Ranging device, ranging method, electronic device and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

This application discloses a ranging device, a ranging method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. The ranging device includes a transmitting module; a receiving module; a rotating mirror module rotatably disposed between the transmitting and receiving modules; a beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam; the receiving module receives the beam returning from the field of view at a receiving field of view angle that is synchronously deflected with the first transmitting field of view angle; and a blind spot module for emitting a beam; the beam emitted by the blind spot module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam; the overlapping portion between the second transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is at least partially located outside the overlapping portion between the first transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle. Through the above method, this application can alleviate the geometric blind zone problem in lidar ranging.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on October 14, 2024, with application number 202411426519.6, entitled "Range Measuring Device, Range Measuring Method, Electronic Device and Computer-Readable Storage Medium". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of distance measurement, and in particular to a distance measuring device, distance measuring method, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] When existing rotating mirror lidar performs ranging, because the transmitting and receiving optical paths are off-axis optical paths, the transmitting and receiving field of view cannot overlap in the close range area, resulting in a detection blind zone. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of this application is to provide a ranging device, ranging method, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium that can solve the geometric blind zone problem in lidar ranging.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the first technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a ranging device. This ranging device is configured to sense distance within a preset field of view. The ranging device includes a transmitting module for transmitting a light beam; a receiving module for receiving the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing; a rotating mirror module rotatably disposed between the transmitting module and the receiving module, wherein the light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam, the first sensing beam deflecting within a first transmitting field of view angle to scan the field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates, and the receiving module receiving the light beam returning from the field of view angle in a direction parallel to the first sensing beam, via the reflection of the rotating mirror module; and a blind spot module for transmitting a light beam, the light beam emitted by the blind spot module being reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam, the second sensing beam deflecting within a second transmitting field of view angle to scan the field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates, and at least a portion of the overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is located outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the second technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a ranging method. This ranging method is applied to the aforementioned ranging device and includes: acquiring first ranging data using a blind spot compensation module, acquiring second ranging data using a transmission module, and merging the first and second ranging data to obtain final ranging data.

[0007] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the third technical solution adopted in this application is to provide an electronic device. This electronic device is applied to the aforementioned ranging device. The electronic device includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores program data, and the program data can be executed by the processor to implement the ranging method described in the second technical solution.

[0008] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the fourth technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium is applied to the aforementioned ranging device. The computer-readable storage medium stores program data that can be executed by a processor to implement the ranging method described in the second technical solution.

[0009] The beneficial effects of this application are: the ranging device of this application forms a second transmission field of view through a blind spot compensation module and a rotating mirror to supplement the detection of blind spots located outside the field of view area where the transmitting module and the receiving module overlap, thereby expanding the field of view range of the ranging device and improving the detection performance of the ranging device. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of laser ranging;

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0013] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0014] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application;

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application;

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application;

[0018] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application;

[0019] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror deflection;

[0020] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror deflection;

[0021] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror deflection;

[0022] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0023] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0024] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a reflector structure;

[0025] Figure 15 This is another schematic diagram of a reflector structure;

[0026] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0027] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0028] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application;

[0029] Figure 19 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the ranging method of this application;

[0030] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of this application;

[0031] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0034] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0035] Embodiments of this application provide a ranging device configured to sense distance over a preset field of view. The ranging device includes:

[0036] The transmitting module is used to emit a beam of light;

[0037] A receiving module is used to receive the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing;

[0038] A rotating mirror module is rotatably disposed between the transmitting module and the receiving module. The light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam. The first sensing beam deflects and scans the field of view within a first transmitting field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates. The receiving module receives the light beam returning from the field of view in a direction parallel to the first sensing beam by receiving the light beam reflected by the rotating mirror module.

[0039] A blind spot filling module is used to emit a light beam. The light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam. The second sensing beam deflects and scans the field of view within a second emission field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates. At least a portion of the overlapping area between the second emission field of view and the receiving field of view is located outside the overlapping area between the first emission field of view and the receiving field of view.

[0040] Optionally, the propagation optical axes of the first sensing beam, the second sensing beam, and the beam received by the receiving module after reflection by the rotating mirror module are arranged parallel to each other.

[0041] Optionally, the rotating mirror module includes two mutually perpendicular first and second reflecting surfaces. The first reflecting surface is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module and / or the blind spot filling module into the field of view. The second reflecting surface is used to reflect the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception and / or to reflect the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module into the field of view.

[0042] Optionally, the rotating mirror module includes four vertically connected reflective surfaces arranged around a preset rotation axis. The four vertically connected reflective surfaces rotate around the rotation axis to achieve the rotation of the rotating mirror module.

[0043] Optionally, the cross-section of the four sequentially vertically connected reflective surfaces perpendicular to the rotation axis is a square, and the rotation axis is located at the center of the square.

[0044] Optionally, the transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the second reflecting surface. The vertical distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is greater than the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface; and / or

[0045] The blind spot filling module and the receiving module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module, and the second sensing beam is reflected into the field of view by the second reflecting surface.

[0046] Optionally, the second emission field of view is smaller than the first emission field of view; or

[0047] The second emission field of view is equal to the first emission field of view; or

[0048] The second emission field of view is greater than the first emission field of view.

[0049] Optionally, the transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the second reflecting surface. The vertical distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is less than the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface.

[0050] Optionally, the second transmission field of view is greater than the first transmission field of view.

[0051] Optionally, the beam emission power of the blind spot filling module is lower than that of the beam emission power of the emission module.

[0052] Optionally, the ranging device further includes a first reflector, which is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module to the rotating mirror module.

[0053] Optionally, the ranging device further includes a second reflector, wherein the light beam returning from the field of view is reflected by the rotating mirror module and then reflected by the second reflector to the receiving module for reception.

[0054] Optionally, the first reflector and / or the second reflector are provided with a light-transmitting structure, which is used to allow the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module to reach the rotating mirror module.

[0055] An embodiment of this application also provides a ranging method, which is applied to the above-described ranging device, and the method includes:

[0056] The first ranging data is obtained using the blind spot filling module, and the second ranging data is obtained using the transmission module.

[0057] The first and second ranging data are combined to obtain the final ranging data.

[0058] Optionally, when using the blind spot module to emit a beam to obtain the first ranging data, the emitting module does not emit a beam.

[0059] Embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device applied to the aforementioned ranging device. This electronic device includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores program data, which can be executed by the processor to implement the aforementioned ranging method.

[0060] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium applied to the above-described ranging device. The computer-readable storage medium stores program data that can be executed by a processor to implement the above-described ranging method.

[0061] The embodiments of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of laser ranging.

[0063] A typical lidar ranging device includes a transmitting module 11, a receiving module 13, and a rotating mirror module 12. The beam emitted by the transmitting module 11 is emitted by the rotating mirror module 12 and then illuminates the field of view. The rotating mirror module 12 rotates within the field of view angle corresponding to the field of view to deflect the scanning direction of the beam emitted by the transmitting module 11, thereby ensuring that the beam emitted by the transmitting module 11 illuminates the entire field of view. The beam emitted by the transmitting module 11 typically has a divergence angle, such as... Figure 1As shown, during the propagation of the light beam, the beam diameter continuously increases with the increase of the propagation distance. After reflection by the rotating mirror module 12, the emitted light beam illuminates the field of view at the emission field of view angle, while the receiving module 13 receives the light from the field of view at the receiving field of view angle. Since the transmitting module 11 and the receiving module 13 are typically located on opposite sides of the rotating mirror module 12, a gap exists between the emission and receiving light paths after reflection by the rotating mirror module 12. Therefore, the emission and receiving light paths do not completely overlap, resulting in a geometric blind zone in the ranging device. Figure 1 Taking the situation shown as an example, during ranging, the transmitted and received optical paths only partially overlap. For region a, which is located within the overlapping area, the receiving module can obtain relevant information about objects within region a. For region b, which is located within the receiving optical path of the receiving module but outside the range of the transmitted optical path, the receiving module cannot obtain relevant information about objects within region b. Therefore, region b is the geometric blind zone of the ranging device at this time.

[0064] This application discloses a ranging device comprising a transmitting module, a receiving module, a rotating mirror module, and a blind spot compensation module. The transmitting module transmits a light beam. The receiving module receives the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing. The rotating mirror module is rotatably disposed between the transmitting and receiving modules. The light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam. The first sensing beam scans the field of view at a first transmitting field of view angle. The receiving module receives the light beam returning from the field of view at a receiving field of view angle, reflected by the rotating mirror module. As the rotating mirror module rotates, the first sensing beam deflects, progressively scanning the field of view in each direction, ultimately completing a scan of the entire field of view. The blind spot compensation module transmits a light beam. The light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam. The second sensing beam scans the field of view at a second transmitting field of view angle. The overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view, it can be understood that the second sensing beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module will pass through the non-overlapping part between the first transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view. In other words, the second sensing beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module can illuminate the area that the first sensing beam cannot illuminate. Furthermore, the receiving module can receive the light reflected back from this area, thus achieving geometric blind spot compensation for the transmitting module.

[0066] In this embodiment, the receiving field of view is the field of view corresponding to the first transmitting field of view, and the two angle values ​​can be equal.

[0067] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0068] In this embodiment, the ranging device includes a transmitting module 11, a receiving module 13, a rotating mirror module 12, and a blind spot filling module 14. The transmitting module 11 transmits a light beam. The receiving module 13 receives the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing. The rotating mirror module 12 is rotatably disposed between the transmitting module and the receiving module. The light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam. The first sensing beam scans the field of view at a first transmitting field of view angle. The receiving module receives the light beam returning from the field of view at a receiving field of view angle, reflected by the rotating mirror module. As the rotating mirror module rotates, the first sensing beam deflects, gradually scanning the field of view in each direction, ultimately completing the scanning of the entire field of view. The blind spot filling module 14 transmits a light beam. The light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam. The second sensing beam scans the field of view at a second transmitting field of view angle. The overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle. As shown in the figure, the second sensing beam emitted by the blind spot filling module can illuminate the area c that the first sensing beam cannot illuminate, and the area c is located within the receiving field of view. At this time, the receiving module can obtain relevant information about the object in the area c.

[0069] In this embodiment, the blind spot filling module 14 is disposed on one side of the transmitting module 11. In another embodiment, it can also be as follows: Figure 3 As shown, it is located on one side of the receiving module 13. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0070] Similar to the embodiments described above, the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam. The second sensing beam scans the field of view with a second emission field of view angle. The overlapping area between the second emission field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first emission field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle. A similar description can be found in the descriptions in the embodiments described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application. In this case, the optical path of the second sensing beam of the blind spot compensation module can completely cover the optical path of the beam received by the receiving module, and the blind spot compensation module can completely eliminate the geometric blind zone of the ranging device.

[0072] In some embodiments, if the second sensing beam of the blind spot compensation module does not completely cover the optical path of the receiving beam of the receiving module, the geometric blind spot of the ranging device will not be completely eliminated, but only reduced.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first optical axis of the first sensing beam, the second optical axis of the second sensing beam, and the third optical axis of the beam received by the receiving module that has not yet been reflected by the rotating mirror module are parallel to each other, ensuring that the optical axis of the emitted beam is parallel to the optical axis of the received beam, thereby enabling accurate distance measurement of objects within the field of view.

[0074] In some embodiments, the rotating mirror module includes two mutually perpendicular first reflective surfaces and a second reflective surface. The first reflective surface is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module and / or the blind spot filling module into the field of view, and the second reflective surface is used to reflect the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception and / or reflect the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module into the field of view.

[0075] The first reflecting surface is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module into the field of view, and the second reflecting surface is used to reflect the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception.

[0076] When the transmitting module and the blind spot compensation module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module, the light beams emitted by the transmitting module and the blind spot compensation module illuminate the first reflecting surface of the rotating mirror module and are reflected into the field of view. When the blind spot compensation module and the receiving module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module, the light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module illuminates the second reflecting surface of the rotating mirror module and is reflected into the field of view. The second reflecting surface also reflects the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception.

[0077] The rotating mirror module may consist of only two reflecting surfaces for reflecting the light beam: a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface that are perpendicular to each other. The first reflecting surface reflects the light beam emitted by the transmitting module into the field of view, and the second reflecting surface reflects the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception. These two perpendicular reflecting surfaces can be connected, such as... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application. Other support structures are not shown. Alternatively, they can be set separately, with the two reflective surfaces not connected. For example... Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application.

[0078] The rotating mirror module can also include additional sides that are not used for beam reflection during ranging. For example... Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application. It is not completely connected sequentially and does not form a closed mirror structure. For example... Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the rotating mirror module of this application. The components are connected sequentially to form a closed mirror structure.

[0079] The rotating mirror module can also include more reflective surfaces, which can be connected sequentially to form a closed mirror structure, or they can be connected in a partially sequential manner. It is only necessary to ensure that each reflective surface has a reflective surface perpendicular to it.

[0080] It is understandable that the reflective surface of the rotating mirror module can be set to any structure, as long as the beam emitted by the transmitting module passing through one reflective surface of the rotating mirror module and the beam received by the receiving module passing through another reflective surface of the rotating mirror module are perpendicular to each other.

[0081] In some embodiments, the rotating mirror module includes four vertically connected reflective surfaces arranged around a preset rotation axis. The four vertically connected reflective surfaces rotate around the rotation axis to achieve the rotation of the rotating mirror module.

[0082] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cross-section of the four sequentially vertically connected reflective surfaces perpendicular to the rotation axis is a square, with the rotation axis located at the center of the square.

[0083] If a rotating mirror module includes four sequentially perpendicularly connected reflective surfaces, and these four sequentially connected reflective surfaces are set and rotated around a preset rotation axis, and the cross-section of the four sequentially perpendicularly connected reflective surfaces perpendicular to the rotation axis is a square, with the rotation axis located at the center of the square, then the dimensions of the rotating mirror module satisfy the following relationship:

[0084] θ = 180° - 4arcsin(D / R).

[0085] Where D is the diameter of the beam emitted by the transmitting module and incident on the rotating mirror module, R is the side length of the square cross-section of the rotating mirror module, and θ is the field of view angle. In the path from the transmitting module to the rotating mirror module, the beam can be considered collimated, and therefore its diameter can be assumed to remain constant.

[0086] Reference Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror. The rotating mirror module in the diagram is a four-sided rotating mirror with a square cross-section perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

[0087] When angle A of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 is directly facing the field of view, the four-sided rotating mirror 121 is in its initial rotation position. Then, the four-sided rotating mirror 121... Figure 5When the four-sided rotating mirror 121 rotates in the indicated direction, one reflecting surface of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 can still fully receive the light beam emitted by the transmitting module 11. Therefore, the control module controls the transmitting module 11 to emit the light beam. After the four-sided rotating mirror 121 rotates by an angle α, angle A rotates to position A'. At this time, one reflecting surface of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 just reflects the incident light beam. Therefore, the angle α at which the four-sided rotating mirror 121 rotates is considered to be the critical angle. (When the four-sided rotating mirror 121 is at the critical angle and rotates further, the light beam will reach two adjacent reflecting surfaces of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 instead of the same reflecting surface. At this time, the reflection of the light beam will be affected, affecting normal ranging. Therefore, this angle is defined as the critical angle. When the rotation exceeds the critical angle, the control module will not control the transmitting module to emit the light beam until the light beam reaches only the same reflecting surface of the rotating mirror module again, at which point the control module will continue to emit the light beam.)

[0088] Then, based on the complementary relationship of angles, we can obtain: β = 45° - α.

[0089] Since (D / R) = sinβ, then α = 45° - arcsin(D / R).

[0090] Similarly, since the four-sided rotating mirror 121 is in the initial position with... Figure 5 When rotating in the opposite direction, the process is similar to the one described above, with the four-sided rotating mirror rotating from position A to position A”. (Refer to...) Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror deflection. Therefore, it also has the same critical angle α, and 2α is the maximum angle the four-sided rotating mirror can deflect between the two critical positions during beam emission. Since the field of view is twice the maximum deflection angle of the four-sided rotating mirror during beam emission, the field of view angle θ = 4α. Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a rotating mirror deflection. The diagram shows the field of view θ corresponding to two extreme deflection scenarios.

[0091] Therefore, θ = 4α = 180° - 4arcsin(D / R).

[0092] Optionally, in some embodiments, the diagonal length of the square cross-section of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 is less than 110mm, preferably 60mm. Thus, the user can obtain the beam diameter of the beam emitted by the transmitting unit 11 by the side length of the square cross-section of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 and the preset field of view angle of the field of view range required by the user, or obtain the field of view angle of the range measuring device by the side length of the square of the four-sided rotating mirror 121 and the beam diameter of the beam emitted by the transmitting unit 11.

[0093] Reference Figure 12 , Figure 12This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application. The transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the first reflecting surface. The distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is B, and the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface is C.

[0094] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 2 The diagram shows that the transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the first reflecting surface. The vertical distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is greater than the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface. Figure 3 , Figure 4 The diagram shows that the blind spot filling module and the receiving module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module, and the second sensing beam is reflected into the field of view by the second reflecting surface.

[0095] At this point, the second transmission field of view is smaller than the first transmission field of view, or the second transmission field of view is equal to the first transmission field of view, or the second transmission field of view is greater than the first transmission field of view. Setting the second transmission field of view to be greater than 0° ensures that the overlapping area between the second transmission field of view and the receiving field of view is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first transmission field of view and the receiving field of view. The second sensing beam can illuminate areas that the first sensing beam cannot illuminate but are located within the corresponding receiving field of view, thereby achieving blind spot compensation.

[0096] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the first reflecting surface. The vertical distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is less than or equal to the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface.

[0097] At this point, the second transmission field of view is greater than the first transmission field of view. A second transmission field of view greater than the first transmission field of view needs to be set so that the second sensing beam can illuminate the area that the first sensing beam cannot reach and that is located within the corresponding receiving field of view, thereby achieving blind spot compensation.

[0098] In rotating mirror lidar ranging devices, in addition to the geometric blind zone, there is also a dead zone. The dead zone occurs because the receiving and transmitting optical paths cannot be perfectly isolated within the device, leading to optical crosstalk and a dead time within the lidar. Dead time refers to the shortest time required for the lidar to receive a new laser pulse after receiving one. For example, when a laser pulse is emitted, an internal reflection signal is generated at the laser exit lens and received by the laser receiver. If an obstacle is too close, the pulse echo from the nearby object cannot be detected because the laser receiver is still in the dead time, resulting in inaccurate ranging of nearby objects.

[0099] To further address the aforementioned dead zone / blind zone problem, in some embodiments, the beam emission power of the blind zone compensation module is lower than that of the beam emission power of the transmitting module. If the receiving module has a dead time when the transmitting module emits a beam at its beam emission power, resulting in a dead zone / blind zone in the ranging device, then while using the blind zone compensation module to compensate for the geometric blind zone, the dead zone / blind zone is reduced by setting the beam emission power of the blind zone compensation module to be lower than that of the transmitting module. When the transmitting module emits a beam at its beam emission power, if a dead zone / blind zone exists, it can be assumed that the receiving module's photon reception capability is less than the number of photons in the crosstalk light. Therefore, during beam emission, there is no portion in the receiving module that will not receive crosstalk light, resulting in a dead time after receiving crosstalk light. The number of photons in the crosstalk light is related to the emission power of the corresponding transmitting beam; if the beam emission power is high, the number of photons in the generated crosstalk light is high, and if the beam emission power is low, the number of photons in the generated crosstalk light is low. When the blind spot compensation module emits a beam, its beam emission power is lower than that of the emission module, resulting in fewer photons in the crosstalk light. Therefore, the receiving module's photon receiving capability can cover the number of photons in the crosstalk light. When the crosstalk light is received, there is still a receiving part in the receiving module that has not received the light. Therefore, this receiving part is not in the dead time and can receive the light reflected back from the object, thereby reducing the dead zone and blind zone of the ranging device.

[0100] like Figure 13 As shown, Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0101] In one embodiment, the ranging device further includes a first reflector 15, which is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module 11 to the rotating mirror module.

[0102] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the first reflector is provided with a light-transmitting structure that passes through the reflector. The light-transmitting structure is used to allow the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module to reach the rotating mirror module.

[0103] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module reaches the rotating mirror module through the light transmission structure of the first reflector. Since the second optical axis of the second sensing beam is parallel to the first optical axis of the first sensing beam, the optical axis of the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module on the path from the first reflector to the rotating mirror module is also parallel to the optical axis of the light beam emitted by the emitting module on the path from the first reflector to the rotating mirror module.

[0104] By using a reflector to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module, the size of the ranging device in the length and width directions can be adjusted to adapt to different environmental needs.

[0105] In this embodiment, a light-passing structure is set up so that the light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module can directly pass through the reflector to reach the rotating mirror module. This is because, in order to solve the dead zone and blind spot problem, the light beam emission power of the blind spot compensation module is set to be lower than that of the light beam emission power of the transmitting module. The lower the emission power, the shorter the distance it can illuminate. Therefore, through the above setting, the light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module travels a shorter path than the light beam emitted by the transmitting module, reducing its path loss, so that the second sensing light beam of the blind spot compensation module can reach the farthest position.

[0106] At the same time, a light transmission structure is set up so that the light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module passes through a reflector. This is also to ensure that the light beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module and the light beam emitted by the transmitting module have the same emission optical path, thereby reducing optical crosstalk. If the blind spot compensation module uses another optical path to emit the light beam, more optical crosstalk may be generated due to the additional optical path.

[0107] In one embodiment, the light-transmitting structure 16 includes a through-hole located in the middle portion of the reflective surface of the first reflector 15, and is not connected to the edge of the reflective surface of the reflector 15. For example... Figure 14 As shown, Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a reflector.

[0108] In one embodiment, the light-transmitting structure 16 includes a light-transmitting notch located at the edge portion of the first reflector 15. For example... Figure 15 As shown, Figure 15 This is another schematic diagram of a reflector.

[0109] like Figure 16 As shown, Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0110] In one embodiment, the ranging device further includes a second reflector 17, which is used to reflect the light beam reflected from the rotating mirror module to the receiving module.

[0111] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the second reflector has a light-transmitting structure that passes through the reflector. The light-transmitting structure is used to allow the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module to reach the rotating mirror module.

[0112] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module passes through the light transmission structure of the second reflector on the propagation path and reaches the rotating mirror module. Since the second optical axis of the second sensing beam is parallel to the third optical axis of the light beam received by the receiving module that has not yet been reflected by the rotating mirror module, the optical axis of the light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module on the path from the second reflector to the rotating mirror module is parallel to the optical axis of the light beam received by the receiving module on the path from the rotating mirror module to the second reflector.

[0113] In one embodiment, the light-transmitting structure includes a through-hole located in the middle portion of the reflective surface of the second reflector;

[0114] In one embodiment, the light-transmitting structure includes a light-transmitting notch located at the edge of the second reflector.

[0115] Similar content can be found in the descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0116] In one embodiment, after providing a first reflector with a light-transmitting structure, a third reflector can also be provided. The third reflector is used to reflect the light beam reflected from the rotating mirror module to the receiving module. However, the third reflector does not have a light-transmitting structure. Figure 17 As shown, Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0117] In one embodiment, after providing a second reflector with a light-transmitting structure, a fourth reflector can also be provided. The fourth reflector is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module to the rotating mirror module. However, the fourth reflector does not have a light-transmitting structure. Figure 18 As shown, Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the ranging device of this application.

[0118] In one embodiment, the ranging device may include a first reflector with a light-transmitting structure and a second reflector with a light-transmitting structure. Correspondingly, it also includes a first blind spot compensation module located on the same side as the rotating mirror module, corresponding to the first reflector, and a second blind spot compensation module located on the same side as the rotating mirror module, corresponding to the second reflector. That is, a blind spot compensation module can be provided on both the side closer to the transmitting module and the side closer to the receiving module, selected according to actual needs.

[0119] This application also provides a ranging method applied to the above-described ranging device.

[0120] Reference Figure 19 , Figure 19 This is a schematic flowchart of the first embodiment of the ranging method of this application. It includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0121] S11: Use the blind spot filling module to obtain the first ranging data, and use the transmission module to obtain the second ranging data.

[0122] S12: Combine the first and second ranging data to obtain the final ranging data.

[0123] The transmitting module is used for long-range ranging, while the blind spot module is used for short-range ranging where the transmitting module cannot detect. The ranging information in each direction is obtained by combining the two ranging results.

[0124] In one embodiment, when the blind spot module emits a beam to obtain the first ranging data, the emitting module does not emit a beam.

[0125] In one embodiment, when the transmitting module acquires the second ranging data, the blind spot module emits a beam.

[0126] In one embodiment, when the transmitting module acquires the second ranging data, the blind spot module does not emit a beam.

[0127] In one specific embodiment, the blind spot filling module first transmits several times to acquire the first ranging data, and then the transmitting module transmits several times to acquire the second ranging data. In another specific embodiment, the transmissions of the blind spot filling module and the transmitting module are performed alternately. The two modules transmit separately in time and do not interfere with each other.

[0128] like Figure 20 As shown, Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electronic device of this application.

[0129] The electronic device includes a processor 110 and a memory 120. It is used in the aforementioned ranging device.

[0130] Processor 110 controls the operation of electronic devices. Processor 110 may also be referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processor 110 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal sequence processing capabilities. Processor 110 may also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal sequence processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0131] The memory 120 stores the instructions and program data required for the processor 110 to operate.

[0132] The processor 110 is used to execute instructions to implement the methods provided in any embodiment and possible combination of the ranging methods of this application.

[0133] like Figure 21 As shown, Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium of this application.

[0134] One embodiment of the readable storage medium of this application includes a memory 210 that stores program data, which, when executed, implements the method provided in any embodiment and possible combination of the ranging method of this application. It is applied to the aforementioned ranging device.

[0135] The memory 210 may include a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, or other media that can store program instructions. Alternatively, it may be a server that stores the program instructions, which can send the stored program instructions to other devices for execution or execute the stored program instructions itself.

[0136] In summary, the ranging device of this application is configured to sense distance within a preset field of view. The ranging device includes a transmitting module for transmitting a light beam; a receiving module for receiving the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing; a rotating mirror module rotatably disposed between the transmitting module and the receiving module, wherein the light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam, the first sensing beam being deflected by the rotating mirror module at a first transmitting field of view angle to scan the field of view, and the receiving module receiving the light beam returning from the field of view at a receiving field of view angle that is synchronously deflected with the first transmitting field of view angle, as reflected by the rotating mirror module; and a blind spot module for transmitting a light beam, wherein the light beam emitted by the blind spot module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam, the second sensing beam being deflected by the rotating mirror module at a second transmitting field of view angle to scan the field of view, and the overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle is at least partially located outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view angle and the receiving field of view angle. Since the overlapping area between the second transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view includes a portion outside the overlapping area between the first transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view, it can be understood that the second sensing beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module will pass through the non-overlapping portion between the first transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view. In other words, the second sensing beam emitted by the blind spot compensation module can illuminate the area that the first sensing beam cannot illuminate. Correspondingly, the receiving module can receive the light reflected back from that area. Thus, through the illumination of the blind spot compensation module, relevant information in the geometric blind zone corresponding to the transmitting module can be obtained, thereby achieving geometric blind spot compensation for the transmitting module.

[0137] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and devices can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0138] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0139] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0140] If the integrated units in the other embodiments described above are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0141] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A ranging device, characterized in that, The ranging device is configured to sense distance over a preset field of view and includes: The transmitting module is used to emit a beam of light; A receiving module is used to receive the light beam returning from the field of view for distance sensing; A rotating mirror module is rotatably disposed between the transmitting module and the receiving module. The light beam emitted by the transmitting module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a first sensing beam. The first sensing beam deflects and scans the field of view within a first transmitting field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates. The receiving module receives the light beam returning from the field of view in a direction parallel to the first sensing beam by receiving the light beam reflected by the rotating mirror module. A blind spot filling module is used to emit a light beam. The light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module is reflected by the rotating mirror module to form a second sensing beam. The second sensing beam deflects and scans the field of view within a second emission field of view as the rotating mirror module rotates. At least a portion of the overlapping area between the second emission field of view and the receiving field of view is located outside the overlapping area between the first emission field of view and the receiving field of view. The rotating mirror module includes two mutually perpendicular first and second reflecting surfaces. The first reflecting surface reflects the light beam emitted by the transmitting module into the field of view, and the second reflecting surface reflects the light beam returning from the field of view to the receiving module for reception and reflection into the field of view. The transmitting module and the blind spot filling module are located on the same side of the rotating mirror module. The light beam emitted by the blind spot filling module is reflected by the first reflecting surface to form a second sensing beam. The first sensing beam forms a first reflection point on the first reflecting surface, and the second sensing beam forms a second reflection point on the second reflecting surface. The vertical distance between the first reflection point and the second reflecting surface is less than the vertical distance between the second reflection point and the second reflecting surface.

2. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The propagation optical axes of the first sensing beam, the second sensing beam, and the beam received by the receiving module after reflection by the rotating mirror module are arranged parallel to each other.

3. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mirror module includes four vertically connected reflective surfaces arranged around a preset rotation axis. The rotating mirror module rotates around the rotation axis.

4. The ranging device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The four reflective surfaces, which are connected vertically in sequence, have a square cross-section perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the rotation axis is located at the center of the square.

5. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second emission field of view is greater than the first emission field of view.

6. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam emission power of the blind spot filling module is lower than that of the beam emission power of the emission module.

7. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ranging device further includes a first reflector, which is used to reflect the light beam emitted by the transmitting module to the rotating mirror module. The first reflector is provided with a light-transmitting structure, which is used to allow the light beam emitted by the blind spot module to pass through, so that the light beam emitted by the blind spot module reaches the rotating mirror module.

8. The ranging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ranging device also includes a second reflector. The light beam returning from the field of view is reflected by the rotating mirror module and then reflected by the second reflector to the receiving module for reception. The second reflector is provided with a light-transmitting structure, which is used to allow the light beam emitted by the blind spot module to reach the rotating mirror module.

9. A distance measurement method, characterized in that, The method, applied to the ranging device as described in any one of claims 1-8, comprises: The first ranging data is obtained using the blind spot filling module, and the second ranging data is obtained using the transmission module; The first ranging data and the second ranging data are combined to obtain the final ranging data.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the ranging device as described in any one of claims 1-8.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Applied to the ranging device as described in any one of claims 1-8, the computer-readable storage medium stores program data that can be executed by a processor to implement the method as described in claim 9.

Images