Power-controllable transmission circuit, laser radar and mobile device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a power-controllable transmitting circuit, a laser radar and mobile equipment. The power-controllable transmitting circuit comprises a transmitting loop, a sampling module and a current control module, the transmitting loop transmits laser; the input end of the sampling module is connected with the transmitting loop, and the sampling module is used for sampling the transmitting current of the transmitting loop and obtaining a sampling signal corresponding to the transmitting current; the first input end of the current control module is connected with the output end of the sampling module and used for receiving the sampling signal, the second input end is used for accessing a comparison threshold value, and the first output end is connected with the transmitting loop and used for generating the comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold value and controlling the transmitting power of the transmitting loop according to the comparison signal. The power-controllable transmitting circuit can ensure the stability of the laser emitting power, thereby ensuring the use reliability of the laser radar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of lidar, and particularly to a power controllable emission circuit, a lidar, and a movable device. Background Art

[0002] A lidar realizes the detection of parameter information such as the distance and speed of a target object by emitting and receiving laser signals. Among them, when a multi-channel emission circuit is provided in the lidar, due to differences between devices in the multi-channel emission circuit and inconsistent loops of different emission channels, etc., during the process of emitting laser signals for detection, there may be a problem that the peak light emission power of the multi-channel emission circuit is inconsistent. At the same time, there may also be a problem that the peak light emission power is inconsistent at different emission moments for each emission channel, resulting in inconsistent ranging capabilities of the lidar, and further causing a certain deviation in the laser signals received by the lidar, affecting the detection effect of the lidar. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a power controllable emission circuit, a lidar, and a movable device. The power controllable emission circuit can ensure the stability of the laser emission power, thereby ensuring the reliability of the lidar during use.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a power controllable emission circuit, including an emission loop, a sampling module, and a current control module; the emission loop is used for emitting laser; the input end of the sampling module is connected to the emission loop, and is used for sampling the emission current of the emission loop and obtaining a sampling signal corresponding to the emission current; the current control module, the first input end of which is connected to the output end of the sampling module, is used for receiving the sampling signal, the second input end is used for accessing a comparison threshold, and the first output end is connected to the emission loop, and is used for generating a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold, and controlling the emission power of the emission loop according to the comparison signal.

[0005] In the above technical solution, the current control module in the power controllable transmitting circuit provided by the embodiments of the present application can detect the transmitting current when the transmitting loop emits laser in real time. When the sampling signal corresponding to the detected transmitting current is less than the comparison threshold, it means that the transmitting power of the transmitting loop has not reached the preset transmitting power at this time, and the transmitting loop can continue to emit laser. When the sampling signal corresponding to the detected transmitting current is equal to the comparison threshold, it means that the transmitting power of the transmitting loop has reached the preset transmitting power at this time, and the current control module can control the transmitting loop to stop emitting laser to avoid the problem that the transmitting power continues to rise and exceeds the preset transmitting power. In this way, the current control module can accurately control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop so that the transmitting power of the transmitting loop can reach the preset transmitting power, thereby ensuring the consistency of the output light peak power of the transmitting loop.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting loop includes a laser and a transmitting switch. The cathode of the laser is connected to the first end of the transmitting switch, the second end of the transmitting switch is connected to the input end of the sampling module, and the controlled end of the transmitting switch is connected to the first output end of the current control module; the current control module is configured to control the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the laser.

[0007] In the above technical solution, when the comparison signal indicates that the sampling signal is less than the comparison threshold, it means that the transmitting power of the transmitting loop has not reached the preset transmitting power at this time, and the transmitting switch remains closed until the comparison signal indicates that the sampling signal is equal to the comparison threshold, which means that the transmitting power of the transmitting loop has reached the preset transmitting power at this time, and the current control module controls the transmitting switch to turn off to control the laser to stop emitting laser, avoiding the problem that the transmitting power continues to rise and exceeds the preset transmitting power. In this way, the current control module can determine the turn-off time of the transmitting switch, that is, by accurately controlling the on / off time of the transmitting switch, thereby realizing the accurate adjustment and control of the transmitting power of the laser, so that the transmitting power of the laser can reach the preset transmitting power, thereby ensuring the consistency of the output light peak power of the laser.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the current control module includes a first comparator and a logic unit; the inverting input end of the first comparator is connected to the output end of the sampling module for accessing the sampling signal, the non-inverting input end is used for accessing the comparison threshold, and the first comparator is configured to generate a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold; the first input end of the logic unit is connected to the output end of the first comparator for accessing the comparison signal, the second input end is used for accessing the control signal, and the output end is connected to the controlled end of the transmitting switch. The logic unit is configured to control the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal and the control signal to control the transmitting power of the laser.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting loop includes a laser and a transmitting switch, and the power controllable transmitting circuit further includes a transmitting control module. The cathode of the laser is connected to the first end of the transmitting switch, the second end of the transmitting switch is connected to the input end of the sampling module, the controlled end of the transmitting switch is connected to the first output end of the transmitting control module, and the first input end of the transmitting control module is connected to the second output end of the current control module; the transmitting control module is configured to control the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal so as to control the transmitting power of the laser.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the power controllable transmitting circuit can flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop through the current control module or the transmitting control module to ensure the reliability of the power controllable transmitting circuit.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the current control module includes a second comparator and a switching unit; the non-inverting input end of the second comparator is connected to the output end of the sampling module for accessing the sampling signal, the inverting input end is used for accessing the comparison threshold, and the second comparator is configured to generate a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold; the controlled end of the switching unit is connected to the output end of the second comparator for accessing the comparison signal, the first end is connected to the anode of the laser, and the second end is grounded; the second comparator is configured to control the on / off of the switching unit according to the comparison signal so as to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the second comparator can control the on / off of the switching unit according to the comparison signal to realize the control of the voltage received by the laser, thereby flexibly and accurately controlling the transmitting power of the transmitting loop to ensure the consistency of the peak optical power output by the transmitting loop.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting loop further includes a transmitting driving module. The transmitting driving module includes an energy storage element. One end of the energy storage element is connected to the anode of the laser, and the other end of the energy storage element is grounded; wherein, the third output end of the current control module is connected to one end of the energy storage element to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the current control module can flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop by controlling the amount of energy stored in the energy storage element, thereby ensuring the consistency of the peak optical power output by the transmitting loop.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting loop further includes a transmitting driving module, and the transmitting driving module includes an energy storage element. One end of the energy storage element is connected to the anode of the laser, and the other end of the energy storage element is grounded. Wherein, the second output end of the transmitting control module is connected to one end of the energy storage element, and is used for adjusting the energy stored in the energy storage element to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

[0016] In the above technical solution, the transmitting control module can flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop by controlling the energy stored in the energy storage element, so as to ensure the consistency of the peak optical power of the transmitting loop.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting loop further includes a transmitting power supply module. The first end of the transmitting power supply module is connected to a power supply voltage, the second end is connected to the first end of the transmitting driving module, the third output end of the transmitting control module is connected to the third end of the transmitting power supply module, and the transmitting control module is used for controlling the output voltage of the transmitting power supply module according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop; and / or, the fourth output end of the current control module is connected to the fourth end of the transmitting power supply module, and the current control module is used for controlling the magnitude of the output voltage of the transmitting power supply module according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

[0018] In the above technical solution, the transmitting power of the transmitting loop can be flexibly controlled by controlling the magnitude of the output voltage, so as to ensure the consistency of the peak optical power of the transmitting loop.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the transmitting power supply module includes a power converter and a third comparator. The first input end of the power converter is used for connecting to a power supply voltage, and the output end is connected to the first end of the transmitting driving module, and is used for providing an output voltage to the transmitting driving module. The first input end of the third comparator is connected to the output end of the power converter, the second input end is connected to the third output end of the transmitting control module, and is used for connecting to the control signal output by the transmitting control module. The second input end of the third comparator is further used for connecting to a reference signal, and the output end is connected to the second input end of the power converter. The third comparator is used for controlling the magnitude of the output voltage output by the power converter to the transmitting power supply module according to the output voltage, the control signal, and the reference signal.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the sampling module includes: a first sampling resistor and an amplifier. One end of the first sampling resistor is connected to the second end of the transmitting switch, and is used for sampling the transmitting current of the transmitting loop and obtaining a sampling signal corresponding to the transmitting current, and the other end is grounded. The input end of the amplifier is connected to one end of the first sampling resistor, and is used for amplifying the sampling signal, and the output end is connected to the input end of the current control module, and is used for sending the amplified sampling signal to the current control module.

[0021] In the above technical solution, the sampling accuracy of the emission current can be ensured through the first sampling resistor and the amplifier, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the sampling signal received by the current control module, so as to ensure the comparison accuracy of the sampling signal and the comparison threshold by the current control module, and further enabling the current control module to achieve precise control of the emission power of the emission loop.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the sampling module includes: a second sampling resistor, one end of the second sampling resistor is connected to the second end of the emission switch and the first input end of the current control module, and is used for sampling the emission current of the emission loop to obtain a sampling signal and outputting it to the current control module, and the other end is grounded.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the sampling accuracy of the emission current can be ensured through the second sampling resistor, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the sampling signal received by the current control module, so as to ensure the comparison accuracy of the sampling signal and the comparison threshold by the current control module, and further enabling the current control module to achieve precise control of the emission power of the emission loop.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementation manners, the power controllable emission circuit further includes a threshold adjustment module, the input end of the threshold adjustment module is used to connect to the power supply voltage, and the output end is connected to the second input end of the current control module, and is used to adjust the comparison threshold according to the power supply voltage.

[0025] In the above technical solution, by adjusting the magnitude of the comparison threshold, the emission power of the emission loop can be flexibly controlled, so as to ensure the consistency of the peak optical power of the emission loop.

[0026] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a lidar, including the power controllable emission circuit and a power supply circuit according to any optional manner of the first aspect, and the power supply circuit is used to provide a power supply voltage for the power controllable emission circuit.

[0027] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a movable device, including a movable main body and the lidar according to the second aspect, and the lidar is mounted on the main body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 14 It is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of yet another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 15It is a schematic circuit diagram of another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 16 It is a waveform diagram of the change slope and morphological information of the emission current provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 17 It is a schematic circuit diagram of another power controllable transmitting circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Reference numerals:

[0047] 1. Power controllable transmitting circuit; 11. Transmitting loop; 111. Transmitting drive module; 12. Sampling module; 13. Current control module; 131. Logic unit; 132. Switch element; 14. Transmitting control module; 15. Transmitting power supply module; 151. Power converter; 16. Threshold adjustment module;

[0048] VS. Power supply voltage; VE. Output voltage; D. Laser; K1. Transmitting switch; K2. Switch element; R1. First sampling resistor; R2. Second sampling resistor; OP. Amplifier; COMP1. First comparator; COMP2. Second comparator; COMP3. Third comparator; AND. AND gate; C1. Decoupling capacitor; C2. Energy storage element. Detailed implementation manners

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe in detail the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] When the following description relates to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended embodiments.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that terms such as "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects and indicates that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the description of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0053] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the following explains the professional terms that may be involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0054] LiDAR: A radar system that detects the position, speed and other characteristic quantities of a target by emitting laser beams. Its working principle is to emit a detection signal (laser beam) to the target object, and then compare the received echo signal reflected from the target object with the detection signal (or local oscillator signal). After appropriate processing, relevant information about the target object relative to the LiDAR can be obtained, such as parameters like distance, azimuth, altitude, speed, attitude, and even shape.

[0055] Currently, as a depth sensor, LiDAR is widely used in various fields, such as vehicle-mounted perception, robot perception, and smart city perception, etc. LiDAR usually has a laser emitter and a laser detector. The laser emitter is used to emit a detection signal to the target object, and the laser detector is used to receive the echo signal reflected from the target object. By measuring the flight time of the light pulse between the radar and the target, as well as the intensity and shape of the reflected echo, information such as whether there is an object in the target direction, the distance from the object to the radar, and the surface reflectivity of the object can be obtained. Currently, in order to enable LiDAR to achieve high resolution and high point frequency, LiDAR can be provided with a multi-channel transmitting circuit and a multi-channel receiving circuit. However, due to differences between devices in the multi-channel transmitting circuit and inconsistent loops of different transmitting channels, etc., during the process of emitting laser signals for detection, there may be a problem that the peak output power of the multi-channel transmitting circuit is inconsistent. When the peak output power is inconsistent, it will lead to unstable ranging detection performance of the LiDAR, that is, the repeated detection rate of some real objects will become lower and may be judged as noise points, which will further lead to a lower detection rate and a higher noise rate of the LiDAR, thus affecting the detection effect of the LiDAR and even shortening the effective ranging range of the LiDAR. Moreover, when the peak output power of the multi-channel transmitting circuit is inconsistent, the intensity information of the echo signals received by the multi-channel receiving circuit is inconsistent, resulting in a certain error in the calculation of the object reflectivity by the multi-channel receiving circuit, affecting the detection accuracy of the LiDAR.

[0056] For example, non-ideal devices such as inductors and capacitors are provided in multi-channel emission circuits. Since there are certain deviations in these non-ideal devices when they leave the factory, the peak light output power of different emission circuits using these non-ideal devices is inconsistent, that is, the ranging ability of the lidar is inconsistent, and further, there are also certain deviations in the echo signals received by different receiving circuits. Assuming that there are certain deviations between each non-ideal device, based on the deviations of each device, the difference in the final peak light output power of different emission circuits will be even greater, thus affecting the detection effect of the lidar. Moreover, when the emission circuit in the lidar is an energy-charging and energy-converting emission circuit, its peak light output power is greatly affected by the inductor. When there are deviations in the inductors in different emission circuits, the difference in their peak light output power will be even greater, affecting the detection effect of the lidar. At the same time, limited by the sizes of non-ideal devices such as inductors and capacitors, there are certain differences in the loop arrangements between multi-channel emission circuits, that is, the parasitic parameters generated in different loops are different, which will lead to inconsistent peak light output power of the emission circuits corresponding to different loops.

[0057] For another example, since the emission pulse of the lidar is very narrow and the demand for transient extraction of electric energy is strong, decoupling capacitors are usually provided in the lidar. The first electrode plate of the decoupling capacitor is grounded, and the second electrode plate of the decoupling capacitor is respectively connected to the multi-channel emission circuit to provide transient electric energy for the lidar. However, when the single-channel emission circuit emits energy at different frequencies or different intensities, it will affect the voltage of the decoupling capacitor, resulting in spatio-temporal coupling of the emitted energy, thus causing certain differences in the peak light output power of the single-channel emission circuit at different frequencies or different intensities. When the multi-channel emission circuit emits energy at different times, it will also affect the voltage of the decoupling capacitor, resulting in spatio-temporal coupling of the emitted energy, thus causing certain differences in the peak light output power between the multi-channel emission circuits at different times.

[0058] Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the peak optical output power of the multi-channel emission circuit is consistent to ensure the detection reliability of the lidar. Here, it is worth noting that not only the peak optical output power of multiple different emission circuits needs to be consistent, but also the peak optical output power emitted by each emission circuit at different emission times needs to be consistent. In the related art, the emission power is usually calibrated once, that is, the actual required emission switch duration or emission drive charging duration is calibrated, and then the switch time of the emission switch in the emission circuit or the emission drive charging time is changed accordingly, so that the peak optical output power of the single or multi-channel emission circuit can be kept consistent. However, this calibration increases the manufacturing cost and time of the lidar, and cannot cope with the difference in the peak optical output power caused by the temperature change of the parameters and the spatio-temporal coupling change of the emission energy during the use of the lidar. At the same time, limited by the main frequency of the digital clock domain of the emission drive controller, there is also a minimum step time interval for the emission switch duration or the emission drive charging duration. In this way, the continuous adjustment of the peak optical output power is limited, and the precise control of the emission power of the lidar cannot be achieved.

[0059] At the same time, when an abnormality occurs in the lidar, it will cause an abnormality in the peak current of the emission circuit, that is, the peak current of the emission circuit continues to increase and even becomes a continuous current. In this way, various safety problems may be caused. For example, it may cause the junction temperature of the emission device in the emission circuit and the receiving device in the receiving circuit to rise rapidly, and thus overheat and burn out; it may also cause an abnormality in the emission power of the emission circuit, that is, the emission power is too high. When the emission power is abnormally high, it will cause damage to people and other objects outside the lidar, posing a certain safety hazard. In the related art, the method of monitoring the charging voltage and the average emission voltage is usually adopted. Although this method is relatively simple and easy to implement, it cannot monitor the abnormality of the peak current in time.

[0060] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application provide a power controllable emission circuit, a lidar, and a movable device. The power controllable emission circuit can detect the emission current of the emission loop in real time and control the emission power according to the detection result to ensure the stability and accuracy of the lidar's emitted power, thereby ensuring the reliability of the lidar's use.

[0061] The power controllable emission circuit, the lidar, and the movable device provided by the present application are introduced exemplarily below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] As Figure 1As shown in the figure, the power controllable transmission circuit 1 provided by the embodiment of the present application may include a transmission loop 11, a sampling module 12, and a current control module 13. The first end of the transmission loop 11 is connected to the output voltage VE and is also connected to the second electrode plate of the decoupling capacitor C1. The input end of the sampling module 12 is connected to the second end of the transmission loop 11. The first input end of the current control module 13 is connected to the output end of the sampling module 12. The first output end of the current control module 13 is connected to the third end of the transmission loop 11.

[0063] Among them, the transmission loop 11 is used for emitting laser light. The sampling module 12 samples the transmission current when the transmission loop 11 emits laser light, obtains a sampling signal corresponding to the transmission current, and sends it to the current control module 13. The second input end of the current control module 13 is connected to a comparison threshold. The current control module 13 compares the sampling signal with the comparison threshold to obtain a comparison signal, and controls the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 according to the comparison signal. Here, it is worth noting that the comparison threshold provided by the embodiment of the present application refers to the threshold information corresponding to the preset transmission power of the transmission loop 11. That is, when the sampling signal is the same as the comparison threshold, it means that the transmission loop 11 has reached the preset transmission power at this time, and the current control module 13 can control the transmission loop 11 to stop emitting laser light so that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 is the preset transmission power.

[0064] In the power controllable transmission circuit 1 provided by the embodiment of the present application, the current control module 13 can detect the transmission current when the transmission loop 11 emits laser light in real time. When it is detected that the sampling signal corresponding to the transmission current is less than the comparison threshold, it means that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 has not reached the preset transmission power at this time, and the transmission loop 11 can continue to emit laser light. When it is detected that the sampling signal corresponding to the transmission current is equal to the comparison threshold, it means that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 has reached the preset transmission power at this time, and the current control module 13 can control the transmission loop 11 to stop emitting laser light to avoid the problem that the transmission power continues to rise and exceeds the preset transmission power. In this way, the present application can accurately control the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 through the current control module 13 so that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 can reach the preset transmission power, thereby ensuring the consistency of the light output peak power of the transmission loop 11, and the output power of the transmission loop 11 is not affected by the tolerance accumulation of components in different power controllable transmission circuits 1, the spatio-temporal coupling of transmission energy, and the loop layout differences.

[0065] Here, it is worth noting that the embodiments of the present application can unify the transmission power of the single-channel transmission loop 11 or the multi-channel transmission loop 11 to ensure the consistency of the peak optical power output by the single or multi-channel transmission loop 11. In this way, the reliability and accuracy of the echo signal received by the reflection loop are also ensured, thereby ensuring the detection reliability and accuracy of the lidar using the transmission loop 11.

[0066] Specifically, in one example, as Figure 2 shown, the transmission loop 11 may include a laser D and a transmission switch K1. The cathode of the laser D is connected to the first end of the transmission switch K1. The second end of the transmission switch K1 is connected to the input end of the sampling module 12. The controlled end of the transmission switch K1 is connected to the first output end of the current control module 13. The current control module 13 can control the on / off of the transmission switch 112 according to the comparison signal to control the transmission power of the laser D. Exemplarily, when the comparison signal indicates that the sampling signal is less than the comparison threshold, it means that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 has not reached the preset transmission power at this time, and the transmission switch K1 remains closed until the comparison signal indicates that the sampling signal is equal to the comparison threshold, which means that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 has reached the preset transmission power at this time. Then the current control module 13 controls the transmission switch K1 to turn off to control the laser D to stop emitting laser, avoiding the problem that the transmission power continues to rise and exceeds the preset transmission power. In this way, the current control module 13 can determine the turn-off time of the transmission switch K1, that is, by precisely controlling the on / off time of the transmission switch K1, the precise adjustment and control of the emission duration and emission power of the laser D can be realized, so that the emission power of the laser D can reach the preset transmission power, thereby ensuring the consistency of the peak optical power output by the laser D.

[0067] Optionally, the laser D may be a laser diode (LD).

[0068] Optionally, the transmission switch K1 may be a switch, a triode, a relay, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), or other devices or circuits with a switching function. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0069] In one example, as Figure 3As shown, the sampling module 12 may include a first sampling resistor R1 and an amplifier OP. One end of the first sampling resistor R1 is connected to the second end of the transmitting switch K1, the other end of the first sampling resistor R1 is grounded, the input end of the amplifier OP is connected to one end of the first sampling resistor R1, and the output end of the amplifier OP is connected to the input end of the current control module 13. The first sampling resistor R1 is used to sample the transmitting current of the transmitting loop 11, obtain a sampling signal corresponding to the transmitting current and send it to the input end of the amplifier OP. The amplifier OP is used to amplify the sampling signal and send the amplified sampling signal to the current control module 13. In this way, through the first sampling resistor R1 and the amplifier OP, the sampling accuracy of the transmitting current can be guaranteed, and then the accuracy of the sampling signal received by the current control module 13 can be guaranteed, so as to ensure the comparison accuracy of the current control module 13 for comparing the sampling signal and the comparison threshold, and further enable the current control module 13 to achieve accurate control of the transmitting power of the transmitting loop 11.

[0070] In one example, as Figure 4 shown, the sampling module 12 may include a second sampling resistor R2. One end of the second sampling resistor R2 is connected to the second end of the transmitting switch K1 and the first input end of the current control module 13, the other end of the second sampling resistor R2 is grounded. The second sampling resistor R2 can sample the transmitting current of the transmitting loop 11 to obtain a sampling signal and output it to the current control module 13. In this way, through the second sampling resistor R2, the sampling accuracy of the transmitting current can be guaranteed, and then the accuracy of the sampling signal received by the current control module 13 can be guaranteed, so as to ensure the comparison accuracy of the current control module 13 for comparing the sampling signal and the comparison threshold, and further enable the current control module 13 to achieve accurate control of the transmitting power of the transmitting loop 11. Other devices or circuits with sampling functions can also be used. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0071] Here, it is worth noting that the sampling signal provided by the embodiments of the present application may include current and voltage signals.

[0072] In one example, as Figure 5As shown, the current control module 13 may include a first comparator COMP1 and a logic unit 131. The inverting input terminal of the first comparator COMP1 is connected to the output terminal of the sampling module 12 for accessing the sampling signal. The non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator COMP1 is for accessing the comparison threshold. The first comparator COMP1 can compare the sampling signal and the comparison threshold and generate a comparison signal. The first input terminal of the logic unit 131 is connected to the output terminal of the first comparator COMP1 for accessing the comparison signal. The second input terminal of the logic unit 131 is for accessing the control signal. The output terminal of the logic unit 131 is connected to the controlled terminal of the transmitting switch K1. The logic unit 131 can control the on / off of the transmitting switch K1 according to the comparison signal and the control signal to control the transmitting power of the laser D. When the sampling signal is less than the comparison threshold, the comparison signal output by the first comparator COMP1 is at a high level. If the control signal is at a high level at this time, the logic unit 131 outputs a high level to the transmitting switch K1, so that the transmitting switch K1 remains closed and the laser D continues to emit laser. When the sampling signal is equal to the comparison threshold, the comparison signal output by the first comparator COMP1 is at a low level, and the logic unit 131 outputs a low level to the transmitting switch K1, so that the transmitting switch K1 is turned off and the laser D stops emitting laser.

[0073] Optionally, as Figure 6 shown, the logic unit 131 may include an AND gate or may include other logic devices. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0074] Here, it is worth noting that the control signal is provided by the power controllable transmitting circuit 1. Specifically, in one example, as Figure 7 shown, the power controllable transmitting circuit 1 may further include a transmitting control module 14, and the control signal may be provided by the transmitting control module 14. The on / off of the transmitting switch K1 can also be controlled by the transmitting control module 14 to achieve the control of the transmitting power. Exemplarily, the first input terminal of the transmitting control module 14 is connected to the second output terminal of the current control module 13, and the first output terminal of the transmitting control module 14 is connected to the controlled terminal of the transmitting switch K1. The current control module 13 can also send a comparison signal to the transmitting control module 14. The transmitting control module 14 can control the on / off of the transmitting switch K1 according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the laser D. Exemplarily, the transmitting control module 14 can also obtain the time information of the transmitting current by comparing the time difference between the transmitting start signal and the trigger moment of the comparison threshold, and correspondingly control the on / off of the transmitting switch K1 according to the time information to achieve the adjustment of the transmitting power of the laser D. The transmitting control module 14 can also perform corresponding control on the on / off of the transmitting switch K1 based on other information. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0075] Thus, the power controllable transmitting circuit 1 provided by the embodiments of the present application can flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop 11 through the current control module 13 or the transmitting control module 14 to ensure the reliability of the use of the power controllable transmitting circuit 1.

[0076] In summary, the current control module 13 or the transmitting control module 14 can control the on / off of the transmitting switch K1 to control the transmitting power of the laser D. Here, it is worth noting that the power controllable transmitting circuit 1 provided by the embodiments of the present application can also control the transmitting power of the laser D by adjusting other modules. Specifically, in one example, as Figure 8 shown, the current control module 13 may include a second comparator COMP2 and a switch unit 132. The non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator COMP2 is connected to the output terminal of the sampling module 12 for accessing the sampling signal. The inverting input terminal of the second comparator COMP2 is used to access the comparison threshold. The second comparator COMP2 can generate a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold. The controlled terminal of the switch unit 132 is connected to the output terminal of the second comparator COMP2 for accessing the comparison signal. The first terminal of the switch unit 132 is connected to the anode of the laser D, and the second terminal of the switch unit 132 is grounded. The second comparator COMP2 can control the on / off of the switch unit 132 according to the comparison signal to realize the control of the voltage received by the laser D, so as to flexibly and accurately control the transmitting power of the control transmitting loop 11 to ensure the consistency of the light output peak power of the transmitting loop 11.

[0077] In one example, as Figure 9 shown, the transmitting loop 11 provided by the embodiments of the present application may further include a transmitting driving module 111. The transmitting driving module 111 may include an inductor L, a switching element K2, and an energy storage element C2. One end of the inductor L is connected to the output voltage VE, and the other end of the inductor L is respectively connected to one end of the switching element K2 and one end of the energy storage element C2. The other end of the switching element K2 and the other end of the energy storage element C2 are grounded. One end of the energy storage element C2 is respectively connected to the anode of the laser D and the third output terminal of the current control module 13. The current control module 13 can flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop 11 by controlling the energy stored in the energy storage element C2, so as to ensure the consistency of the light output peak power of the transmitting loop.

[0078] Optionally, the transmitting control module 14 may also control the energy stored in the energy storage element C2. Exemplarily, as Figure 10 shown, the second output terminal of the transmitting control module 14 is connected to one end of the energy storage element C2. The transmitting control module 14 can adjust the energy stored in the energy storage element C2 to flexibly control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop 11, so as to ensure the consistency of the light output peak power of the transmitting loop 11.

[0079] Optionally, the switching element K2 may be a switch, a triode, a relay, a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), or other devices or circuits with a switching function. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0080] The power controllable emission circuit 1 can also control the emission power of the laser D by adjusting the output voltage. In one example, as Figure 11 shown, the emission loop 11 may further include an emission power supply module 15. The first end of the emission power supply module 15 is connected to the power supply voltage VS, and the second end of the emission power supply module 15 is connected to the first end of the emission driving module 111. The emission power of the emission loop 11 can be adjusted and controlled by adjusting the output voltage VE, so as to flexibly control the emission power of the emission loop 11, thereby ensuring the consistency of the light emission peak power of the emission loop 11. For example, the adjustment of the output voltage VE can be achieved through the emission control module 14. Exemplarily, the third output end of the emission control module 14 is connected to the third end of the emission power supply module 15. The emission control module 14 can control the output voltage VE of the emission power supply module 15 according to the comparison signal to control the emission power of the emission loop 11. For another example, the fourth output end of the current control module 13 is connected to the fourth end of the emission power supply module 15. The current control module 13 can control the magnitude of the output voltage VE of the emission power supply module 15 according to the comparison signal to control the emission power of the emission loop 11.

[0081] Optionally, as Figure 12 shown, the emission power supply module 15 may include a power converter 151 and a third comparator COMP3. The first input end of the power converter 151 is used to connect to the power supply voltage VS, the output end of the power converter 151 is connected to the first end of the emission driving module 111, and the power converter 151 is used to provide the output voltage VE to the emission driving module 111. The first input end of the third comparator COMP3 is connected to the output end of the power converter 151, the second input end of the third comparator COMP3 is connected to the third output end of the emission control module 14 for connecting the control signal output by the emission control module 14, and the second input end of the third comparator COMP3 is also used to connect to the reference signal Vref. The output end of the third comparator COMP3 is connected to the second input end of the power converter 151. The third comparator COMP3 can control the magnitude of the output voltage output by the power converter 151 to the emission power supply module 15 according to the output voltage VE, the control signal, and the reference signal Vref.

[0082] In one example, as Figure 13As shown, the power controllable transmission circuit 1 may further include a threshold adjustment module 16. The input end of the threshold adjustment module 16 is used to connect to the power supply voltage VS, and the output end of the threshold adjustment module 16 is connected to the second input end of the current control module 13. The threshold adjustment module 16 can adjust the comparison threshold according to the power supply voltage VS. Thus, by adjusting the magnitude of the comparison threshold, the magnitude of the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 can be correspondingly controlled. Exemplarily, assuming that it is desired to keep the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 relatively large, the comparison threshold can be increased; assuming that it is desired to make the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 relatively small, the comparison threshold can be decreased. Regarding this, the present application will not elaborate further.

[0083] Optionally, the threshold adjustment module 16 may be a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) filter circuit, or a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) circuit, or a stepped resistor voltage division network circuit, etc. The present application does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0084] In summary, the power controllable transmission circuit 1 provided by the embodiments of the present application can adjust the magnitude of the energy stored in the energy storage element C2, the power supply voltage VS, and the comparison threshold, and can also control the adaptive turn-off time of the transmission loop 11, so as to achieve precise control of the transmission power of the transmission loop 11, so that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 can reach the preset transmission power, thereby ensuring the consistency of the optical output peak power of the transmission loop 11.

[0085] In the above example, precise control of the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 is achieved through the current control module 13, the transmission control module 14, the threshold adjustment module 16, and the transmission driving module 111. In addition, the power controllable transmission circuit 1 provided by the present application can also perform shaping control on the output waveform of the transmission loop 11, so that the transmission power of the transmission loop 11 can remain consistent under a single channel or different channels, so as to ensure the stability and precision of the output power of the lidar, thereby ensuring the reliability of the lidar during use.

[0086] In one example, in order to achieve precise control of the transmission waveform of the transmission loop 11, the current control module 13 may include a plurality of first comparators COMP1 and a plurality of AND gates, such as Figure 14As shown, the current control module 13 may include two first comparators COMP1 and three AND gates. Here, it is worth noting that two of the AND gates are logic units 131 corresponding one-to-one to the first comparators COMP1. Since each first comparator COMP1 is correspondingly provided with a comparison threshold at this time, that is, the two comparison thresholds are different, in order to enable the transmitting loop 11 to achieve different transmitting waveforms and in order to enable the transmit driving module 111 to receive the comparison signals of the current control module 13 in real time, therefore, another AND gate is also provided. The two input terminals of this AND gate are respectively connected to the output terminals of the two first comparators COMP1, that is, the comparison signals corresponding to different comparison thresholds are respectively accessed. Moreover, an inverter is provided at any one of the two input terminals of this AND gate, and the output terminal of this AND gate is connected to the transmit driving module 111. In this example, the transmitting loop 11 can achieve different transmitting waveforms based on different comparison thresholds.

[0087] In another example, as Figure 15 shown, the current control module 13 may include two first comparators COMP1 and two AND gates. The two input terminals of the two AND gates are respectively connected to the output terminals of the two first comparators COMP1. The output terminals of the two AND gates and the output terminals of the two first comparators COMP1 are connected to the transmit control module 14. The output terminal of the transmit control module 14 is connected to the transmit power supply module 15, the transmit driving module 111, and the transmit switch K1. In this example, the change slope and morphological information of the transmit current can be obtained through the transmit control module 14. For example, as Figure 16 shown, then the power supply voltage VS, the time of the transmit switch K1, and the speed of the transmit switch K1, etc. are correspondingly adjusted according to the change slope and morphological information of the transmit current, so as to achieve precise control of the morphological form of the transmitting waveform of the transmitting loop 11.

[0088] In the above examples, precise control of the transmitting waveform of the transmitting loop 11 is achieved through the current control module 13, the transmit control module 14, the threshold adjustment module 16, and the transmit driving module 111. In addition, the power controllable transmitting circuit 1 provided by the embodiments of the present application can also monitor the peak current of the transmitting loop 11 to avoid problems such as overheating damage to the transmitting loop 11 or the receiving loop when the peak current is abnormal, or causing damage to people and other objects outside the lidar.

[0089] Exemplarily, the transmitting loop 11 may include multiple transmit switches K1, such as Figure 17As shown in the figure, taking the emission loop 11 including the first emission switch K1a and the second emission switch K1b as an example, the first end of the second emission switch K1b is connected to the second end of the first emission switch K1a, the second end of the second emission switch K1b is grounded, and the controlled ends of the first emission switch K1a and the second emission switch K1b are connected to the first output end of the emission control module 14. The emission control module 14 can control the on / off of the first emission switch K1a and the second emission switch K1b. In this way, the present application can achieve different driving and switching speeds by controlling the on / off of different emission switches K1, so as to achieve precise control of the output peak power.

[0090] Meanwhile, one or more hierarchical emission switches K1, emission driving modules 111, and emission power supply modules 15 are all correspondingly provided with absolute protection thresholds. When the absolute protection threshold is triggered, or the triggering duration of the absolute protection threshold exceeds the limit, it means that the peak current of the emission loop 11 is abnormal at this time, and the corresponding protection mechanism needs to be started, and the corresponding error message is reported at the same time, so as to avoid the problems of overheating damage of the emission loop 11 or the receiving loop, or damage to people and other objects outside the lidar. In this way, the present application realizes the monitoring and protection of the peak current of the emission loop 11, thus ensuring the use safety and reliability of the lidar using the power controllable emission circuit 1. Here, it is worth noting that the monitoring and protection in the embodiments of the present application can refer to the immediate monitoring and protection of hardware, or the cross-emission cycle monitoring and protection realized through the emission control module 14. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0091] In summary, the power controllable emission circuit 1 provided by the present application can achieve precise control of the output peak power through a higher emission voltage, an adaptive turn-off time, and an adaptive turn-off and driving speed. At the same time, it also realizes the shaping control of the output waveform of the emission loop 11, further improving the emission consistency of the emission loop 11, and then improving the stability and precision of the emission power of the lidar, thus ensuring the use reliability of the lidar.

[0092] The embodiments of the present application further provide a lidar, which may include the power controllable emission circuit 1 and a power supply circuit in the above embodiments. Among them, the power supply circuit is used to provide the power supply voltage VS for the power controllable emission circuit 1. Here, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can delete, replace, or add devices in the lidar according to the actual situation. In this regard, the present application does not make specific limitations.

[0093] The embodiments of the present application further provide a movable device, which includes the lidar in the above embodiments and a movable device body, and the lidar is mounted on the device body. The beneficial effects that the movable device can achieve include the beneficial effects that the above lidar can achieve, and will not be elaborated here.

[0094] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can understand that for the convenience and conciseness of description, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be allocated to different functional modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0095] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed device can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of modules or units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect coupling or communication connection of the device or unit can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0096] The above content is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A power controllable transmitting circuit, applied to a lidar, characterized in that The power controllable transmitting circuit includes: A transmitting loop for transmitting laser light; A sampling module, the input end of which is connected to the transmitting loop, for sampling the transmitting current of the transmitting loop and obtaining a sampling signal corresponding to the transmitting current; and A current control module, the first input end of which is connected to the output end of the sampling module for receiving the sampling signal, the second input end for accessing a comparison threshold, and the first output end connected to the transmitting loop for generating a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold, and controlling the transmitting power of the transmitting loop according to the comparison signal.

2. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 1, wherein The transmitting loop includes a laser and a transmitting switch, the cathode of the laser is connected to the first end of the transmitting switch, the second end of the transmitting switch is connected to the input end of the sampling module, and the controlled end of the transmitting switch is connected to the first output end of the current control module; The current control module is used to control the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the laser.

3. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 2, wherein The current control module includes: A first comparator, the inverting input end of which is connected to the output end of the sampling module for accessing the sampling signal, the non-inverting input end for accessing the comparison threshold, and the first comparator for generating a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold; and A logic unit, the first input end of which is connected to the output end of the first comparator for accessing the comparison signal, the second input end for accessing a control signal, and the output end connected to the controlled end of the transmitting switch, and the logic unit for controlling the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal and the control signal to control the transmitting power of the laser.

4. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 1, wherein The transmitting loop includes a laser and a transmitting switch, the power controllable transmitting circuit further includes a transmitting control module, the cathode of the laser is connected to the first end of the transmitting switch, the second end of the transmitting switch is connected to the input end of the sampling module, the controlled end of the transmitting switch is connected to the first output end of the transmitting control module, and the first input end of the transmitting control module is connected to the second output end of the current control module; The transmitting control module is used to control the on / off of the transmitting switch according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the laser.

5. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 4, wherein The current control module includes: A second comparator, the non-inverting input end of which is connected to the output end of the sampling module for accessing the sampling signal, the inverting input end for accessing the comparison threshold, and the second comparator for generating a comparison signal according to the sampling signal and the comparison threshold; and A switch unit, the controlled end of which is connected to the output end of the second comparator for accessing the comparison signal, the first end connected to the anode of the laser, and the second end grounded; The second comparator is used to control the on / off of the switch unit according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

6. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that The transmitting loop further includes a transmitting driving module, and the transmitting driving module includes an energy storage element. One end of the energy storage element is connected to the anode of the laser, and the other end of the energy storage element is grounded; Wherein, the third output end of the current control module is connected to one end of the energy storage element to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

7. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that, The transmitting loop further includes a transmitting driving module, and the transmitting driving module includes an energy storage element. One end of the energy storage element is connected to the anode of the laser, and the other end of the energy storage element is grounded; Wherein, the second output end of the transmitting control module is connected to one end of the energy storage element and is used for adjusting the magnitude of the energy stored in the energy storage element to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

8. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 7, wherein The transmitting loop further includes: A transmitting power supply module, with the first end connected to a power supply voltage, the second end connected to the first end of the transmitting driving module, the third output end of the transmitting control module connected to the third end of the transmitting power supply module, and the transmitting control module is used for controlling the output voltage of the transmitting power supply module according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop; and / or, The fourth output end of the current control module is connected to the fourth end of the transmitting power supply module, and the current control module is used for controlling the magnitude of the output voltage of the transmitting power supply module according to the comparison signal to control the transmitting power of the transmitting loop.

9. The power controllable transmitting circuit according to claim 8, wherein The transmitting power supply module includes: A power converter, with the first input end used for connecting to the power supply voltage, the output end connected to the first end of the transmitting driving module, and is used for providing an output voltage to the transmitting driving module; and, A third comparator, with the first input end connected to the output end of the power converter, the second input end connected to the third output end of the transmitting control module, and is used for connecting to the control signal output by the transmitting control module. The second input end of the third comparator is further used for connecting to a reference signal, and the output end is connected to the second input end of the power converter. The third comparator is used for controlling the magnitude of the output voltage output by the power converter to the transmitting power supply module according to the output voltage, the control signal, and the reference signal.

10. A lidar, characterized in that, It includes a power controllable transmitting circuit and a power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1-9, and the power supply circuit is used for providing a power supply voltage for the power controllable transmitting circuit.

11. A mobile device, characterized in that, It includes a movable body and a lidar according to claim 10, and the lidar is mounted on the body.

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