d changes the emission direction of the detection light to scan the entire field of view.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present invention, the scanning module 100d causes the detection light transmitted by the optical module 100b to scan along the first direction X. Specifically, the scanning module 100d includes a reflecting surface, and the detection light is reflected by the reflecting surface to be emitted. The reflecting surface rotates around a rotating shaft arranged along a second direction, so that the detection light reflected by the reflecting surface changes the propagation direction, thereby scanning the surrounding environment of the laser radar, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Specifically, the laser radar is a vehicle-mounted laser radar, and the first direction X is a horizontal direction, that is, the reflecting surface rotates around a rotating shaft arranged along a vertical direction.

[0116] Specifically, the scanning module 100d includes a scanning mirror, the reflective surface of which rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to the horizontal direction, that is, the scanning mirror scans in the horizontal direction. The scanning mirror may be at least one of a galvanometer mirror, a swing mirror, a galvanometer mirror and a multi-faceted rotating mirror.

[0117] The optical receiving module 100c performs photoelectric conversion on the optical signal of the echo light. Specifically, the optical receiving module 100c includes a plurality of detection elements for performing photoelectric conversion.

[0118] It should be noted that the obstacle 253 (such as Fig.11 The echo light formed by the reflection (as shown) is received by the scanning module 100d and the optical module 100b and transmitted to the light receiving module 100c.

[0119] It should be noted that, in some embodiments of the present invention, the lens group 151 of the optical module 100b is also suitable for transmitting the echo light to the light receiving module 100c, that is, the light transmitting module and the light receiving module of the laser radar share the same lens group 151.

[0120] In some other embodiments of the present invention, Fig.11 As shown, the lens group to which the deflection unit of the optical transmitting module 200a deflects the detection light 21 emitted by different light-emitting elements is the transmitting lens group 251, and the optical module (not shown in the figure) also includes a receiving lens group 252, and the receiving lens group 252 is suitable for transmitting the echo light 22 to the optical receiving module 200c, that is, the optical transmitting module and the optical receiving module of the laser radar each have a lens group.

[0121] In summary, the deflection unit includes a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors, and different wedge-shaped mirrors deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group. By using different wedge-shaped mirrors to deflect the detection light emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group, a smaller-sized deflection unit can be used to achieve beam deflection, and in particular, the size of the deflection unit in the direction perpendicular to the beam can be reduced, thereby effectively reducing the height of the laser radar, which is conducive to reducing the size and cost of the laser radar.

[0122] Moreover, the plurality of light-emitting element groups in a light-emitting element column are staggered with the plurality of light-emitting element groups in an adjacent light-emitting element column along the second direction; or, at least some of the light-emitting elements in the plurality of light-emitting element groups in a light-emitting element column are staggered with at least some of the light-emitting elements in the plurality of light-emitting element groups in an adjacent light-emitting element column along the second direction. By staggering the light-emitting elements, not only can the light-emitting element density on the circuit board be increased, the detection resolution can be improved, but also the light source size can be reduced, especially the circuit board size, which is conducive to reducing the height and cost of the laser radar.

[0123] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An optical transmission module for laser radar, characterized in that: include: Circuit boards; A light source, the light source is located on the surface of the circuit board, the light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, and the light-emitting elements emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board; A deflection unit, wherein the deflection unit includes a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors, and different wedge-shaped mirrors deflect detection lights emitted by different light-emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group.

2. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the plurality of light emitting elements is paired with one of the plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors.

3. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light source comprises: a plurality of light emitting element columns arranged along a first direction, the light emitting element columns comprising a plurality of light emitting element groups arranged along a second direction, the light emitting element groups comprising a plurality of the light emitting elements, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The optical transmission module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of light emitting element groups in one light emitting element column and the plurality of light emitting element groups in an adjacent light emitting element column are arranged alternately along the second direction.

5. The optical transmission module according to claim 3, characterized in that: At least part of the light emitting elements in the plurality of light emitting element groups in one light emitting element column and at least part of the light emitting elements in the plurality of light emitting element groups in an adjacent light emitting element column are arranged alternately along the second direction.

6. The optical transmission module according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of light emitting elements of the same light emitting element group are paired with the same wedge-shaped mirror.

7. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A driving unit is located on the surface of the circuit board, and is suitable for being electrically connected to the light-emitting element to drive the light-emitting element to emit detection light.

8. The optical transmission module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving unit includes: a plurality of driving sub-units, and the plurality of driving sub-units correspond one-to-one to a plurality of light emitting element groups.

9. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein: The wedge mirror comprises a wedge prism; Alternatively, at least one of a surface on which the probe light enters the wedge-shaped mirror and a surface on which the probe light exits the wedge-shaped mirror is a curved surface.

10. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: All wedge-shaped mirrors in the deflection unit are an integrated structure; Alternatively, in the deflection unit, the plurality of wedge mirrors are divided into a plurality of wedge mirror groups, and the plurality of wedge mirrors in each wedge mirror group are an integrated structure.

11. The optical transmission module according to claim 10, characterized in that: Also includes: An optical isolator is located between adjacent wedge-shaped mirrors or adjacent wedge-shaped mirror groups.

12. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wedge angles of different wedge mirrors are equal, but the refractive indices of the materials of different wedge mirrors are not equal.

13. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein: The refractive indexes of the materials of different wedge-shaped mirrors are equal, and the greater the distance between the wedge-shaped mirror and the main optical axis of the lens group, the greater the wedge angle of the wedge-shaped mirror.

14. The optical transmission module according to claim 13, characterized in that: Along the direction perpendicular to the main optical axis of the lens group, the wedge angles of the plurality of wedge mirrors are in an arithmetic progression.

15. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the deflection unit and the light source enables the detection light emitted by each of the light-emitting elements to directly enter the deflection unit.

16. The optical transmission module according to claim 15, characterized in that: The maximum distance between the deflection unit and the light source is determined according to the size of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element, the distance between the centers of the light-emitting surfaces of adjacent light-emitting elements, and the divergence angle of the detection light.

17. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a plane perpendicular to the main optical axis of the lens group, a plurality of light-emitting elements in the light source are symmetrically arranged; In a plane perpendicular to the principal optical axis of the lens group, a plurality of wedge-shaped mirrors are symmetrically arranged.

18. The optical transmission module according to claim 17, characterized in that: The symmetrical arrangement includes mirror symmetry or axial symmetry.

19. A laser radar, characterized in that: include: A light transmitting module, the light transmitting module comprising: a circuit board; a light source, the light source is located on the surface of the circuit board, the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements, the light emitting elements emit detection light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board; a deflection unit, the deflection unit comprises a plurality of wedge mirrors, different wedge mirrors deflect detection light emitted by different light emitting elements to be incident on the same lens group; An optical module, the optical module includes the lens group, the optical module transmits the detection light to emit; the emitted detection light is reflected by an obstacle to form an echo light; A light receiving module is adapted to receive the echo light.

20. The laser radar according to claim 19, characterized in that: Also includes: A scanning module is located downstream of the optical module in the optical path of the detection light.

21. The laser radar according to claim 20, characterized in that The scanning module enables the detection light transmitted by the optical module to scan along a first direction.

22. The laser radar according to claim 21, characterized in that The laser radar is a vehicle-mounted laser radar, and the first direction is a horizontal direction.

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