Optical beam combiner and preparation method thereof, optical chip and laser radar

Abstract

The invention provides an optical beam combiner of a laser radar, a preparation method of the optical beam combiner, an optical chip and the laser radar. The optical beam combiner comprises an optical transceiver port, an optical splitter and a reflector. The optical splitter is configured to reflect or transmit a light beam incident on the optical splitter, and the reflector and the optical splitter are configured to be that the light beam incident from the light receiving and transmitting port is reflected by the optical splitter and the reflector and then is emitted to the outside of the optical beam combiner, and the light beam transmitted from the optical splitter is emitted from the light receiving and transmitting port; or the light beam incident from the light receiving and transmitting port is transmitted by the optical splitter and then is emitted to the outside of the optical beam combiner, and the light beam reflected to the optical splitter from the reflector is reflected by the optical splitter and then is emitted from the light receiving and transmitting port. The number of devices in the laser radar can be reduced, the structure of the laser radar is simplified, and batch production is facilitated; moreover, the installation and field-of-view matching of the transmitter and the receiver are facilitated, and the reliability and stability of the laser radar are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of lidar, and in particular to an optical beam combiner for lidar, a method for manufacturing the optical beam combiner, an optical chip for lidar, and a lidar. Background Art

[0002] A lidar is a highly integrated detection device with various components of different functions inside. Its structure is complex, and the assembly and adjustment process is cumbersome, with extremely high requirements for processing accuracy. It is necessary to ensure that the emission field of view and the reception field of view are aligned so that the echo formed by the object reflecting the detection beam can be received by the detector, making it difficult to reduce the cost of the lidar.

[0003] The lidar is exposed to the external environment for a long time, and there are problems with the aging of the lidar structure, including glue creep, structural deformation, thermal expansion and contraction, etc. If the internal structure in the lidar undergoes position offset or deformation, it will cause a field of view offset between the emission field of view of the laser and the reception field of view of the detector. The emission field of view and the reception field of view cannot be aligned. For example, the spot formed by the echo on the detector deviates from the reception range of the detector, resulting in a decrease in the reliability and stability of the lidar.

[0004] The content in the background art section is only the technology known to the inventor and does not necessarily represent the prior art in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of one or more deficiencies in the prior art, the present disclosure provides an optical beam combiner for lidar, including an optical transceiver port, a beam splitter, and a reflector.

[0006] The beam splitter is configured to reflect or transmit the beam incident on the beam splitter.

[0007] The reflector and the beam splitter are configured such that: the beam incident from the optical transceiver port, after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector, exits the optical beam combiner, and the beam transmitted by the beam splitter exits from the optical transceiver port; or,

[0008] The beam incident from the optical transceiver port, after being transmitted by the beam splitter, exits the optical beam combiner, and the beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter, after being reflected by the beam splitter, exits from the optical transceiver port.

[0009] Optionally, the optical beam combiner further includes a filter, which is disposed in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector, or is disposed on the side opposite to the beam splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or is disposed on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port along the optical path where the beam splitter is located.

[0010] Optionally, the optical combiner further includes a substrate, the optical transceiver ports are formed on the surface of the substrate, and the optical splitter, the reflector, and the optical filter are embedded in the substrate or formed on the surface of the substrate.

[0011] Optionally, a light-shielding layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the light-shielding layer is arranged to expose the optical splitter, the optical transceiver ports, the reflector, and the optical filter.

[0012] Optionally, a wave plate is provided at the optical transceiver port, the optical splitter is a polarization beam splitter, and the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the beam passing through the optical transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the beam at the optical splitter.

[0013] Optionally, a first wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the first wedge-shaped groove is opposite to the optical transceiver port, and the optical splitter is formed in the first wedge-shaped groove.

[0014] Optionally, a second wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the reflector is formed in the second wedge-shaped groove, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the second wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate.

[0015] Optionally, a third wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the optical filter is formed in the third wedge-shaped groove, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the third wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side of the substrate.

[0016] Optionally, the present disclosure further includes a method for manufacturing an optical combiner, and the manufacturing method includes:

[0017] S101: Prepare or provide a substrate, and the substrate is made of a light-transmitting material;

[0018] S102: Perform a local light-shielding treatment on the substrate to form optical transceiver ports for emitting and receiving beams; and

[0019] S103: Form an optical splitter and a reflector on the surface or inside of the substrate;

[0020] The reflector and the optical splitter are configured such that: the beam incident from the optical transceiver port, after being reflected by the optical splitter and the reflector, is emitted outside the optical combiner, and the beam transmitted through the optical splitter is emitted from the optical transceiver port; or,

[0021] The beam incident from the optical transceiver port, after being transmitted through the optical splitter, is emitted outside the optical combiner, and the beam reflected from the reflector to the optical splitter, after being reflected by the optical splitter, is emitted from the optical transceiver port.

[0022] Optionally, the preparation method further includes:

[0023] S104: A filter is provided on the surface or inside of the substrate, and the filter is provided in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector, or is provided on the side opposite to the beam splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or is provided on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port along the optical path where the beam splitter is located.

[0024] Optionally, the beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter, and the preparation method further includes:

[0025] A wave plate is provided at the optical transceiver port, and the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the light beam passing through the optical transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the light beam at the beam splitter.

[0026] Optionally, the step S101 includes:

[0027] Form a plate-shaped substrate;

[0028] Form a first wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate;

[0029] The step S103 includes: disposing the beam splitter in the first wedge-shaped groove.

[0030] Optionally, the step S101 includes: forming a second wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the second wedge-shaped groove are on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate;

[0031] The step S103 includes: disposing the reflector in the second wedge-shaped groove.

[0032] Optionally, the step S101 includes: forming a third wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the third wedge-shaped groove are on the same side of the substrate;

[0033] The preparation method further includes: disposing the filter in the third wedge-shaped groove.

[0034] Optionally, the preparation method further includes:

[0035] S105: Divide the substrate into a plurality of optical combiners according to the extension directions of the beam splitter and the reflector.

[0036] Optionally, the present disclosure further includes another preparation method of an optical combiner, and the preparation method includes:

[0037] S201: Dispose a beam splitter on the surface of a first support member and dispose a reflector on the surface of a second support member;

[0038] S202: Place the first support member and the second support member in a mold;

[0039] S203: Inject a light-transmissive material into the mold;

[0040] S204: Mold the light-transmissive material to form a substrate; and

[0041] S205: Perform local light-shielding treatment on the substrate to form a light transceiver port for emitting and receiving light beams;

[0042] The reflector and the beam splitter are configured such that: a light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector, exits outside the optical combiner, and a light beam transmitted through the beam splitter exits from the light transceiver port; or,

[0043] A light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being transmitted through the beam splitter, exits outside the optical combiner, and a light beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter, after being reflected by the beam splitter, exits from the light transceiver port.

[0044] Optionally, the preparation method further includes:

[0045] S206: Set a filter, the filter is set in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector, or is set on the side opposite to the beam splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or is set on the side opposite to the light transceiver port along the optical path where the beam splitter is located.

[0046] Optionally, the filter is set on the surface of the second support member, the beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter, and the preparation method further includes:

[0047] Set a wave plate at the light transceiver port, the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the light beam passing through the light transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the light beam at the beam splitter.

[0048] Optionally, the first support member and the second support member are on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate.

[0049] Optionally, the filter and the first support member are on the same side of the substrate.

[0050] Optionally, the first support member and the second support member are prisms, and the beam splitter, the reflector, and the filter are formed on the surface of the prism by any one of adhesion, coating, or etching.

[0051] Optionally, the preparation method further includes:

[0052] S207: Divide the substrate into multiple optical beam combiners according to the extending directions of the optical splitter and the reflector.

[0053] Optionally, the present disclosure further includes an optical chip of a lidar, where the optical chip includes:

[0054] A transmitter configured to emit a detection beam;

[0055] A receiver configured to receive an echo formed by the detection beam after passing through an object and convert the echo into an electrical signal;

[0056] The optical beam combiner as described above, where the optical beam combiner is configured to receive the detection beam, make the detection beam exit through the optical transceiver port of the optical beam combiner, and is configured to receive the echo through the optical transceiver port and exit to the receiver.

[0057] Optionally, the optical chip further includes a substrate, and the optical beam combiner, the transmitter, and the receiver are encapsulated on one side of the substrate by an encapsulation material.

[0058] Optionally, the transmitter includes a plurality of lasers, and the plurality of lasers are arranged in an array on the substrate; the receiver includes a plurality of detectors, and the plurality of detectors are arranged in an array on the substrate.

[0059] Optionally, the optical chip further includes:

[0060] A transmitter driver located on the substrate and electrically connected to the transmitter and the substrate;

[0061] A receiver driver located on the substrate and electrically connected to the receiver and the substrate.

[0062] Optionally, the transmitter driver and the receiver driver are located between the transmitter and the receiver;

[0063] Or, the transmitter and the receiver are located between the transmitter driver and the receiver driver.

[0064] Optionally, the transmitter is stacked on the transmitter driver, and the receiver is stacked on the receiver driver.

[0065] Optionally, the detection beam emitted by the transmitter passes through the optical splitter and enters the optical beam combiner, and exits through the optical transceiver port; the echo enters the optical beam combiner through the optical transceiver port, is reflected by the optical splitter and the reflector in sequence, and then is incident on the receiver.

[0066] Optionally, the detection beam emitted by the emitter is reflected by the reflector to the optical combiner, and after being reflected by the beam splitter, it exits through the optical transceiver port; the echo enters the optical combiner through the optical transceiver port, and after passing through the beam splitter, it is incident on the receiver.

[0067] Optionally, the optical chip includes a single optical combiner corresponding to all the lasers and the detectors; or the optical chip includes multiple optical combiners, with each optical combiner corresponding to one laser and one detector.

[0068] Optionally, the optical chip further includes a microlens array disposed on the emitter, and the microlens array is configured to shape the detection beam to form an image of the light-emitting surface of the emitter, and the image is located on the side of the light-emitting surface opposite to the microlens array.

[0069] Optionally, the detector includes a main detection area and an auxiliary detection area, and the energy of the echo received by the main detection area is greater than the energy of the echo received by the auxiliary detection area.

[0070] Optionally, the optical chip includes a single substrate, and the emitter and the receiver are disposed on the single substrate; or the optical chip includes a first substrate and a second substrate located in different planes, the emitter is disposed on the first substrate, and the receiver is disposed on the second substrate.

[0071] Optionally, the present disclosure further includes a lidar, which includes:

[0072] The optical chip as described above;

[0073] A lens, the detection beam emitted from the optical chip exits through the lens to the outside of the lidar, and the echo is transmitted by the lens to the optical combiner of the optical chip; and

[0074] A data processor, which is coupled to the receiver of the optical chip and is configured to obtain information about the object according to the electrical signal.

[0075] Optionally, the emitter and the receiver are located on the focal plane of the lens; or the receiver is located on the focal plane of the lens, and the image formed by the emitter through the microlens array is located on the focal plane of the lens.

[0076] Optionally, the lidar further includes a scanner configured to receive and scan the detection beam from the lens to cover the field of view of the lidar and reflect the echo to the lens.

[0077] Optionally, the scanner includes a first scanning mirror and a second scanning mirror. The light beam emitted from the lens sequentially passes through the first scanning mirror and the second scanning mirror, and the rotation axes of the first scanning mirror and the second scanning mirror are not parallel.

[0078] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an optical beam combiner for a lidar. By cooperating a beam splitter and a reflector, both the emitted and incident light beams in the optical beam combiner pass through the optical transceiver port. The reflector can adjust the optical path in the optical beam combiner to facilitate the cooperation of the optical beam combiner with the laser and the detector. The optical beam combiner in this embodiment is applied in a lidar, enabling both the detection light beam of the lidar and the echo formed by the reflection of an object to pass through the optical transceiver port, reducing the number of components in the lidar, simplifying the lidar structure, and being conducive to mass production. Moreover, the optical beam combiner is beneficial to the alignment and field of view matching of the transmitter and the receiver, enabling the lidar to maintain the field of view alignment during long-term use, improving the reliability and stability of the lidar, and reducing the processing difficulty and cost of the lidar.

[0079] Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a method for manufacturing an optical beam combiner. By performing a light-shielding treatment on a substrate to obtain an optical transceiver port, and forming a beam splitter and a reflector on the surface or inside of the substrate, both the emitted and incident light beams in the optical beam combiner pass through the optical transceiver port, which can reduce the number of components inside the lidar, simplify the lidar structure, and reduce the lidar alignment difficulty and alleviate the field of view offset degree.

[0080] Embodiments of the present disclosure also include another method for manufacturing an optical beam combiner. Using a first support member and a second support member to fix the positions of the beam splitter and the reflector, and performing local light shielding after molding with a light-transmitting material to form an optical transceiver port for emitting a detection light beam and receiving an echo.

[0081] Embodiments of the present disclosure also include an optical chip for a lidar and a lidar. The optical chip applies the aforementioned optical beam combiner. The detection light beam emitted by the transmitter is emitted from the optical transceiver port through the optical beam combiner, and after receiving the echo through the optical transceiver port, it is emitted to the receiver. The lidar applying the aforementioned optical chip can reduce the number of components inside the lidar, simplify the lidar structure, be conducive to mass production, reduce the processing difficulty of the lidar, facilitate the field of view matching of the transmitter and the receiver, and can also maintain the field of view alignment of the lidar during long-term use, improving the reliability and stability of the lidar. Description of the Drawings

[0082] The drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present disclosure to explain the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0083] Figure 1 Shows the optical path schematic diagram of the optical combiner in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0084] Figure 2 Shows the optical path schematic diagram of the optical combiner in some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0085] Figures 3A - 3C Shows the optical path schematic diagram of the optical combiner in different embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0086] Figure 4 Shows the process schematic diagram of the preparation method of the optical combiner in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0087] Figure 5 Shows the process schematic diagram of the preparation method including the process of setting the filter in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0088] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Shows the schematic diagram of the preparation process of the optical combiner in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0089] Figure 7 Shows the process schematic diagram of the preparation method of the optical combiner in some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0090] Figure 8 Shows the process schematic diagram of the preparation method including the process of setting the filter in some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0091] Figure 9 Shows the schematic diagram of the preparation process of the optical combiner in some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0092] Figures 10A - 10C Shows the optical path schematic diagram of the optical chip in different embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0093] Figures 11A - 11D Shows the packaging schematic diagram of the optical chip in different embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0094] Figure 12 Shows the top view of the optical chip in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0095] Figure 13 Shows the structural block diagram of the lidar in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0096] Figure 14 Shows the schematic diagram of the optical chip arrangement of the lidar in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0097] Figure 15 Shows the schematic diagram of the lidar including a scanner in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0098] Figure 16 The schematic diagram of a lidar including a first scanning mirror and a second scanning mirror in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed implementation manners

[0099] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are simply described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0100] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present disclosure. 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 specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0101] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected", and "coupled" 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 a connection that can communicate with each other; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0102] In this disclosure, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, or may include contact between the first and second features not being direct but through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0103] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present disclosure. To simplify the disclosure of the present disclosure, components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or reference letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present disclosure provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art may be aware of the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0104] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only for the purpose of illustrating and explaining the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0105] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical beam combiner 1 of the lidar includes: an optical transceiver port 10, a beam splitter 20, and a reflector 30. The beam splitter 20 is configured to cause the incident beam on the beam splitter 20 to be reflected or transmitted. The beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30 cooperate with each other such that the beam incident from the optical transceiver port 10, after being reflected by the beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30, exits to the outside of the optical beam combiner 1, and the beam transmitted through the beam splitter 20 exits from the optical transceiver port 10.

[0106] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the beam incident from the optical transceiver port 10 exits to the outside of the optical beam combiner 1 after being transmitted through the beam splitter 20, and the beam reflected from the reflector 30 to the beam splitter 20 exits from the optical transceiver port 10 after being reflected by the beam splitter 20.

[0107] The optical combiner 1 of the present disclosure is applied in a lidar, enabling both the detection beam of the lidar and the echo formed by the reflection of an object to pass through the optical transceiver port 10, reducing the number of components in the lidar, simplifying the lidar structure, and facilitating mass production. Moreover, the optical combiner 1 is conducive to the alignment and field of view matching of the transmitter and receiver, enabling the lidar to maintain the field of view alignment during long-term use, improving the reliability and stability of the lidar, and reducing the processing difficulty and cost of the lidar.

[0108] Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the structures of the optical combiner 1 in different embodiments of the present disclosure, and the optical combiner 1 will be described based on Figure 1 and Figure 2 for illustration.

[0109] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the optical combiner 1 includes an optical transceiver port 10, a beam splitter 20, and a reflector 30. For example, the optical combiner 1 further includes a substrate 40, and the optical transceiver port 10, the beam splitter 20, and the reflector 30 can be fixed at preset positions on the substrate 40. The optical transceiver port 10 is formed on the surface of the substrate 40, and the beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30 can be embedded in the substrate 40 or disposed on the surface of the substrate 40. The substrate 40 is formed by molding with a light-transmitting material, and after the molding process or after processes such as light shielding and cutting, the optical transceiver port 10 is formed, and the beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30 are embedded or disposed at the preset positions. The preparation method of the optical combiner 1 will be described in detail in subsequent embodiments.

[0110] In some embodiments, the beam splitter 20 is configured to reflect or transmit the incident beam. For example, the beam splitter 20 can be a beam splitting film, and the beam incident from one side of the beam splitting film is reflected by the beam splitting film, and the beam incident from the other side of the beam splitting film is transmitted by the beam splitting film. Another example is that the beam splitter 20 includes a reflection region and a transmission region, and the incident light incident on the reflection region is reflected by the beam splitter 20, and the incident light incident on the transmission region passes through the beam splitter 20 and is transmitted. The beam splitter 20 can be a polarization beam splitter or any optical element capable of realizing beam splitting.

[0111] In some embodiments, the beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30 cooperate with each other. As Figure 1 shown, the beam represented by the dashed line is incident on the optical combiner 1 from the optical transceiver port 10, is reflected on one side surface of the beam splitter 20, and is reflected again by the reflector 30 to change the optical path direction and exit from the optical combiner 1. The beam represented by the solid line is incident on the beam splitter 20, for example, incident on the opposite side surface of the reflection surface in the beam splitter 20. The beam represented by the solid line is transmitted at the beam splitter 20 and exits from the optical transceiver port 10 after passing through the beam splitter 20.

[0112] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30 cooperate with each other. For example, Figure 2 as shown, the dashed line indicates that the light beam is incident on the optical combiner 1 from the optical transceiver port 10, transmits through the transmission area on one side of the optical splitter 20, and exits the optical combiner 1 after passing through the optical splitter 20. The solid line indicates that the light beam is incident on the optical combiner 1 from the reflector 30. After the light beam is reflected at the reflector 30, it is incident on the optical splitter 20 and is reflected in the reflection area on one side of the optical splitter 20, and exits at the optical transceiver port 10 after being reflected by the optical splitter 20.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical combiner 1 is applied in a lidar. Figure 1 and Figure 2 the light beams shown include the detection light beam emitted by the lidar and the echo formed after the detection light beam is reflected by an object.

[0114] For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 as shown, the solid line indicates the detection light beam emitted by the transmitter in the lidar. After passing through the optical splitter 20 by transmission, or being reflected by the reflector 30 and the optical splitter 20, it exits from the optical transceiver port 10. The dashed line indicates the echo. After being incident from the optical transceiver port 10, it exits from the optical combiner 1 after being reflected by the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30, or is transmitted by the optical splitter 20 and received by the receiver in the lidar.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical splitter 20 is configured to reflect and transmit the detection light beam and the echo. The optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30 cooperate with each other to change the optical path direction of the detection light beam or the echo, so that the optical combiner 1 cooperates with the transmitter and the receiver in the lidar, simplifies the lidar structure, and facilitates the setting of the transmitter and the receiver. For example, by adjusting the positions of the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30 in the optical combiner 1, the transmitter and the receiver are located on the same side of the optical combiner 1. The transmitter and the receiver can be arranged on the same circuit board, reducing the number of components in the lidar, which is beneficial to mass production, and is also beneficial to the assembly and adjustment of the lidar, and can reduce the processing difficulty and cost of the lidar.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection light beam exits from the optical transceiver port 10, and the echo is incident from the optical transceiver port 10. A set of lenses can be provided in the lidar, and the detection light beam and the echo can share this set of lenses. When problems such as aging deformation, thermal expansion and contraction occur during the application of the lidar, the optical combiner 1 provided by the present disclosure can achieve high integration, making the deformation of the emission field of view and the reception field of view close. The lidar maintains the field of view alignment during long-term use, reduces the field of view shift, and can improve the stability and reliability of the lidar.

[0117] In some embodiments, the receiver of the lidar includes a detector array. The detector includes a SPAD (single photon avalanche diode) or a SiPM (silicon photomultiplier). The SPAD array can be arranged as a two-dimensional array, for example, arranged in a two-dimensional array along the horizontal and vertical directions. Any area in the two-dimensional array can be individually controlled to be activated. For example, each pixel can be individually activated. The pixel includes 2×2 or 3×3 SPADs. Each pixel corresponds to a receiving field of view. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of SPADs in a pixel is not limited and can be adjusted according to the requirements of the lidar and the design of the SPAD. The SiPM array can be arranged as a one-dimensional array. For example, the SiPM array includes a plurality of SiPMs arranged along the vertical direction, and each SiPM corresponds to a receiving field of view.

[0118] Regarding the problem of field-of-view offset between the transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view, the lidar has a SPAD array. Pixels in any area of the SPAD array can be activated. For example, the SPAD array can have the function of a dynamic aperture. When a field-of-view offset occurs, the transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view can be realigned by activating the pixels in the corresponding area of the SPAD array after the receiving field of view has shifted. However, the SiPM array cannot achieve individual gating of any area. Therefore, to solve the problem of field-of-view offset, a lidar with a SiPM array can make the detector have a redundant area. For example, increasing the size of the SiPM to increase the receiving field of view. For example, the receiving field of view is twice that of the transmitting field of view. When a field-of-view offset occurs, the transmitting field of view of the laser and the receiving field of view of the detector can still be aligned, and the spot of the echo on the detector is located within the photosensitive surface of the SiPM. However, increasing the size of the SiPM not only increases the cost of the lidar but also is not conducive to reducing the size of the lidar. The application of SiPM in lidar is limited by field-of-view offset and cost.

[0119] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical combiner 1 can overcome or alleviate the problem of field-of-view offset between the transmitting field of view and the receiving field of view, is suitable for cooperating with the SiPM array, can reduce the number of components in the lidar, simplify the structure of the lidar, reduce the production cost of the lidar, and improve the ranging ability and dynamic range of the lidar.

[0120] Of course, the optical combiner 1 in this embodiment can also cooperate with the SPAD array. Sharing a set of lenses for the detection beam and the echo can reduce the number of components in the lidar and simplify the structure of the lidar.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the optical combiner 1 further includes a filter 50. The filter 50 is disposed in the optical path between the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30, or is disposed on the side opposite to the optical splitter 20 along the optical path where the reflector 30 is located, or is disposed on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port 10 along the optical path where the optical splitter 20 is located. When the optical combiner 1 includes the substrate 40, the filter 50 can be disposed to be embedded in the substrate 40 or on the surface of the substrate 40.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical combiner 1 corresponds to the transmitter and receiver of the lidar. The transmitter emits a detection beam, and the receiver receives the echo. The detection beam and the echo are combined by the optical combiner 1. To avoid the influence of stray light on the detection result of the receiver, a filter 50 is provided in this embodiment to reduce the influence of stray light on the receiver and improve the detection accuracy of the lidar.

[0123] The filter 50 is disposed in the optical path of the echo. According to different embodiments of the present disclosure, the filter 50 can be disposed at different positions. For example, the filter 50 is disposed before the echo is incident on the receiver.

[0124] As Figure 1 shown, the filter 50 is disposed in the optical path between the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30. The beam incident from the optical transceiver port 10 (in the application of the lidar, this beam is the echo) is reflected by the optical splitter 20, passes through the filter 50 to filter out the stray light, and is incident on the reflector 30. After being reflected by the reflector 30, it exits from the optical combiner 1.

[0125] As Figure 2 shown, the filter 50 can also be disposed on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port 10 along the optical path where the optical splitter 20 is located. The optical splitter 20 is a sheet-like structure. Along the optical path where the optical splitter 20 is located, the optical transceiver port 10 is located on one side of the optical splitter 20, and the filter 50 is located on the other side of the optical splitter 20. In the Figure 2 embodiment shown, the beam incident from the optical transceiver port 10 (such as the echo) is transmitted at the optical splitter 20 and exits from the optical combiner 1 after passing through the filter 50.

[0126] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figures 3A - 3C shown, the filter 50 can also be disposed on the side opposite to the optical splitter 20 along the optical path where the reflector 30 is located. In the Figures 3A - 3C embodiment shown, along the direction of the optical path where the reflector 30 is located (the echo optical path), one side of the reflector 30 is the optical splitter 20, and the other side is the filter 50. For example, the optical splitter 20 and the filter 50 are respectively disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the reflector 30 along the direction of the optical path (the echo optical path). As Figures 3A - 3CAs shown, the light beam (echo) incident from the optical transceiver port 10 is reflected by the optical splitter 20 and then incident on the reflector 30. After being reflected by the reflector 30, it passes through the optical filter 50 to filter out stray light and then exits from the optical combiner 1.

[0127] The optical combiner 1 includes a substrate 40. A light-shielding layer (not shown in the figure) is formed on the surface of the substrate 40. The light-shielding layer is arranged to expose the optical transceiver port 10, the optical splitter 20, the reflector 30, and the optical filter 50, without blocking the light beam passing through the optical transceiver port 10, the optical splitter 20, the reflector 30, and the optical filter 50, and to prevent the light beam inside the substrate 40 from leaking out. The light-shielding layer can be a coating formed on the surface of the substrate 40 using a light-absorbing material, or a light-shielding structure formed using an opaque material.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a wave plate 11 is provided at the optical transceiver port 10, for example, a quarter-wave plate, and the optical splitter 20 is a polarization beam splitter. The wave plate 11 is arranged to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the light beam passing through the optical transceiver port 10 to control whether the light beam is reflected or transmitted at the optical splitter 20.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the wave plate 11 and the optical splitter 20 cooperate with each other to control whether the light beam is reflected or transmitted at the polarization beam splitter. The principle of the polarization beam splitter is to split the incident light according to the polarization direction of the incident light, so that the incident light with a certain polarization direction can be transmitted, and the incident light with another polarization direction is reflected.

[0130] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the echo incident from the optical transceiver port 10 passes through the wave plate 11, changing the polarization direction of the echo. The echo after adjusting the polarization direction is reflected at the polarization beam splitter, so that the echo can be received by the receiver along a preset optical path. The wave plate 11 can also change the polarization direction of the outgoing light passing through the optical transceiver port 10. For example, the detection light beam emitted by the transmitter of the lidar is a polarized light, so that the detection light beam is transmitted or reflected by the polarization beam splitter and then changes the polarization direction after passing through the wave plate 11.

[0131] See Figures 1 - 3C , according to different embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical combiner 1 can be set into different structures, and the substrate 40 can have a preset structure to set the optical transceiver port 10, the optical splitter 20, the reflector 30, and the optical filter 50 on the surface or at specific positions of the substrate 40.

[0132] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first wedge-shaped groove 41 is provided on the surface of the substrate 40, as Figures 1 - 3CAs shown, the position of the first wedge-shaped groove 41 is opposite to that of the optical transceiver port 10, and the optical splitter 20 is disposed at the first wedge-shaped groove 41. For example, the first wedge-shaped groove 41 is arranged as a recess facing the inside of the substrate 40, which can protect the optical splitter 20. The first wedge-shaped groove 41 can be formed when the light-transmitting material is molded, or can be formed by cutting after the light-transmitting material is molded. The first wedge-shaped groove 41 improves the stability of the optical combiner 1 and avoids the deviation of the optical path caused by the misalignment of the optical splitter 20.

[0133] The first wedge-shaped groove 41 has at least one inclined surface, and the optical splitter 20 is fixed on this inclined surface, or a film is coated on the surface of this inclined surface to form the optical splitter 20. The inclined surface in the first wedge-shaped groove 41 has a preset angle so that the reflected optical path and the transmitted optical path of the optical splitter 20 conform to the preset optical path direction. Due to the difference in the refractive index between the material of the substrate 40 and air, the detection beam of the lidar can be set to vertically exit from the optical transceiver port 10.

[0134] As Figure 2 shown, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first wedge-shaped groove 41 can also be arranged as a cavity to fix the optical filter 50.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a second wedge-shaped groove 42 can also be provided on the substrate 40, and the reflector 30 is formed in the second wedge-shaped groove 42. For example, the first wedge-shaped groove 41 and the second wedge-shaped groove 42 can be arranged on the same side of the substrate 40, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown; they can also be arranged on the opposite sides of the substrate 40, as Figure 3A shown.

[0136] Taking Figures 1 - 3C the dotted line in as the return optical path and the solid line as the detection beam optical path as an example for illustration, those skilled in the art can understand that Figures 1 - 3C taking the dotted line in as the optical path of the detection beam and the solid line as the return optical path is equally feasible.

[0137] Referring to Figure 1 , the second wedge-shaped groove 42 is arranged on the same side as the first wedge-shaped groove 41. After the echo is incident from the optical transceiver port 10 and is reflected by the optical splitter 20, the angle of the first wedge-shaped groove 41 is set so that the echo reflected by the optical splitter 20 is incident on the reflector 30. The angle of the second wedge-shaped groove 42 is set so that the echo reflected by the reflector 30 is parallel to the optical axis of the detection beam. When the optical combiner 1 cooperates with the transmitter and the receiver, the transmitter and the receiver can be arranged on the same side of the optical combiner 1, which is beneficial to arranging the transmitter and the receiver on the same circuit board, can reduce the number of components in the lidar, simplify the structure of the lidar, and is beneficial to mass production.

[0138] As Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a filter 50 may also be provided at the second wedge groove 42, and the filter 50 may be provided on the second wedge groove 42. For example, the echo is vertically incident on the filter 50 to avoid changing the optical path direction of the echo due to refraction.

[0139] As Figure 3A shown, the second wedge groove 42 may also be provided on the side of the substrate 40 opposite to the first wedge groove 41, and the angles of the first wedge groove 41 and the second wedge groove 42 are adjusted accordingly to change the outgoing direction of the echo. For example, the optical axis direction of the light emitted by the optical combiner 1 is parallel to the optical axis of the detection beam. The filter 50 may be provided on the surface of the substrate 40.

[0140] As Figure 3B shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a third wedge groove 43 is further provided on the surface of the substrate 40, the filter 50 is provided on the third wedge groove 43, and the first wedge groove 41 and the third wedge groove 43 are located on the same side of the substrate 40.

[0141] The filter 50 is provided in the third wedge groove 43, and the optical path direction is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the filter 50. In the echo optical path as Figure 3B shown, the filter 50 is provided downstream of the reflector 30. After the echo passes through the filter 50, at the interface between the optical combiner 1 and the air, refraction occurs due to different refractive indices. By setting the angle of the third wedge groove 43 and adjusting the incident angle of the echo on the filter 50, the optical axis of the outgoing beam passing through the filter 50 can be made parallel to the optical axis of the detection beam of the lidar, which is beneficial for arranging the transmitter and receiver of the lidar on the same circuit board.

[0142] As Figure 3C shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a first wedge groove 41, a second wedge groove 42, and a third wedge groove 43 may also be provided on the surface of the substrate 40. The beam splitter 20 is formed in the first wedge groove 41, the reflector 30 is provided in the second wedge groove 42, and the filter 50 is provided in the third wedge groove 43. By providing the optical combiner 1 with different structures and setting methods, for the purpose of adjusting to obtain a preset optical path, the positions and angles of the beam splitter 20, the reflector 30, and the filter 50 are not limited.

[0143] Figure 4 Illustrates a preparation method S100 of the optical combiner in some embodiments of the present disclosure. The following is combined with Figure 4The preparation method S100 of the optical beam combiner is described. The preparation method S100 is configured to prepare an optical beam combiner, which can be applied in a lidar. The optical beam combiner includes an optical transceiver port, a beam splitter, and a reflector, and the reflector and the beam splitter cooperate with each other to cause the beam incident from the optical transceiver port to be emitted outside the optical beam combiner after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector, and the beam transmitted through the beam splitter is emitted from the optical transceiver port. Alternatively, the reflector and the beam splitter are configured to cause the beam incident from the optical transceiver port to be emitted outside the optical beam combiner after being transmitted through the beam splitter, and the beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter is emitted from the optical transceiver port after being reflected by the beam splitter. The preparation method S100 can prepare the optical beam combiner 1 described in the foregoing multiple embodiments.

[0144] As Figure 4 shown, the preparation method S100 includes steps S101 - S103. In step S101, a substrate is prepared or provided, and the substrate is made of a light-transmitting material. According to different embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate can be formed into a preset shape by using a mold. As Figure 6A shown, the light-transmitting material is formed into a preset shape as the substrate and directly applied in the subsequent steps. The preset shape includes, for example, a plurality of wedge-shaped grooves for setting the beam splitter and the reflector. It can also be as Figure 6B shown, using a light-transmitting material with a standard shape, such as a plate-shaped light-transmitting material, to obtain a substrate with a preset shape through any method such as cutting or etching.

[0145] In step S102, a local light-shielding treatment is performed on the substrate to form an optical transceiver port for emitting and receiving beams. For example, an absorbent material is coated on the surface of the substrate, or an opaque film layer is provided on the surface of the substrate. Some areas are not light-shielded to form an optical transceiver port for emitting a beam outward, such as the detection beam of a lidar; and it can receive a beam, such as the echo after the detection beam is reflected by an object.

[0146] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a wave plate can also be provided at the optical transceiver port for adjusting the polarization direction of the beam passing through the optical transceiver port. The beam splitter can be a polarization filter and cooperate with the wave plate to control whether the beam incident on the beam splitter is reflected or transmitted at the beam splitter.

[0147] In step S103, a beam splitter and a reflector are formed on the surface or inside of the substrate. For example, the beam splitter and the reflector are arranged such that a light beam incident from the optical transceiver port is reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector and then exits outside the optical combiner, and the light beam transmitted through the beam splitter exits from the optical transceiver port. Alternatively, the reflector and the beam splitter are arranged such that a light beam incident from the optical transceiver port is transmitted through the beam splitter and then exits outside the optical combiner, and the light beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter is reflected by the beam splitter and then exits from the optical transceiver port.

[0148] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a plurality of wedge-shaped grooves may be formed on the substrate, and a beam splitter and a reflector are provided or formed on the surface of the wedge-shaped grooves. For example, the beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter and the reflector is a mirror, which are attached to the surface of the wedge-shaped grooves according to the angles of the wedge-shaped grooves; or after obtaining a substrate with a preset shape, a beam splitter and a reflector are formed on the surface of the wedge-shaped grooves, for example, a beam splitting film and a reflecting film are formed by means of coating. A first wedge-shaped groove and a second wedge-shaped groove may be provided on the substrate. For example, the structure of the substrate 40 shown in Figures 1 - 3A is formed, the beam splitter is arranged in the first wedge-shaped groove, and the reflector is arranged in the second wedge-shaped groove. The first wedge-shaped groove and the second wedge-shaped groove may be set at appropriate angles according to the optical path direction in the optical combiner.

[0149] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate may also be processed with a through hole or a counterbore with a preset shape so that the beam splitter and the reflector can be embedded in the through hole or the counterbore. For example, the substrate is plate-shaped, an installation position is cut or etched on the substrate, and the beam splitter and the reflector are embedded in the installation position.

[0150] In this embodiment, steps S102 and S103 are not limited to Figure 4 the sequence shown in, and may also be carried out in any sequence or simultaneously.

[0151] Figure 5 Some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. On the basis of the embodiments shown in Figure 4 , this embodiment includes setting a filter, and other steps are basically the same as those of the foregoing embodiments.

[0152] In step S104, a filter is provided on the surface or inside of the substrate. For example, the filter can be arranged in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector; or along the optical path where the beam splitter is located, the filter is arranged on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port; or along the optical path where the reflector is located, it is arranged on the side opposite to the beam splitter. The filter is configured to filter the echo incident on the receiver, and the position of the filter is determined according to the echo optical path in the optical combiner. For example Figures 1 - 3C as shown, refer to the position of the filter described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0153] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the filter can be formed on the surface of the substrate by any method such as pasting or coating, or embedded inside the substrate. The filter is fixed at a preset position so that the echo can pass through the filter to filter out stray light and improve the detection accuracy of the lidar.

[0154] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a first wedge groove and a third wedge groove can be provided on the substrate, for example, to form the structure of the substrate 40 shown in Figure 3B The beam splitter is disposed in the first wedge groove, and the filter is disposed in the third wedge groove.

[0155] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in Figure 3C A first wedge groove, a second wedge groove, and a third wedge groove can be provided on the substrate. The beam splitter is disposed in the first wedge groove, the reflector is disposed in the second wedge groove, and the filter is disposed in the third wedge groove. The first wedge groove and the third wedge groove are disposed on the same side of the substrate, and the first wedge groove and the second wedge groove are located on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate. By adjusting the positions and angles of the first wedge groove, the second wedge groove, and the third wedge groove, a preset optical path is formed so that the transmitter and the receiver cooperating with the optical combiner are located on one side of the optical combiner, and the optical axes of the detection beam and the echo are parallel to each other, so as to simplify the internal structure of the lidar.

[0156] Step S104 and steps S102 and S103 in the foregoing embodiments can be performed in any order or simultaneously.

[0157] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 5 The method S100 for preparing the optical combiner further includes step S105 of dividing the substrate into a plurality of optical combiners.

[0158] As shown in Figure 6A and Figure 6B In this embodiment, the optical combiner is plate-shaped. After the beam splitter and the reflector (and the filter) are formed at preset positions in the substrate, the structure of the substrate in a cross-section (the paper surface in Figures 1 - 3B ) is substantially the same. The substrate can be divided to obtain a plurality of optical combiners, and the structures of the plurality of optical combiners are the same.

[0159] In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter in the lidar includes a plurality of lasers, the receiver includes a plurality of detectors, and the optical combiner can correspond to a plurality of lasers and a plurality of detectors, or can be configured such that one optical combiner corresponds to one laser and one detector. In a single processing process, a large-sized optical combiner can be obtained and cut in step S105 to obtain a plurality of small-sized optical combiners. Based on the usage requirements of the optical combiner in the lidar, the sizes of the plurality of small-sized optical combiners obtained by segmentation can be the same or different.

[0160] Figure 7 FIG. S200 shows a method for preparing an optical combiner in another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 FIG. shows the preparation process of the optical combiner. The optical combiner prepared by the preparation method S200 can be applied in a lidar. The optical combiner includes an optical transceiver port, a beam splitter, and a reflector, and the reflector and the beam splitter are arranged such that the light beam incident from the optical transceiver port is reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector and then exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam transmitted through the beam splitter exits from the optical transceiver port; or, the reflector and the beam splitter are arranged such that the light beam incident from the optical transceiver port is transmitted through the beam splitter and then exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter is reflected by the beam splitter and then exits from the optical transceiver port. The preparation method S200 in this embodiment can be used to prepare the optical combiner 1 described in the foregoing multiple embodiments. The following will be combined with Figure 7 and Figure 9 to illustrate the preparation method S200 of the optical combiner.

[0161] As Figure 7 shown, in step S201, a beam splitter is disposed on the surface of the first support member, and a reflector is disposed on the surface of the second support member. The first support member and the second support member respectively fix the beam splitter and the reflector at a preset inclination angle. For example, the first support member and the second support member are optical prisms, and the optical prisms are processed into preset angles, and the beam splitter and the reflector can be disposed on the surfaces of the optical prisms. The relative positions of the first support member and the second support member can be fixed by a structure. For example, the first support member and the second support member are fixed in a mold, or a connecting member can be disposed between the first support member and the second support member. The beam splitter and the reflector can be formed on the surface of the prism by any one of pasting, coating, etching, etc.

[0162] In step S202, the first support member and the second support member are placed in a mold. As Figure 9As shown, the mold can be an enclosed box configured for injection molding. The first support member and the second support member are fixed inside the mold, and a fixing structure can be provided inside the mold to fix the first support member and the second support member at preset positions respectively, so that the optical splitter and the reflector maintain a preset angle and the relative positions of the optical splitter and the reflector are fixed.

[0163] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first support member and the second support member can be arranged on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate. During the process of preparing the optical combiner by the preparation method S200, when the first support member and the second support member are located on opposite sides of the substrate, a fixing structure can be provided to fix the first support member and the second support member to prevent the first support member and the second support member from shifting or deforming during the molding process. When the first support member and the second support member are located on the same side of the substrate, the processing difficulty can be reduced.

[0164] In step S203, a light-transmitting material is injected into the mold, and in step S204, the light-transmitting material is molded to form the substrate. In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the light-transmitting material can be a polymer capable of injection molding, such as PC, PET, PMMA, resin, etc. The molding method can be thermal curing, light curing, etc. During the molding process of the light-transmitting material, appropriate materials and curing methods can be selected to prevent the first support member and the second support member from deforming or shifting.

[0165] In step S205, a local light-shielding treatment is performed on the molded substrate to form a light transceiver port for emitting and receiving light beams. The process of the local light-shielding treatment can be substantially the same as the preparation method S100 in the foregoing embodiments, and a light-shielding layer is formed by coating a light-absorbing material or setting an opaque film layer on the surface of the substrate. When performing the light-shielding treatment, a part of the substrate is not shielded to form a light transceiver port.

[0166] As Figure 8 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the preparation method S200 of the optical combiner further includes step S206 of setting a filter. The filter can be arranged in the optical path between the optical splitter and the reflector; or along the optical path where the optical splitter is located, on the side opposite to the light transceiver port; or along the optical path where the reflector is located, on the side opposite to the optical splitter. The filter is used to filter stray light, for example, it is arranged upstream of the receiver in the return optical path.

[0167] In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the filter can be arranged in different ways. For example, the filter can be arranged on other surfaces of the second support member except the surface where the reflector is located. For example, when the second support member is a prism, the filter can be formed on the surface of the prism by any one of adhesion, coating, and etching.

[0168] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a third support member may also be provided and fixedly disposed at a preset position in the mold before the matrix is formed, and the filter is disposed on the third support member. After the light-transmitting material is formed, the filter is fixed at a preset position in the matrix. The third support member fixes the filter in the mold and maintains a certain angle. After the light-transmitting material is cured, the filter in the optical beam combiner can filter out stray light; alternatively, after the light-transmitting material is formed, structures such as wedge-shaped grooves, through holes or counterbores are machined at preset positions of the matrix for fixing the filter.

[0169] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter. In the preparation method S200, a wave plate is disposed at the optical transceiver port, and the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the beam passing through the optical transceiver port for controlling the beam to be reflected or transmitted at the beam splitter. The wave plate and the polarization beam splitter cooperate with each other. By changing the polarization direction of the beam through the wave plate, the beam incident on the beam splitter is reflected or transmitted.

[0170] As Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the preparation method S200 of the optical beam combiner further includes step S207 of dividing the matrix into a plurality of optical beam combiners. This step is substantially the same as step S105 in the preparation method S100 described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0171] As Figure 10A and Figure 10B shown, the embodiments of the present disclosure further include an optical chip 100 of a lidar. The following will be described in conjunction with Figure 10A and Figure 10B the optical chip 100.

[0172] The optical chip 100 includes a transmitter 110, a receiver 120, and the optical beam combiner 1 described in the foregoing embodiments. The transmitter 110 is capable of emitting a detection beam. The transmitter 110 may be a single laser, an array composed of multiple lasers, or a surface light source having multiple light-emitting points. The receiver 120 is capable of receiving the echo formed by the reflection of the detection beam by an object and converting the echo into an electrical signal. The receiver 120 may be a single detector, an array composed of multiple detectors, or a two-dimensional array single-photon detector having multiple pixels and any region thereof can be activated.

[0173] The transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 can both be disposed on the substrate 130. For example, the substrate 130 is a circuit board, and the control circuit and the signal processing circuit of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are integrated. The transmitter 110 includes a plurality of lasers, and the plurality of lasers are arranged in an array on the substrate 130, such as a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. The receiver 120 includes a plurality of detectors, and the plurality of detectors are arranged in an array on the substrate 130, such as a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. The lasers and the detectors can be in one-to-one correspondence. For example, after the detection beam emitted by one laser passes through the optical combiner 1 and exits, the echo generated after irradiating on the object is acquired by the detector corresponding to the laser. The plurality of lasers can be distinguished by controlling each laser to emit the detection beam at different times. For example, the lasers and the detectors can also be one-to-many, many-to-many, or many-to-one.

[0174] The optical combiner 1 can receive the detection beam emitted by the transmitter 110 and cause the detection beam to exit through the optical transceiver port 10 of the optical combiner 1. The optical combiner 1 can also receive the echo through the optical transceiver port 10 and emit the echo to the receiver 120.

[0175] The cooperation between the optical combiner 1 and the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 has the same optical path as that of the optical combiner 1 in the foregoing embodiments. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection beam ( Figure 1 the solid line shown in) passes through the beam splitter 20 and then enters the optical combiner 1 and exits through the optical transceiver port 10. The echo ( Figure 1 the dotted line shown in) formed after the detection beam is reflected by the object enters the optical combiner 1 at the optical transceiver port 10, and after passing through the beam splitter 20 and being reflected by the reflector 30, is incident on the receiver 120.

[0176] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection beam ( Figure 2 the solid line shown in) emitted by the transmitter 110 is reflected by the reflector 30 and then enters the optical combiner 1, and after being reflected by the beam splitter 20, exits through the optical transceiver port 10. The echo ( Figure 2 the dotted line shown in) formed after the detection beam is reflected by the object enters the optical combiner 1 at the optical transceiver port 10, and after passing through the beam splitter 20, is incident on the receiver 120.

[0177] The optical combiner 1 can also be arranged in other forms. For example Figures 3A - 3C the structure shown in, the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are adjusted according to the positions of the beam splitter 20 and the reflector 30, or the structure of the optical combiner 1 is adjusted according to the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 in the lidar.

[0178] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are located on one side of the optical combiner 1, and the optical transceiver port 10 is located on the other side of the optical combiner 1 to simplify the structure of the optical chip 100.

[0179] The optical combiner 1 can enable the detection beam and the echo to exit and enter at the optical combiner 1. The detection beam and the echo can share a set of lenses, and the optical combiner 1 can be integrated with the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120, which can alleviate the situation of field of view deviation caused by factors such as aging deformation, thermal expansion and contraction of the lidar, reduce the cost of the lidar, and improve the ranging ability of the lidar. The optical combiner 1 can also reduce the number of optical elements and simplify the internal structure of the lidar.

[0180] The optical combiner 1, the transmitter 110, and the receiver 120 are all encapsulated on one side of the substrate 130 through an encapsulation material. For example, the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are arranged on the substrate 130. The positions of the optical combiner 1 where the detection beam is received and the echo is emitted correspond to the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 respectively, and are fixed through the encapsulation material to form the optical chip 100. The encapsulation material is, for example, a curing material or a fixing structure. After the optical combiner 1 is held in a preset position, the optical combiner 1 is fixed through the encapsulation material.

[0181] As Figure 10A shown, the optical chip 100 includes a single substrate 131. The transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are both arranged on the single substrate 131. The transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 share the same board. Setting a single substrate 131 in the lidar to implement the transmitting and detecting functions can simplify the internal structure of the lidar, reduce the number of components and the assembly and adjustment difficulty in the lidar.

[0182] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 10B shown, the optical chip 100 includes a first substrate 132 and a second substrate 133 located in different planes. The transmitter 110 is arranged on the first substrate 132, and the receiver 120 is arranged on the second substrate 133.

[0183] The detection beam exiting from the optical combiner 1 and the echo incident on the optical combiner 1 can share the same set of lenses to simplify the internal structure of the lidar. However, the optical paths of the detection beam and the echo in the optical combiner 1 are different. For example Figure 10BAs shown in the figure, after the echo represented by the dashed line is reflected by the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30, the convergence position of the echo (the focal position of the lens) is close to the optical combiner 1, and the detection beam represented by the solid line exits from the optical splitter 20, and the focal position of the lens is relatively far from the optical combiner 1. The transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are respectively arranged on the first substrate 132 and the second substrate 133. By arranging both the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 at the focal position of the lens, the sizes of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 can be reduced.

[0184] As Figure 10C shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical chip 100 further includes a microlens array 140. The microlens array 140 is arranged on the transmitter 110, for example, integrated at the light-emitting surface of the laser. The microlens array 140 is used to shape the detection beam. The microlens array 140 can form an image 110' of the light-emitting surface of the transmitter 110, for example, a reduced virtual image. The image 110' of the light-emitting surface is located on the side opposite to the microlens array 140 among the two sides of the light-emitting surface.

[0185] See Figure 10C , after the detection beam emitted by the transmitter 110 is shaped by the microlens array 140, it enters the optical combiner 1. The reverse extension lines of the beams exiting from the microlens array 140 converge at a point, for example, forming an image 110' of the light-emitting surface of the transmitter 110, and the position of the image 110' of the light-emitting surface is located at the focal point of the lens.

[0186] Using the microlens array 140, the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 can be adjusted to the same plane (for example, the focal plane of the lens) and arranged on the same substrate 130, reducing the number of components in the lidar, simplifying the structure of the lidar, and facilitating the reduction of the size of the transmitter 110. The image 110' of the light-emitting surface of the transmitter 110 is a reduced virtual image. Compared with the actual size of the light-emitting surface, the size of the light-emitting surface of the reduced virtual image is smaller. With the same transmission power, the power density of the transmitter 110 is increased, and the ranging ability of the lidar can be improved. On the other hand, arranging the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 on the same substrate 130 is also beneficial to the alignment and field of view alignment of the optical chip, reducing the difficulty of mass production and improving production efficiency.

[0187] Figures 11A - 11D shows the structure of the optical chip 100 in different embodiments according to the present disclosure. The optical chip 100 further includes a transmitter driver 150 and a receiver driver 160, and both the transmitter driver 150 and the receiver driver 160 are arranged on the substrate 130.

[0188] The transmitter driver 150 is electrically connected to the transmitter 110 and the substrate 130, and the receiver driver 160 is electrically connected to the receiver 120 and the substrate 130. The transmitter driver 150 controls the transmitter 110 to emit a detection beam. For example, it drives the transmitter 110 to emit a detection beam at a preset power and repetition frequency. The transmitter driver 150 is connected to the substrate 130. For example, it is powered by the substrate 130, or the peripheral circuit integrated on the substrate 130 controls the transmitter driver 150 to control the transmitter 110 to emit a detection beam.

[0189] The receiver driver 160 is electrically connected to the receiver 120 and the substrate 130, and the receiver driver 160 can control the receiver 120 to start receiving the echo.

[0190] The laser in the transmitter 110 and the transmitter driver 150, and the detector in the receiver 120 and the receiver driver 160 can correspond one by one. For example, one transmitter driver 150 corresponds to one laser, and one receiver driver 160 corresponds to one detector; or the transmitter driver 150 can control multiple lasers simultaneously, or control multiple transmitters 110 simultaneously. The receiver driver 160 can also be set to control multiple detectors simultaneously, or control multiple receivers 120 simultaneously.

[0191] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter driver 150 and the receiver driver 160 can be integrated with the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the substrate 130, and the optical combiner 1 into an optical chip 100 through a packaging material, and the optical chip 100 can be directly applied in the lidar.

[0192] In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the installation positions of the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160 can be adjusted according to the internal structure of the lidar. The following will be combined with Figures 11A - 12 to illustrate the structural form of the optical chip 100.

[0193] As Figure 11A shown, the transmitter driver 150 and the receiver driver 160 are arranged between the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120. The transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160 are all arranged on the substrate 130, and are electrically connected through connection lines or connection circuits on the substrate 130. The optical combiner 1 corresponds to the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120. In Figure 11A , the optical combiner 1 can be set to cover the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160. The positions of the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30 of the optical combiner 1 correspond to the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120.

[0194] As Figure 11B shown, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 are disposed between the transmitter driver 150 and the receiver driver 160, and the optical combiner 1 corresponds to the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120. In Figure 11B this case, the optical combiner 1 can be arranged to cover the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120.

[0195] In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the positions of the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160 can be set arbitrarily. For example, the optical combiner 1 can correspond to the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 by adjusting the overall size, as well as the positions of the optical splitter 20 and the reflector 30.

[0196] As Figure 11C shown, in different embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter 110 can also be arranged to be stacked on the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver 120 can also be stacked on the receiver driver 160. The optical combiner 1 is arranged to correspond to the positions of the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 and is integrated above the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 ( Figure 11C in the direction shown).

[0197] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the receiver 120 and the receiver driver 160 can also be integrated together. As Figure 11D shown, for example, the receiver 120 includes a two-dimensional array of SPADs, and the receiver driver 160 includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The two-dimensional array of SPADs is integrated with the ASIC, for example, by means of bump bonding or hybrid bonding. The height difference between the two-dimensional array of SPADs and the light-emitting surface of the laser can be finely adjusted by the optical combiner 1 so that the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160 can be integrated on the same substrate 130.

[0198] In different embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter 110, the receiver 120, the transmitter driver 150, and the receiver driver 160 can be arranged side by side on the substrate 130, or stacked on the substrate 130, or combined in any form.

[0199] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the optical chip 100 can include a plurality of optical combiners 1, and each optical combiner 1 corresponds to a laser and a detector. The optical chip 100 can also include an optical combiner 1, and this optical combiner 1 corresponds to all the lasers and detectors. For example Figure 12As shown, the optical beam combiner 1 covers a plurality of lasers and a plurality of detectors arranged in a one-dimensional array.

[0200] The optical beam combiner 1 is conducive to the alignment of the emission field of view and the reception field of view, alleviates the situation of field of view offset, and can improve the ranging ability and dynamic range of the lidar. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the detector may include a main detection area and an auxiliary detection area, which is conducive to improving the dynamic range of the lidar. For example, a relatively large-sized SiPM is provided, and according to the energy distribution of the light spot of the echo irradiating on the SiPM, such as a Gaussian distribution, the SiPM is divided into a main detection area and an auxiliary detection area. The energy of the echo received by the main detection area is greater than the energy of the echo received by the auxiliary detection area. The energy of the echo received by the main detection area is greater than 80%, for example 90%, and the energy of the echo received by the auxiliary detection area is less than 20%, for example 10%.

[0201] As Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the embodiments of the present disclosure further include a lidar 1000. The lidar 1000 includes the optical chip 100, the lens 1100, and the data processor 1200 as described in the foregoing embodiments. The position of the lens 1100 corresponds to the position of the optical beam combiner 1 in the optical chip 100. The detection beam emitted from the optical beam combiner 1 passes through the lens 1100 and the scanner 1300 and is emitted to the outside of the lidar 1000. The echo formed after the detection beam is reflected by an object passes through the scanner 1300 and the lens 1100 and is transmitted to the optical chip 100.

[0202] The position of the lens 1100 can be set to correspond to the optical transceiver port 10 in the optical beam combiner 1. For example, the lens 1100 includes a plurality of lenses to collimate the detection beam and converge the echo. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the lidar 1000 may include a plurality of optical chips 100, and the lens 1100 may also be a plurality. The plurality of lenses 1100 correspond to the plurality of optical chips 100 one by one. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the lidar 1000 includes one lens 1100, and one lens 1100 corresponds to a plurality of optical chips 100. The plurality of detection beams emitted from the plurality of optical chips 100 are emitted after passing through the same lens 1100, and the plurality of echoes formed after the plurality of detection beams are reflected by an object pass through the lens 1100 and are incident on the corresponding optical chips 100.

[0203] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the receiver 120 may be a SiPM array. For example, the lidar 1000 includes 128 detection channels. Each optical chip 100 may include 16 detection channels. Each optical chip 100 is independent of each other. The lidar 1000 includes 8 optical chips 100, as Figure 14The two columns of optical chips 100 shown are arranged staggeredly in the column direction, which can prevent gaps in the point cloud formed by the lidar in the column direction. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of detection channels in multiple optical chips 100 can also be different. In different embodiments, multiple optical chips 100 can be arranged vertically in multiple columns or horizontally in multiple rows.

[0204] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the position of each optical chip 100 is set separately. For example, based on the application scenario of the lidar 1000, the field of view of the lidar 1000 is divided into an interested area and a non-interested area. The angular resolution of the interested area is less than that of the non-interested area. For example, the central long strip area in the field of view of the vehicle-mounted lidar is set as the interested area, and the density of the optical chips 100 corresponding to the interested area can be greater than that of the optical chips 100 corresponding to the non-interested area.

[0205] The data processor 1200 is coupled to the receiver 120 in the optical chip 100 and is configured to obtain information about an object, such as the distance, azimuth angle, reflectivity of the object, etc., according to the electrical signal converted from the echo by the receiver 120. The data processor 1200 can be integrated on the substrate 130 in the optical chip 100.

[0206] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 in the optical chip 100 are arranged on the focal plane of the lens 1100, which can prevent interference between multiple transmitters 110 and between multiple receivers 120.

[0207] The optical paths of the detection beam and the echo in the optical combiner 1 are different. For example, the receiver 120 can be arranged on the focal plane of the lens 1100, and the image 110' formed by the transmitter 110 through the microlens array 140 is located on the focal plane of the lens 1100, so that the transmitter 110 and the receiver 120 can be arranged on the same substrate 130.

[0208] As Figure 15 As shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the lidar 1000 further includes a scanner 1300. For example, the scanner 1300 is configured to rotate 360 degrees in a single direction, such as rotating 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, to scan the detection beam in the horizontal direction, receive the detection beam emitted from the lens 1100, so that the emitted direction of the detection beam after being scanned by the scanner 1300 covers the field of view of the lidar, and the echo generated by the reflection of the detection beam by the object is reflected by the scanner 1300 to the lens 1100, and the echo is received by the receiver 120.

[0209] As Figure 16As shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the scanner 1300 includes a first scanning mirror 1301 and a second scanning mirror 1302. The light beam emitted from the lens 1100 passes through the first scanning mirror 1301 and the second scanning mirror 1302, and the rotation axes of the first scanning mirror 1301 and the second scanning mirror 1302 are not parallel. For example, the rotation axes of the first scanning mirror 1301 and the second scanning mirror 1302 are perpendicular to each other, and the detection light beam is scanned in two directions to change the azimuth angle of the detection light beam. Setting two scanning mirrors can reduce the volume of the lidar 1000 and reduce the number of lasers and detectors. For example, in the lidar 1000, the first scanning mirror 1301 scans the detection light beam in the horizontal direction, and the second scanning mirror 1302 scans the detection light beam in the vertical direction. The number of lasers and detectors provided in the lidar 1000 in the vertical direction can be reduced, reducing the height and cost of the lidar 1000, and realizing miniaturization of the lidar 1000 without changing the field of view of the lidar 1000.

[0210] The first scanning mirror 1301 and the second scanning mirror 1302 can be any one of a unidirectional rotating mirror with multiple reflecting surfaces, a MEMS mirror, a galvanometer mirror, a pendulum mirror, and a galvanometer mirror. The first scanning mirror 1301 and the second scanning mirror 1302 can be the same or different.

[0211] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only embodiments of the present disclosure and are not used to limit the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments or perform equivalent replacements for some technical features. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An optical combiner for a lidar, comprising a light transceiver port, a beam splitter, and a reflector, The beam splitter is configured to reflect or transmit a beam incident on the beam splitter, The reflector and the beam splitter are configured such that: a beam incident from the light transceiver port is reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector and then exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and a beam transmitted by the beam splitter exits from the light transceiver port; or, A beam incident from the light transceiver port is transmitted by the beam splitter and then exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and a beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter is reflected by the beam splitter and then exits from the light transceiver port.

2. The optical combiner according to claim 1, further comprising a filter, the filter being disposed in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector, or disposed on the side opposite to the beam splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or disposed on the side opposite to the light transceiver port along the optical path where the beam splitter is located.

3. The optical combiner according to claim 2, further comprising a substrate, the light transceiver port being formed on the surface of the substrate, and the beam splitter, the reflector, and the filter being embedded in the substrate or formed on the surface of the substrate.

4. The optical combiner according to claim 3, wherein a light-shielding layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the light-shielding layer is provided to expose the beam splitter, the light transceiver port, the reflector, and the filter.

5. The optical combiner according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein a wave plate is provided at the light transceiver port, the beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter, and the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the beam passing through the light transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the beam at the beam splitter.

6. The optical combiner according to claim 4, wherein a first wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the first wedge-shaped groove is opposite to the light transceiver port, and the beam splitter is formed in the first wedge-shaped groove.

7. The optical combiner according to claim 6, wherein a second wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the reflector is formed in the second wedge-shaped groove, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the second wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate.

8. The optical combiner according to claim 6, wherein a third wedge-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the substrate, the filter is formed in the third wedge-shaped groove, and the first wedge-shaped groove and the third wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side of the substrate.

9. A method for manufacturing an optical combiner, comprising: S101: Prepare or provide a substrate, where the substrate is made of a light-transmitting material; S102: Perform local light-shielding treatment on the substrate to form a light transceiver port for emitting and receiving light beams; and S103: Form a beam splitter and a reflector on the surface or inside of the substrate; The reflector and the beam splitter are configured such that: the light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector, exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam transmitted through the beam splitter exits from the light transceiver port; Or, The light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being transmitted through the beam splitter, exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter, after being reflected by the beam splitter, exits from the light transceiver port.

10. The preparation method according to claim 9 further comprises: S104: Arrange a filter on the surface or inside of the substrate, where the filter is arranged in the optical path between the beam splitter and the reflector, or is arranged on the side opposite to the beam splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or is arranged on the side opposite to the light transceiver port along the optical path where the beam splitter is located.

11. The preparation method according to claim 9, wherein the optical splitter is a polarization splitting film, and the preparation method further comprises: Arrange a wave plate at the light transceiver port, where the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the light beam passing through the light transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the light beam at the beam splitter.

12. The preparation method according to claim 9, wherein step S101 comprises: Form a plate-shaped substrate; Form a first wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate; The step S103 includes: arranging the beam splitter in the first wedge-shaped groove.

13. The preparation method according to claim 12, wherein step S101 comprises: Form a second wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate, where the first wedge-shaped groove and the second wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate; The step S103 includes: arranging the reflector in the second wedge-shaped groove.

14. The preparation method according to claim 12, wherein step S101 comprises: Form a third wedge-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate, where the first wedge-shaped groove and the third wedge-shaped groove are located on the same side of the substrate; The preparation method further includes: arranging the filter in the third wedge-shaped groove.

15. The preparation method according to any one of claims 9-14 further comprises: S105: Divide the substrate into multiple optical combiners according to the extension directions of the beam splitter and the reflector.

16. A preparation method of an optical combiner, comprising: S201: Arrange a beam splitter on the surface of a first support member and arrange a reflector on the surface of a second support member; S202: Place the first support member and the second support member in a mold; S203: Inject a light-transmitting material into the mold; S204: Mold the light-transmitting material to form a substrate; And S205: Perform local light-shielding treatment on the substrate to form a light transceiver port for emitting and receiving light beams; The reflector and the beam splitter are configured such that: the light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector, exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam transmitted through the beam splitter exits from the light transceiver port; Or, The light beam incident from the light transceiver port, after being transmitted through the beam splitter, exits to the outside of the optical combiner, and the light beam reflected from the reflector to the beam splitter, after being reflected by the beam splitter, exits from the light transceiver port.

17. The preparation method according to claim 16 further comprises: S206: Set a filter, where the filter is set in the optical path between the optical splitter and the reflector, or is set on the side opposite to the optical splitter along the optical path where the reflector is located, or is set on the side opposite to the optical transceiver port along the optical path where the optical splitter is located.

18. The preparation method according to claim 17, wherein the optical filter is disposed on the surface of the second support member, the optical splitter is a polarization splitting film, and the preparation method further comprises: Set a wave plate at the optical transceiver port, where the wave plate is configured to be able to adjust the polarization direction of the light beam passing through the optical transceiver port to control the reflection or transmission of the light beam at the optical splitter.

19. According to the preparation method described in claim 17, the first support member and the second support member are located on the same side or opposite sides of the substrate.

20. According to the preparation method described in claim 19, the filter is located on the same side of the substrate as the first support member.

21. According to the preparation method described in claim 17, the first support member and the second support member are prisms, and the beam splitter, the reflector, and the filter are formed on the surface of the prism by any one of adhesion, coating, or etching.

22. The preparation method according to any one of claims 16 - 21 further includes: S207: Divide the substrate into multiple optical combiners according to the extending directions of the optical splitter and the reflector.

23. An optical chip of a lidar, comprising: A transmitter configured to emit a detection light beam; A receiver configured to receive the echo formed by the detection light beam passing through an object and convert the echo into an electrical signal; The optical combiner according to any one of claims 1-8, where the optical combiner is configured to receive the detection light beam, make the detection light beam exit through the optical transceiver port of the optical combiner, and is configured to receive the echo through the optical transceiver port and exit it to the receiver.

24. According to the optical chip described in claim 23, it further includes a substrate, and the optical combiner, the transmitter, and the receiver are encapsulated on one side of the substrate by an encapsulating material.

25. According to the optical chip described in claim 24, the transmitter includes a plurality of lasers, and the plurality of lasers are arranged in an array on the substrate; the receiver includes a plurality of detectors, and the plurality of detectors are arranged in an array on the substrate.

26. According to the optical chip described in claim 24, it further includes: A transmitter driver located on the substrate and electrically connected to the transmitter and the substrate; A receiver driver located on the substrate and electrically connected to the receiver and the substrate.

27. According to the optical chip described in claim 26, the transmitter driver and the receiver driver are located between the transmitter and the receiver; Or, the transmitter and the receiver are located between the transmitter driver and the receiver driver.

28. According to the optical chip described in claim 26, the transmitter is stacked on the transmitter driver, and the receiver is stacked on the receiver driver.

29. According to the optical chip described in claim 23, the detection beam emitted by the transmitter passes through the beam splitter and enters the optical combiner, and is emitted from the optical transceiver port; the echo enters the optical combiner from the optical transceiver port, and after being reflected by the beam splitter and the reflector in sequence, is incident on the receiver.

30. The optical chip according to claim 23, wherein the detection beam emitted by the emitter is reflected by the reflector to the optical combiner, and after being reflected by the optical splitter, it is emitted from the optical transceiver port; the echo enters the optical combiner from the optical transceiver port, and after being transmitted by the optical splitter, it is incident on the receiver.

31. The optical chip according to claim 25, wherein the optical chip includes a single optical combiner corresponding to all the lasers and the detectors; or the optical chip includes a plurality of optical combiners, and each optical combiner corresponds to one laser and one detector.

32. The optical chip according to claim 23, further comprising a microlens array disposed on the emitter, the microlens array configured to shape the detection beam to form an image of the light-emitting surface of the emitter, and the image is located on the side of the light-emitting surface opposite to the microlens array.

33. The optical chip according to claim 25, wherein the detector includes a main detection area and an auxiliary detection area, and the energy of the echo received by the main detection area is greater than the energy of the echo received by the auxiliary detection area.

34. The optical chip according to claim 24, wherein the optical chip includes a single substrate, and the emitter and the receiver are disposed on the single substrate; or the optical chip includes a first substrate and a second substrate located in different planes, the emitter is disposed on the first substrate, and the receiver is disposed on the second substrate.

35. A lidar, comprising: The optical chip according to any one of claims 23-34; A lens, where the detection light beam emitted from the optical chip exits to the outside of the lidar through the lens, and the echo is transmitted by the lens to the optical combiner of the optical chip; and A data processor coupled to the receiver of the optical chip and configured to obtain information about the object according to the electrical signal.

36. The lidar according to claim 35, wherein the emitter and the receiver are located on the focal plane of the lens; or the receiver is located on the focal plane of the lens, and the image formed by the emitter through the microlens array is located on the focal plane of the lens.

37. The lidar according to claim 35 or 36, further comprising a scanner configured to receive and scan the detection beam from the lens to cover the field of view of the lidar and reflect the echo to the lens.

38. The lidar according to claim 37, wherein the scanner includes a first scanning mirror and a second scanning mirror, and the beam emitted from the lens passes through the first scanning mirror and the second scanning mirror in sequence, and the rotation axes of the first scanning mirror and the second scanning mirror are not parallel.

Images