Laser radar signal processing method, detection method and laser radar

Abstract

The invention provides a laser radar signal processing method, a detection method and a laser radar. Wherein the laser radar comprises a preset channel and a reference channel, and the preset channel comprises a third laser and a third detector; the method comprises the steps that a first detection signal of the third detector is acquired in a first time window, and the third laser emits detection light in the first time window; acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector in a first time window; and determining whether the first detection signal is an effective signal or not according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application number 202410172199.X, filed with the Patent Office of China on February 6, 2024, with the invention name “Laser radar and its detection method”, and the Chinese patent application number 202410383719.1, filed with the Patent Office of China on March 29, 2024, with the invention name “Laser radar signal processing method, device, related equipment and storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of laser radar technology, and in particular to a laser radar signal processing method, a detection method, and a laser radar. Background Art

[0003] Laser radar (LIDAR) can detect the position, speed and other characteristic quantities of an object by emitting a laser beam and receiving the reflected light of the laser beam reflected by surrounding objects, and then output three-dimensional point cloud data of the surrounding environment.

[0004] In lidar, due to the non-ideal characteristics of the optical system, the received echo signals may contain invalid signals. A detector receiving an invalid signal typically has no objects within its designated receiving field of view. However, lidar cannot distinguish valid echo signals from valid ones and may mistakenly believe that an object is present within the detector's designated receiving field of view, thus affecting the lidar's detection accuracy. Highly reflective objects are often present in real-world detection scenarios. Highly reflective objects are those with a reflectivity exceeding a certain threshold and are often referred to as highly reflective objects. When a lidar channel encounters a highly reflective object, the laser beam emitted by that channel is reflected by the object. The resulting reflected light is extremely intense, causing crosstalk to the current channel or other channels operating in parallel, resulting in "ghosting." Ghosting manifests as the lidar generating a point cloud at a location where no real obstacle actually exists. The generation of ghosting can affect the accuracy of lidar detection results.

[0005] The content of the background technology section is merely information known to the inventor personally, and does not mean that the above information has entered the public domain before the application date of this disclosure, nor does it mean that it can become the prior art of the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a laser radar signal processing method, a detection method and a laser radar, which can accurately determine whether the echo signal received by the laser radar is valid, effectively reduce the ghosting problem, and improve the accuracy of the laser radar's detection results.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a laser radar signal processing method, wherein the laser radar includes a preset channel and a reference detector, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector; the method includes:

[0008] Acquiring a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window;

[0009] Acquire at least one fourth detection signal of at least one of the reference detectors within a first time window;

[0010] Whether the first detection signal is a valid signal is determined according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0011] Optionally, the reference detector includes a fifth detector, and the fifth detector has no corresponding laser.

[0012] Optionally, acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within the first time window includes: acquiring the fourth detection signal of one reference detector within the first time window;

[0013] The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes:

[0014] comparing a signal value of the first detection signal with a signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result;

[0015] Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

[0016] Optionally, acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within the first time window includes: acquiring multiple fourth detection signals of multiple reference detectors within the first time window;

[0017] The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes:

[0018] determining signal values of a plurality of the fourth detection signals;

[0019] determining weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals;

[0020] determining a comparison result according to a signal value of the first detection signal, signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals;

[0021] According to the comparison result, it is determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal.

[0022] Optionally, the weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the number of the plurality of reference detectors; or,

[0023] The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the distance between the reference detector and the third detector.

[0024] Optionally, determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes:

[0025] When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be an invalid signal.

[0026] Optionally, determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes:

[0027] When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be a valid signal.

[0028] Optionally, the signal value includes: amplitude or integral value.

[0029] Optionally, the amplitude of the first detection signal is greater than a third preset threshold or a preset threshold curve.

[0030] Optionally, the signal processing method further includes lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve.

[0031] Optionally, the distance between the reference detector and the third detector is less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold.

[0032] Optionally, the reference detector is adjacent to the third detector.

[0033] Optionally, the third detector and the reference detector are located on the same detector chip; or,

[0034] The third detector and the reference detector are located on different detector chips.

[0035] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a signal processing device, including:

[0036] a receiving module configured to acquire a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within a first time window;

[0037] The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0038] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer program product, comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the laser radar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0040] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a laser radar, including:

[0041] A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector;

[0042] Reference detector;

[0043] a signal acquisition circuit configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the reference detector;

[0044] The processor is configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a perception device, including: the laser radar described in the above embodiment.

[0046] In the seventh aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vehicle, including: the laser radar described in the above embodiments.

[0047] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a laser radar signal processing method, wherein the laser radar includes a preset channel and a first channel, the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector, and the first channel includes a fourth laser and a fourth detector; the method includes:

[0048] Acquiring a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window;

[0049] Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within a first time window, wherein the fourth laser does not emit detection light within the first time window;

[0050] Whether the first detection signal is a valid signal is determined according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0051] Optionally, acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one fourth detector within the first time window includes: acquiring the fourth detection signal of one fourth detector within the first time window;

[0052] The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes:

[0053] comparing a signal value of the first detection signal with a signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result;

[0054] Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

[0055] Optionally, acquiring at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within the first time window includes: acquiring multiple fourth detection signals from multiple fourth detectors within the first time window;

[0056] The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes:

[0057] determining signal values of a plurality of the fourth detection signals;

[0058] determining weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals;

[0059] determining a comparison result according to a signal value of the first detection signal, signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals;

[0060] According to the comparison result, it is determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal.

[0061] Optionally, the weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the number of the plurality of fourth detectors; or,

[0062] The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector.

[0063] Optionally, determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes:

[0064] When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be an invalid signal.

[0065] Optionally, determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes:

[0066] When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be a valid signal.

[0067] Optionally, the signal value includes: amplitude or integral value.

[0068] Optionally, the amplitude of the first detection signal is greater than a third preset threshold or a preset threshold curve.

[0069] Optionally, the signal processing method further includes lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve.

[0070] Optionally, the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector is less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold.

[0071] Optionally, the fourth detector is adjacent to the third detector.

[0072] Optionally, the third detector and the fourth detector are located on the same detector chip; or,

[0073] The third detector and the fourth detector are located on different detector chips.

[0074] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a signal processing device, including:

[0075] a receiving module configured to acquire a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one fourth detector within a first time window;

[0076] The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0077] In the tenth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0078] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the laser radar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0079] In a twelfth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a laser radar, including:

[0080] A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector;

[0081] a first channel comprising a fourth laser and a fourth detector;

[0082] a signal acquisition circuit, configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the fourth detector;

[0083] The processor is configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0084] In the thirteenth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a perception device, including: the laser radar described in the above embodiments.

[0085] In the fourteenth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vehicle, including: the laser radar described in the above embodiments.

[0086] By using the lidar signal processing method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the validity of the first detection signal can be effectively determined by the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal, thereby improving the accuracy of the lidar measurement. The first detection signal is a signal received by a third detector corresponding to a third laser that emits detection light within a first time window, and the fourth detection signal is a signal received by a fourth detector corresponding to a fourth laser that does not emit detection light within the first time window, or the fourth detection signal is a signal received by a fifth detector corresponding to a laser that does not emit detection light within the first time window.

[0087] In the fifteenth aspect, the present specification provides a detection method for a laser radar, wherein the laser radar includes at least one transceiver channel, each transceiver channel includes a laser and a detector, and the method includes: controlling the laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam, and obtaining a first detection signal received by the detector in the preset channel, wherein the preset channel is any channel in the at least one transceiver channel; obtaining a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, wherein the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel, and overlaps with a partial area of the detection field of view of the preset channel; determining whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and when there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, determining the information of the real obstacle based on the first detection signal.

[0088] In some embodiments, determining whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal includes: determining whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the relative size relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

[0089] In some embodiments, determining whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the relative size relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal includes: if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset threshold, determining that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel; or, if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is less than or equal to the preset threshold, determining that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0090] In some embodiments, determining the information of the real obstacle based on the first detection signal includes: determining a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and determining the information of the real obstacle based on the difference.

[0091] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes a reference detector, and the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view; obtaining the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view includes: using the detection signal received by the reference detector as the second detection signal.

[0092] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes multiple reference detectors, and the detection field of view of the multiple reference detectors is different from the reference field of view; obtaining the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view includes: obtaining multiple third detection signals received by the multiple reference detectors; and determining the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view based on the multiple third detection signals and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection field of view of the multiple reference detectors.

[0093] In some embodiments, determining the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view based on the multiple third detection signals and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors includes: interpolating the multiple third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information; and determining the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors.

[0094] In the sixteenth aspect, the present specification also provides a laser radar, comprising: at least one transceiver channel and a processor, wherein each of the transceiver channel comprises a laser and a detector, the processor is communicatively connected to the at least one transceiver channel, and is configured to: control the laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam, and obtain a first detection signal received by the detector in the preset channel, the preset channel being any channel in the at least one transceiver channel, obtain a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel, and overlaps with a partial area of the detection field of view of the preset channel, determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and when there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, determine the information of the real obstacle based on the first detection signal.

[0095] In some embodiments, in order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: determines whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the relative size relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

[0096] In some embodiments, in order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset threshold, then determines that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel; or, if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is less than or equal to the preset threshold, then determines that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0097] In some embodiments, to determine the information of the real obstacle, the processor: determines a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and determines the information of the real obstacle based on the difference.

[0098] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes: a reference detector, the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view; in order to obtain a second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: uses the detection signal received by the reference detector as the second detection signal.

[0099] In some embodiments, the reference detector is a detector other than the detector in the at least one transceiver channel in the laser radar.

[0100] In some embodiments, the at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; the reference detector is a detector in the first channel, and the first channel and the preset channel are in different groups.

[0101] In some embodiments, the at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; the at least one transceiver channel includes a second channel, the detection process of the second channel and the detection process of the preset channel share the reference detector, and the second channel and the preset channel are in the same group.

[0102] In some embodiments, the laser radar includes at least a first linear detector and a second linear detector, multiple detectors in the first linear detector collectively correspond to a first laser, multiple detectors in the second linear detector collectively correspond to a second laser, and the first laser and the second laser are not emitted in parallel, wherein the detector in the preset channel corresponds to the i-th detector in the first linear detector, and the reference detector corresponds to the i-th detector in the second linear detector, where i is a positive integer.

[0103] In some embodiments, the laser radar includes a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, wherein the detector in the preset channel corresponds to a first portion of SPADs in the SPAD array, and the reference detector corresponds to a second portion of SPADs in the SPAD array.

[0104] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes multiple reference detectors, and the detection field of view of the multiple reference detectors is different from the reference field of view; in order to obtain the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: obtains multiple third detection signals received by the multiple reference detectors, and, based on the multiple third detection signals and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection field of view of the multiple reference detectors, determines the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view.

[0105] In some embodiments, in order to determine the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: interpolates the multiple third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information; and, based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors, determines the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view.

[0106] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the laser radar and its detection method provided in this specification, during the detection process of the preset channel, can assist in identifying whether there are real obstacles in the detection field of view of the preset channel by using the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view of the preset channel, thereby effectively avoiding or reducing the problem of high-reflection ghosting. The above detection method does not require the laser radar to emit multiple pulses, nor does it require angle encoding, and is simple to implement and easier to implement. In addition, the laser radar and its detection method provided in this specification do not require improvements to the hardware of the laser radar, or only require a small amount of hardware improvements (such as adding some reference detectors) to avoid or reduce the problem of high-reflection ghosting, and the cost of hardware modification is low.

[0107] Other functions of the laser radar and detection method provided by this specification will be partially listed in the following description. The creative aspects of the laser radar and detection method provided by this specification can be fully explained by practicing or using the methods, devices and combinations described in the following detailed examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0108] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0109] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a laser radar and its detection scene is shown;

[0110] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the reflection of a laser beam by a Lambertian body or a nearly Lambertian body is shown;

[0111] Figure 3 Schematic diagram showing the reflection of laser beam by corner reflector;

[0112] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a detection scenario with high reverse crosstalk is shown;

[0113] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of generating a light spot is shown;

[0114] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram of generating a light spot is shown;

[0115] Figure 7 Shown Figure 4 Schematic diagram of ghost images generated in the detection scenario shown;

[0116] Figure 8 Another schematic diagram of a detection scenario with high reverse crosstalk is shown;

[0117] Figure 9 Shown Figure 8 Schematic diagram of ghost images generated in the detection scenario shown;

[0118] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another detection scenario with high reverse crosstalk is shown;

[0119] Figure 11 A schematic diagram showing the corresponding relationship between the laser and the detector of a laser radar is shown;

[0120] Figure 12 A schematic diagram showing the principle of generating an invalid signal of a laser radar is shown;

[0121] Figure 13 A schematic flow chart of a detection method provided according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0122] Figure 14A A schematic diagram showing a detection field of view and a reference field of view corresponding to a preset channel is shown;

[0123] Figure 14B A schematic diagram showing the detection field of view and reference field of view corresponding to another preset channel is shown;

[0124] Figure 14C A schematic diagram showing a detection field of view corresponding to a preset channel and a detection field of view corresponding to a reference detector is shown;

[0125] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a transceiver module of a laser radar is shown;

[0126] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a transceiver module of another laser radar is shown;

[0127] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of a transceiver module of another laser radar is shown;

[0128] Figure 18 A schematic diagram showing a receiving module of another laser radar; and

[0129] Figure 19 A schematic diagram of a receiving module of another laser radar is shown;

[0130] Figure 20 A schematic diagram showing the steps of a laser radar signal processing method in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0131] Figure 21 A schematic diagram showing the steps of another laser radar signal processing method in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0132] Figure 22A schematic structural diagram of a laser radar in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0133] Figure 23 A schematic diagram showing the positions of a third detector and a fourth detector in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0134] Figure 24 A schematic diagram showing the positions of another third detector and a fourth detector in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0135] Figure 25 A schematic diagram showing the positions of a third detector and a plurality of fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0136] Figure 26 A schematic diagram showing the positions of another third detector and a plurality of fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0137] Figure 27 A schematic diagram showing the positions of another third detector and a plurality of fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0138] Figure 28 A schematic diagram showing a comparison of signal strengths of a first detection signal and a fourth detection signal in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0139] Figure 29 Another schematic diagram showing comparison of signal strengths of a first detection signal and a fourth detection signal in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0140] Figure 30 A schematic structural diagram of another laser radar in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0141] Figure 31 A schematic diagram showing the positions of a plurality of third detectors and a plurality of fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0142] Figure 32 Another schematic diagram of the positions of multiple third detectors and multiple fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0143] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements for this specification, with the goal of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the contents of this specification. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this specification. Therefore, this specification is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is intended to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the claims.

[0144] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. When used in this specification, the terms "comprise," "include," and / or "contain" are intended to refer to the presence of the associated integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups or the addition of other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups in the system / method.

[0145] These and other features of this specification, as well as the operation and function of the associated elements of the structure, and the economical assembly and manufacture of the components, can be significantly improved with consideration of the following description. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. However, it should be expressly understood that the drawings are for illustration and description purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this specification. It should also be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0146] The flowcharts used in this specification illustrate operations implemented by systems according to some embodiments of the present specification. It should be clearly understood that the operations of the flowcharts may not be implemented in sequence. Rather, the operations may be implemented in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, one or more additional operations may be added to the flowcharts. One or more operations may be removed from the flowcharts.

[0147] LiDAR can be used in a variety of scenarios, such as vehicle driving, robot movement, and drone flight. Taking the vehicle driving scenario as an example, LiDAR can help vehicles perceive their surroundings, identify obstacles on the road, and improve driving safety. This specification does not limit the application scenarios of LiDAR; in addition to the scenarios listed above, LiDAR can also be applied to other scenarios. For ease of understanding, the examples provided below will be based on the vehicle driving scenario.

[0148] When the lidar is working, it transmits a detection signal into space through a laser, and receives the echo signal reflected from the object through the detector corresponding to the laser. The received echo signal reflected from the object is then compared with the detection signal. After corresponding processing, relevant information about the object can be obtained, such as the object's distance, direction, height, speed, posture, and even shape.

[0149] Reference Figure 11 The diagram shows the correspondence between the laser and the detector of a laser radar. The correspondence between the laser and the detector means that the laser emitted by the laser falls within the detection range of the detector. Figure 11As shown, if the laser light emitted by laser TX falls within the detection range of detector RX, there is a corresponding relationship between laser TX and detector RX. Laser radar lasers and detectors can have various corresponding relationships, for example, one laser corresponds to one detector; another example, one laser corresponds to multiple detectors; another example, multiple lasers correspond to one detector; another example, multiple lasers correspond to multiple detectors, etc.

[0150] To expand the detection range or improve detection resolution, lidars typically have multiple channels, each pointing to different azimuth angles in space. A pair of corresponding lasers and detectors constitutes a channel.

[0151] If the echo signal received by the detector is emitted by the corresponding laser and reflected by an object within the detector's preset field of view, the echo signal is considered a valid signal, and relatively accurate object-related information can be obtained through the valid signal. However, due to the non-ideal characteristics of the laser radar's optical system, the echo signal received by the detector often contains invalid signals. Invalid signals are usually not reflected from objects in the spatial orientation of the detector's channel. Therefore, the object-related information obtained from invalid signals is usually inaccurate. If the laser radar cannot distinguish whether the received echo signal is valid, it will lead to a decrease in the accuracy of the laser radar measurement.

[0152] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the invalid signal generation principle of a laser radar is shown. The light spot emitted by the laser usually has a certain size and divergence angle. Due to the reflection or scattering of optical components or structural parts such as lenses and reflectors inside the laser radar, part of the light is not emitted in the expected direction. These lights that are not emitted in the expected direction are called stray light. Similarly, due to the non-ideality of the optical system, such as the reflection or scattering of optical components or structural parts such as lenses and reflectors inside the laser radar, some light that is not within the preset receiving field of view of the detector can reach the detector and be received by the detector. The energy of stray light is generally low. In most cases, the energy of stray light after being reflected by an object is very low and cannot exceed the threshold of the laser radar for screening effective signals. However, when encountering an object with high reflectivity or the object is close to the laser radar, the energy of the echo signal reflected by the stray light from the object is still strong, and it can exceed the threshold of the laser radar for screening effective signals and is considered to be a valid signal, resulting in ghost points in the channel. For example, if Figure 12As shown, laser TX emits probe light. The portion of the probe light emitted in a preset direction is referred to here as preset light L11. During this emission process, the probe light generates stray light L12. There are no real objects within the preset receiving field of view of the detector RX corresponding to laser TX, but there is a real object O1 outside of the preset receiving field of view of detector RX. Stray light L12 strikes real object O1, reflects off it, and is received by detector RX. Because the lidar cannot determine the validity of the signal received by detector RX, it interprets the received signal as the reflection of the preset light from an object in that direction. It then assumes that an object exists in that direction and generates a data point, resulting in a ghost image O2 in that channel. In other words, real object O1 is not in the direction corresponding to the channel corresponding to the preset light, but the detector RX in that channel receives echo information. The lidar then interprets the received echo information as a reflection of an object in the direction corresponding to the preset light channel, resulting in the ghost image O2.

[0153] It can be seen that detecting whether the echo signal received by the lidar is valid is of great significance to ensuring the reliability of the lidar operation.

[0154] Next, combine Figure 1 The structure and detection principle of lidar are explained.

[0155] Figure 1 Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the laser radar and its detection scene. Figure 1 As shown, the laser radar 100 may include at least one laser 110 and at least one detector 120. The laser radar 100 may further include a processor 130. The processor 130 is communicatively connected to the at least one laser 110 and the at least one detector 120, respectively.

[0156] The at least one laser 110 and the at least one detector 120 form one or more transceiver channels. The transceiver channel refers to the information path for the laser radar to transmit and receive laser light once. The transceiver channel can be referred to as a channel for short. In this specification, the transceiver channel and the channel express the same concept. Generally, a channel can include a laser 110 and a detector 120, that is, one laser 110 corresponds to one detector 120. In some cases, the laser radar 100 may have multiple lasers 110 sharing one detector 120 (that is, one channel includes multiple lasers 110 and one detector 120), or there may be multiple detectors 120 sharing one laser 110 (that is, one channel includes one laser 110 and multiple detectors 120). Figure 1 In the figure, one laser 110 corresponds to one detector 120 for illustration.

[0157] It should be noted that this specification does not limit the number of channels included in the laser radar 100. That is, the laser radar 100 may include one channel or multiple channels. When the laser radar 100 includes multiple channels, the laser radar 100 is generally referred to as a multi-beam laser radar. The number of channels included in the laser radar 100 can also be referred to as the number of scanning beams, or simply the number of scanning lines.

[0158] Each channel corresponds to a detection field of view. The laser 110 in the channel emits a laser beam, and the detector 120 receives the reflected light of the laser beam reflected by the object in the detection field of view, thereby realizing the detection of obstacles in the detection field of view. Figure 1 Taking channel 1 as an example, the detection process is as follows: the laser 110 in channel 1 can emit a laser beam in the direction of the detection field of view of channel 1 at time T1 under the control of the processor 130. The laser beam can also be called a detection beam or a detection pulse. The laser beam is reflected by the object a in the detection field of view to generate reflected light. The detector 120 in channel 1 receives the reflected light and converts it into an electrical signal to provide it to the processor 130. The processor 130 can calculate the flight time ΔT=T2-T1 of the light based on the emission time T1 of the laser beam and the reception time T2 of the reflected light, and then determine the flight distance based on the speed of light c and the flight time ΔT. The flight distance represents the distance between object a and the laser radar. The processor 130 can determine the position information of object a based on the flight distance d and the detection field of view orientation of channel 1.

[0159] In a similar manner, the other channels in the LiDAR 100 can each detect obstacle information within their respective detection fields. Thus, the processor 130 can generate point cloud data based on the obstacle information detected by all channels and output this point cloud data. This point cloud data reflects the obstacle information within the LiDAR 100's overall detection field of view.

[0160] During the detection process of the lidar 100, the processor 130 can control the detection process of all channels. One possible control method is for the processor 130 to control all channels to perform detection sequentially. For example, the processor 130 controls channel 1 to perform detection at time 1, controls channel 2 to perform detection at time 2, controls channel 3 to perform detection at time 3, and so on. In this method, the detection process of all channels is performed sequentially, which reduces crosstalk between channels, but also reduces detection efficiency.

[0161] Another possible control method is that the processor 130 controls all channels to perform detection in parallel. In this method, the detection process of all channels is performed in parallel, which has a high detection efficiency, but the crosstalk generated between different channels is large.

[0162] Another possible control method is for the processor 130 to control the channels to perform detection in groups. For example, assuming that the lidar 100 includes a total of 128 channels, these 128 channels can be divided into 8 groups, each group containing 16 channels. Among them, the 16 channels in each group are detected in parallel in the same detection round, while channels in different groups are detected in different detection rounds. For example, in the first detection round, the 16 channels in the first group are detected in parallel, in the second detection round, the 16 channels in the second group are detected in parallel, in the third detection round, the 16 channels in the third group are detected in parallel, and so on.

[0163] It should be noted that the parallel detection of 16 channels in the same group described above means that these 16 channels complete the reflection of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected light within a time window, not that these 16 channels must emit light simultaneously. In other words, the emission times of these 16 channels can be the same or different, as long as they are within the same time window.

[0164] The above-mentioned group detection method can group channels that are far apart into one group. In other words, multiple channels with relatively long physical distances can be detected in parallel. This can not only improve the detection efficiency, but also reduce the crosstalk between channels to a certain extent.

[0165] Obstacles in actual detection scenarios can generally be divided into two types. One type is Lambertian or approximately Lambertian, and the other type is angular reflectors. In vehicle driving scenarios, most obstacles are Lambertian or approximately Lambertian, while a small number of obstacles are angular reflectors. Common angular reflectors include but are not limited to: road signs, license plates, etc. The above two types of obstacles reflect the laser beam differently. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Provide explanation.

[0166] Figure 2 The figure shows the reflection of laser beam by Lambertian body or approximate Lambertian body. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, assume that a laser beam emitted by a lidar strikes a Lambertian or Lambertian-like surface. In this case, the energy of the incident light is isotropically reflected in all directions throughout the entire hemisphere, centered around the point of incidence. Reflection from a Lambertian or Lambertian-like surface is generally called diffuse reflection.

[0167] Figure 3 Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the reflection of the laser beam by a corner reflector. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the laser beam emitted by the LiDAR hits the surface of a corner reflector. Since the surface of the corner reflector has multiple millimeter-level corner reflection areas, the energy of the incident light is reflected back along the original path, and the intensity of the reflected light is very high.

[0168] For general obstacles, due to diffuse reflection, the intensity of reflected light received by the lidar detector is: πD2 / (4·πR 2 ). Where D is the receiving aperture (in millimeters) and R is the distance to the obstacle. For corner reflectors, all incident light energy is reflected. Even if the light loss reaches 1% of its intensity, the difference in reflected light intensity between corner reflectance and diffuse reflectance still reaches the order of 10e5. This shows that compared to Lambertian or near-Lambertian bodies, corner reflectors have a very high reflectivity, and the resulting reflected light energy is very high. Therefore, corner reflectors are also called high-reflectivity objects, or simply high-reflectivity objects.

[0169] During the operation of the LiDAR 100, when multiple channels are detecting in parallel, if a channel encounters a highly reflective object, the intensity of the reflected light generated by the highly reflective object will be very high. This reflected light will cause crosstalk to the current channel or other channels detecting in parallel, resulting in ghosting in the point cloud data output by the LiDAR 100. The specific manifestation of ghosting is that although the LiDAR 100 forms a point cloud at a certain location, there is actually no real obstacle at that location. In other words, the LiDAR 100 forms a point cloud at a location where there is no real obstacle.

[0170] Although in some implementations, the processor 130 can use a group detection method to group channels with relatively long physical distances for parallel detection, which can reduce crosstalk between channels to a certain extent, when the lidar 100 encounters a highly reflective object, even if the multiple channels participating in the parallel detection are relatively far apart, the intensity of the reflected light generated by the highly reflective object is very high, so crosstalk between the channels still exists, and thus the ghosting problem still exists.

[0171] The following is a detailed explanation of the phenomenon of high-reflection ghosting and its causes based on several specific situations.

[0172] Figure 4 FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a detection scenario with high crosstalk. The detection process of one channel (eg, channel 1) in the laser radar 100 is described as an example. Figure 4 As shown, the laser in channel 1 emits a laser beam, which forms a light spot 300 including a central area 310 and a halo area 320 .

[0173] Those skilled in the art will understand that, ideally, the light spot 300 formed by the laser beam should only include the central area 310 and not the halo area 320. However, in actual detection scenarios, due to the influence of some factors and the fact that the light emitted by the laser itself has a certain divergence angle, the halo area 320 is inevitably present in the light spot 300. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Describe in detail the process of light spot generation.

[0174] For example, Figure 5 FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of generating a light spot 300. Figure 5 As shown, the laser radar 100 typically also includes components such as an emitting lens 160 and a light shield 140. Most of the laser beam emitted by the laser 110 is converged by the emitting lens 160 and then emitted through the light shield 140, forming the central region 310 of the light spot 300. In addition, a small portion of the laser beam is reflected between components such as the emitting lens 160 and the light shield 140. This reflected laser light causes the halo region 320 to expand.

[0175] For example, Figure 6 FIG. 3 shows another schematic diagram of generating the light spot 300. Figure 6 As shown, the laser radar 100 may have attachments 150, such as rainwater or dirt, on its mask 140. The laser beam emitted by the laser 110 is focused by the transmitting lens 160 and then emitted through the mask 140. Most of the laser light in the beam passes directly through the mask 140, forming the center region 310 of the light spot 300. Furthermore, the attachments 150 on the mask 140 refract some of the laser light, causing the halo region 320 to expand.

[0176] Continue to see Figure 4 The detection field of view of channel 1 is oriented toward the center region 310 of the light spot 300. The energy received by the detector 120 in channel 1 is the total energy received by the photosensitive surface of the detector 120 after the complete light spot 300 is reflected.

[0177] Typically, the detection result of channel 1 is one of the following two situations:

[0178] (1) When the energy received by detector 120 exceeds a certain energy threshold, LiDAR 100 determines that there is an obstacle in the detection field corresponding to the channel and calculates the flight time based on the energy received by detector 120 to obtain obstacle information. In this case, LiDAR 100 generates a point cloud at the direction corresponding to channel 1.

[0179] (2) When the energy received by the detector 120 is less than the energy threshold, the laser radar 100 determines that there is no obstacle in the detection field corresponding to the channel. In this case, the laser radar 100 will not generate a point cloud in the direction corresponding to channel 1.

[0180] Continue to see Figure 4When a highly reflective object 200 is present in the surrounding environment of the lidar 100, assume that the laser 110 of channel 1 emits a laser beam. The direction corresponding to the central region 310 of the light spot 300 formed by this laser beam is free of obstacles, while the halo region 320 strikes the highly reflective object 200. In this case, since the central region 310 of the light spot 300 does not strike the object, it does not produce any reflected light. The halo region 320 of the light spot 300 strikes the highly reflective object 200 and is reflected by it, forming reflected light. Although the energy of the halo region 320 itself is not high, the high reflectivity of the highly reflective object 200 results in a very high energy level, causing the energy received by the detector 120 to exceed the energy threshold. Consequently, the lidar 100 mistakenly believes that an obstacle exists in the direction of the detection field of view corresponding to channel 1 (i.e., the direction indicated by the central region 310 of the light spot 300). Furthermore, the laser radar 100 calculates the flight time based on the energy received by the detector 120 and generates a point cloud in the detection field of view corresponding to channel 1, which causes ghosts to appear in the point cloud data.

[0181] Figure 7 Shown Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a ghost image produced in the detection scene shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, it is assumed that the highly reflective object 200 is a rectangular object, such as a license plate, a road sign, etc. During the detection process of the laser radar 100, when the detection field of certain channels is located around the highly reflective object 200, the light spots 300 generated by these channels meet the following requirements: Figure 4 The situation shown is that the central area 310 of the light spot 300 does not hit the object, but the halo area 320 hits the highly reflective object 200. In this case, according to the detection method described above, point clouds will be generated in the detection field of view corresponding to these channels. This makes the point cloud cluster corresponding to the highly reflective object 200 in the point cloud data 700 larger. That is to say, in the point cloud data 700, in addition to the point cloud 710 at the actual position of the highly reflective object 200, there is also a point cloud 720 at the peripheral position of the highly reflective object 200, which looks like the highly reflective object has been magnified. There are no obstacles in the surrounding area of the highly reflective object 200, and there should not be any point cloud, but the point cloud 720 is actually generated. Therefore, the point cloud 720 in the above-mentioned surrounding area is a "ghost image."

[0182] Depend on Figure 4 and Figure 7It can be seen that when the central area 310 of the light spot 300 formed by the laser beam emitted by channel 1 does not hit the object, and the halo area 320 hits the highly reflective object 200, since the intensity of the reflected light generated by the highly reflective object 200 is very high, it will cause crosstalk to its own channel (i.e., channel 1), resulting in the generation of a point cloud in the detection field of view of channel 1, thereby forming a ghost image.

[0183] Figure 8 FIG1 shows another detection scenario diagram with high crosstalk. The detection process of one channel (eg channel 1) in the laser radar 100 is described as an example. Figure 8 As shown, the laser 110 in channel 1 emits a laser beam, which strikes a highly reflective object 200 and is reflected by it for the first time, forming reflected light 1. A portion of the energy in reflected light 1 passes through the light shield 140 and is received by the detector 120 in channel 1. Another portion of the energy in reflected light 1 is reflected by the light shield 140 (either by the light shield 140 itself or by dirt, raindrops, etc. on the light shield 140). The reflected light strikes the highly reflective object 200 again and is reflected by it for a second time, forming reflected light 2. Because the reflectivity of the highly reflective object 200 is relatively high, the intensity of reflected light 2 formed after the second reflection by the highly reflective object 200 remains high, meaning that reflected light 2 can still be received by the detector 120.

[0184] Thus, the laser radar 100 calculates flight time 1 based on the energy of reflected light 1 and forms a point cloud at the actual position corresponding to the highly reflective object 200. The laser radar 100 calculates flight time 2 based on the energy of reflected light 2, which is approximately twice as long as flight time 1. Therefore, the laser radar 100 also forms a point cloud behind the highly reflective object 200 (i.e., in the depth direction), thus forming a ghost image.

[0185] Figure 9 Shown Figure 8 Schematic diagram of ghost images generated in the detection scene shown in Figure 2. Figure 9 As shown, assume that highly reflective object 200 is a rectangular object, such as a license plate or road sign. In the point cloud data 900 generated by the lidar 100, in addition to point cloud 910 corresponding to the actual area of highly reflective object 200, there is also point cloud 920 corresponding to the area behind highly reflective object 200 (approximately twice the distance). There are no obstacles behind highly reflective object 200, or because highly reflective object 200 is not transparent, even if there is an object behind it, the radar cannot detect it. Therefore, point cloud 920 should not exist, but it is actually generated. Therefore, this point cloud 920 is a "ghost image."

[0186] Depend on Figure 8 and Figure 9It can be seen that when the laser beam emitted by channel 1 hits the highly reflective object 200, due to the very high intensity of the reflected light generated by the highly reflective object 200, it will cause crosstalk to the detection of its own channel (i.e., channel 1), resulting in a ghost image behind the highly reflective object 200.

[0187] Figure 10 FIG. 1 shows another schematic diagram of a detection scenario with high crosstalk. Figure 10 As shown, assuming that channel 1 and channel 2 in the laser radar 100 detect in parallel, the laser beam 1 emitted by the laser 110 in channel 1 does not hit the object, while the laser beam 2 emitted by the laser 110 in channel 2 hits the highly reflective object 200.

[0188] For channel 2, laser beam 2 hits the highly reflective object 200. Figure 10 Laser beam 20 forms a light spot 300 on highly reflective object 200, comprising a central region 310 and a light source region 320. Laser beam 2 is reflected by highly reflective object 200, forming reflected light 2. This reflected light 2 is received by detector 120 in channel 2. Thus, based on the energy received by detector 120 in channel 2, lidar 100 can calculate the distance to highly reflective object 200 and generate a point cloud in the detection field of view of channel 2.

[0189] For channel 1, since laser beam 1 encounters no obstacles in the direction of channel 1, detector 120 in channel 1 does not receive the reflected light corresponding to laser beam 1. However, due to the high reflectivity of highly reflective object 200 and the size of the light spot, even the intensity of reflected light 2 generated by laser beam 2 in halo region 320 is very high, resulting in the possibility that reflected light 2 can be detected by detector 120 in channel 1. In this case, lidar 110 will mistakenly believe that there is an obstacle in the detection field of view corresponding to channel 1, and calculate the flight distance based on the energy received by detector 120 in channel 1, thereby generating a point cloud in the direction of the detection field of view of channel 1.

[0190] It can be seen from this that Figure 10 In the detection scenario shown, even if there is no actual obstacle in the detection field of view of channel 1, the laser beam of channel 2 hits the highly reflective object 200 to form a light spot of a certain size. The intensity of the reflected light formed in the halo area of the light spot is also very high, which will cause crosstalk to channel 1, causing the laser radar 100 to generate a point cloud in the detection field of view of channel 1, that is, a ghost image is generated in the field of view of channel 1.

[0191] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above Figures 4 to 10The several scenarios described above in which ghost images may be generated are only some possible examples. In actual applications, in addition to the above scenarios, there may be other ghost image scenarios, which will not be described one by one in this specification.

[0192] In order to avoid the above-mentioned ghosting problem, the inventors have made the following analysis based on a detailed analysis of the causes of ghosting: In actual detection, for any channel in the laser radar 100, taking channel 1 as an example, since it is unknown whether some channels hit highly reflective objects in the current detection round (multiple channels detecting in parallel), the detection signal received by the detector in channel 1 may or may not contain crosstalk components. Among them, the above-mentioned crosstalk components may come from the crosstalk of other parallel detection channels (for example, Figure 10 The scenario shown), or it may come from crosstalk in the detection channel itself (e.g. Figure 4 and Figure 8 In addition, since it is unknown whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of channel 1, the detection signal received by the detector in channel 1 may or may not contain an echo component. Therefore, the detection signal received by the detector in channel 1 may correspond to any of the following three situations:

[0193] Case 1: The detection signal received by the detector contains only crosstalk components.

[0194] Case 2: The detection signal received by the detector contains both crosstalk components and echo components.

[0195] Case 3: The detection signal received by the detector contains only the echo component.

[0196] If the detection signal received by the detector corresponds to Case 2 or Case 3, it means that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of channel 1, and the probability of generating ghost images is low according to the current detection method. If the detection signal received by the detector corresponds to Case 1, it means that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of channel 1, but due to the existence of high anti-crosstalk, the lidar mistakenly believes that there is an obstacle, resulting in ghost images in the point cloud data.

[0197] Based on the above analysis, the design goal of this application is to propose a detection method that can identify whether the detection signal received by channel 1 contains an echo component, or in other words, whether there is a real obstacle within the detection field of channel 1. In this way, the lidar can distinguish between the above-mentioned situation 1 and situations 2 and 3. Therefore, when the detection signal received by the detector corresponds to situation 1, the flight time calculation for channel 1 is no longer performed. This can avoid the appearance of ghost images in the point cloud data.

[0198] In order to achieve the above design goals, in this specification, channel 1 in the laser radar 100 corresponds to a reference field of view in addition to the detection field of view. The reference field of view can be regarded as a field of view formed by a certain offset of the detection field of view of channel 1. There is no actively emitting laser in the reference field of view. Therefore, when the reference field of view is not affected by crosstalk from the detection field of view, even if some signals are detected in the reference field of view, these signals will not exceed a certain preset threshold. Therefore, the detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view represents the crosstalk situation of the reference field of view from the detection field of view. It can be seen that the detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view can be regarded as an estimated value of the crosstalk component in the detection signal received by channel 1. In this way, we can identify whether the signal received by channel 1 contains an echo component based on the detection signal received by channel 1 and the detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, or in other words, identify whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of channel 1.

[0199] The following combination Figure 13 The detection method provided in this application is described in detail.

[0200] Figure 13 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a detection method P100 provided according to an embodiment of the present specification. The detection method P100 can be applied to Figure 1 The laser radar 100 shown. For example, the processor 130 in the laser radar 100 can execute the detection method P100.

[0201] like Figure 13 As shown, the detection method P100 may include:

[0202] S110: Control a laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam, and obtain a first detection signal received by a detector in the preset channel, where the preset channel is any channel included in the laser radar.

[0203] The laser radar 100 may include one or more channels. The preset channel may be any one or more channels among all the channels included in the laser radar.

[0204] As previously described, during the detection process of the lidar 100, the processor 130 can control the channels in the lidar 100 to perform detection in a serial, fully parallel, or partially parallel manner. When performing detection in a serial manner, the processor 130 can control the laser 110 in one channel to emit a laser beam during the current detection round. In this case, the preset channel is the channel that needs to emit light during the current detection round. When performing detection in a fully parallel manner, the processor 130 can control the laser 110 in all channels (all channels physically available in the lidar; for example, if a lidar is a 128-line lidar, all channels can be these 128 channels; if a lidar is a 48-line lidar, all channels can be these 48 channels) to emit laser beams during the current detection round. In this case, the preset channel can be any one or more channels among all channels. When performing detection in a partially parallel manner, the processor 130 can control the lasers 110 in the same group of channels to emit laser beams during the current detection round. In this case, the preset channel can be any one or more channels within the same group of channels.

[0205] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the detection method P100 describes the detection process of one channel. When the laser radar 100 performs detection in a fully parallel or partially parallel manner, the detection process of each channel involved in the parallel operation may be the same.

[0206] As previously described, each channel corresponds to a detection field of view. In S110, processor 130 may control laser 110 in a predetermined channel to emit a laser beam and detector 120 in the predetermined channel to receive light energy reflected from the detection field of view. Furthermore, processor 130 may receive a first detection signal from detector 120. The first detection signal is a signal corresponding to the light energy received by detector 120.

[0207] As analyzed above, the first detection signal may or may not contain a crosstalk component. Furthermore, the first detection signal may or may not contain an echo component. In this specification, the crosstalk component can refer to the crosstalk energy generated by the laser beam spot hitting a highly reflective object, or it can refer to the crosstalk energy generated by dirt, raindrops, and other factors on the mask. The echo component refers to the reflected light energy corresponding to the reflection of a real obstacle.

[0208] S120: Obtain a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, where the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel and overlaps with a portion of the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0209] Figure 14AA schematic diagram showing the detection field of view and reference field of view corresponding to a preset channel is shown. Figure 14A The preset channel may include a laser 110 and a detector 120. The detection field of view corresponding to the preset channel is labeled 400, and the reference field of view corresponding to the preset channel is labeled 500. The reference field of view 500 and the detection field of view 400 have different fields of view centers. The reference field of view 500 can be considered as a field of view formed by shifting the detection field of view 400. Partial areas of the reference field of view 500 and the detection field of view 400 overlap.

[0210] The reference field of view 500 is not equipped with a corresponding actively emitting laser. If the above-mentioned preset channel or other parallel detection channel encounters a highly reflective object or there is dirt, raindrops, etc. on the mask through which its light path passes, a portion of the echo formed by its light spot will be received by the reference field of view 500. Regardless of the above-mentioned situation of encountering a highly reflective object or the situation of dirt, raindrops, etc. on the mask, because the external environment itself has a certain light intensity, even if the reference field of view 500 is not equipped with a corresponding actively emitting laser, the reference field of view 500 will receive crosstalk caused by the ambient light reflected by the highly reflective object or the crosstalk caused by dirt, raindrops, etc. on the mask. In both of the above-mentioned situations, the detection signal received by the reference field of view 500 will usually exceed a certain threshold. If the reference field of view 500 does not receive the crosstalk in the above-mentioned two situations, since the reference field of view 500 is not equipped with a corresponding actively emitting laser, even if the reference field of view 500 can detect some signals, the detection signal it receives will not be enough to exceed a certain threshold. Thus, the detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view 500 represents the high-reflection crosstalk received by the reference field of view 500. Since the reference field of view 500 is offset from the detection field of view 400 and the two overlap, when the crosstalk component is much larger than the echo component (for example, the crosstalk component is hundreds or thousands of times larger than the echo component), the high-reflection crosstalk in the reference field of view 500 is roughly equivalent to the high-reflection crosstalk in the detection field of view 400.

[0211] It should be noted that the size of the reference field of view 500 can be the same as the detection field of view 400, or can be larger than the detection field of view 400, or smaller than the detection field of view 400, and this specification does not limit this. As one example, Figure 14B A schematic diagram showing the detection field of view and reference field of view corresponding to another preset channel is shown. Figure 14B , the reference field of view 500 may correspond to a portion of an edge region of the detection field of view 400 .

[0212] S130: Based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0213] For the convenience of description, in this specification, the first detection signal received by the detector 120 in the preset channel is recorded as R, and the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view 500 is recorded as R'. According to the previous analysis, the second detection signal R' can be regarded as an estimated value of the crosstalk component in the first detection signal R. Therefore, the processor 130 can determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R', or the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle. Those skilled in the art will understand that S130 can also be expressed as: based on the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R', determine whether the first detection signal R contains an echo component, or the probability / credibility of containing an echo component.

[0214] The processor 130 can determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of the preset channel based on the relative size relationship between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R′, or determine the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle in the detection field of the preset channel.

[0215] For example, if R>R′+Δ, it means that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view 400 of the preset channel, or the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle is high, or the probability / credibility of the first detection signal R containing an echo component is high.

[0216] For another example, if R≤R′+Δ, it means that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view 400 of the preset channel, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle is low, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the first detection signal R containing an echo component is low.

[0217] The preset threshold Δ represents the threshold that the echo should exceed. It should be noted that this specification does not limit the value of the preset threshold Δ. In practical applications, the preset threshold Δ can be determined based on environmental noise and the distribution characteristics of the single-photon response itself. Furthermore, the preset threshold Δ can also be related to the maximum detection range of the lidar 100.

[0218] The processor 130 can determine whether a real obstacle exists within the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the difference between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R′, or determine the probability / credibility of the presence of a real obstacle within the detection field of view of the preset channel, or determine the probability / credibility of the presence of an echo component in the first detection signal R. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that since the second detection signal R′ can reflect the relative size of the crosstalk component in the first detection signal R, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the difference between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R′ can be used as the size of the echo component in the first detection signal R.

[0219] For example, when the difference between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R′ is greater than the preset threshold value Δ, that is, RR′>Δ, it means that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel is high, or in other words, the first detection signal R contains an echo component, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the first detection signal R containing an echo component is high.

[0220] For another example, when the difference between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R′ is less than or equal to the preset threshold value Δ, that is, RR′≤Δ, it indicates that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel is low, or in other words, the first detection signal R does not contain an echo component, or in other words, the probability / credibility of the first detection signal R containing an echo component is low.

[0221] S140: When a real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel, determine information about the real obstacle based on the first detection signal.

[0222] Specifically, when there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or in other words, when the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel is high, the processor 130 can perform flight time calculation based on the first detection signal R to determine the information of the real obstacle.

[0223] Furthermore, when the preset channel is subject to crosstalk caused by the laser beam spot hitting a highly reflective object, or crosstalk caused by dirt, raindrops, etc. on the mask, the first detection signal R contains both crosstalk components and echo components. Therefore, if the processor 130 directly calculates the time of flight based on the first detection signal R, the information about the determined obstacle may be inaccurate. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processor 130 may first determine the difference (RR') between the first detection signal R and the second detection signal R', and then perform a flight time calculation based on the difference (RR') to obtain information about the real obstacle.

[0224] It can be understood that since the second detection signal R′ reflects the size of the crosstalk component contained in the first detection signal R, the processor 130 calculates the flight time based on the difference (RR′), which is equivalent to eliminating the influence of the crosstalk component, thereby improving the accuracy of the obstacle information.

[0225] The above S140 describes the situation where there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel. The following describes the situation where there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0226] When there are no real obstacles within the detection field of view of the preset channel, or in other words, the probability / confidence of the presence of real obstacles within the detection field of view of the preset channel is low, corresponding to the above-mentioned situation 1, in this case, the first detection signal R has high anti-crosstalk. Therefore, in this case, the processor 130 can discard the first detection signal R and not perform time-of-flight calculation on the first detection signal R. This can prevent the lidar 100 from generating a point cloud in the detection field of view of the preset channel, thereby avoiding the ghosting problem.

[0227] It can be seen that the detection method P100 provided in this specification, during the detection process of the preset channel, determines whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle, based on the first detection signal R received by the detector in the preset channel and the second detection signal R′ corresponding to the reference field of view. Therefore, only when it is determined that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or when the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle is high, the information of the real obstacle is determined based on the first detection signal. Accordingly, when it is determined that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, or when the probability / credibility of the existence of a real obstacle is low, there is no need to calculate the obstacle information, thereby avoiding the high-reflective ghost problem caused by the laser beam irradiating the high-reflective object, and avoiding the ghost problem caused by dirt, raindrops, etc. on the light mask, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection results of the laser radar 100.

[0228] The following describes in detail how the processor 130 obtains the second detection signal R′ corresponding to the reference field of view in combination with several possible implementations.

[0229] In some possible implementations, the laser radar 100 may include a reference detector, and the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view. Figure 14C A schematic diagram showing the detection field of view corresponding to a preset channel and the detection field of view corresponding to a reference detector is shown. Figure 14C, assuming that the preset channel includes a laser 110 and a detector 120, the detection field of view corresponding to the preset channel is marked as 400. The laser radar 100 may also include a reference detector 120', and the detection field of view corresponding to the reference detector 120' is marked as 500. The detection field of view 500 of the reference detector 120' has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view 400 of the preset channel, and overlaps with a partial area of the detection field of view 400 of the preset channel. At least during the detection process performed by the preset channel, the detection field of view 500 of the reference detector 120' does not have a corresponding actively emitting laser. In this case, during the detection process of the preset channel, the reference detector 120' can receive detection signals within its corresponding detection field of view 500. The processor 130 uses the detection signal received by the reference detector 120' as the second detection signal R'. The second detection signal R' can be a signal converted from the light energy received by the reference detector 120'.

[0230] The following describes in detail how to set up the reference detector by combining several different types of lidar.

[0231] (1) The first type of lidar: a single laser corresponds to a single detector.

[0232] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a transceiver module of a laser radar is shown. Figure 15 As shown, the laser radar includes a transmitting module 10 and a receiving module 20. Transmitting module 10 includes 16 light-emitting units, namely light-emitting unit a1 to light-emitting unit a16. Each light-emitting unit includes 8 lasers. For example, light-emitting unit a1 may include lasers 01 to 08. Receiving module 20 includes 16 detection units, namely detection units b1 to b16. Each detection unit includes 8 detectors. For example, detection unit b1 may include detectors 11 to 18, and detection unit b2 may include detectors 21 to 28.

[0233] Figure 15 In the illustrated lidar, the transmitting module 10 includes a total of 128 lasers, and the receiving module 20 includes a total of 128 detectors. These 128 lasers and 128 detectors correspond one-to-one to form 128 channels. For example, laser 01 and detector 11 form channel 1, laser 02 and detector 12 form channel 2, and so on.

[0234] The following example illustrates Figure 15 For ease of description, the following uses channel 1 (the channel consisting of laser 01 and detector 11) as an example. The design of reference detectors for other channels is similar.

[0235] Method 1: The reference detector corresponding to channel 1 can reuse the detector in the idle channel in the current detection round.

[0236] Specifically, assume that the 128 channels in a lidar are divided into multiple groups, with channels in the same group configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups configured to emit light in different detection rounds. In this case, a detector in a channel in a different group than channel 1 can be used as the reference detector for channel 1. In other words, the reference detector for channel 1 can be a detector in the first channel, which is in a different group than channel 1.

[0237] For example, see Figure 15 , assuming that 128 channels are divided into 16 groups.

[0238] Among them, the first group includes: a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the first detector in the detection unit b1, a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the second detector in the detection unit b1,..., a channel formed by the eighth laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the eighth detector in the detection unit b1.

[0239] The second group includes: a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the first detector in the detection unit b2, a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the second detector in the detection unit b2,…, a channel formed by the eighth laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the eighth detector in the detection unit b2.

[0240] …

[0241] The 16th group includes: a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the first detector in the detection unit b16, a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the second detector in the detection unit b16,…, a channel formed by the eighth laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the eighth detector in the detection unit b16.

[0242] In this case, when channel 1 is performing detection, the detectors in detection unit b2 are idle, so a detector in detection unit b2 can be used as a reference detector corresponding to channel 1. For example, detector 21 can be used as the reference detector corresponding to channel 1.

[0243] For another example, assume that 128 channels are divided into 8 groups.

[0244] Among them, the first group may include: a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the first detector in the detection unit b1, a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the first detector in the detection unit b2, a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a3 and the first detector in the detection unit b3,..., a channel formed by the first laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the first detector in the detection unit b16.

[0245] The second group may include: a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the second detector in the detection unit b1, a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the second detector in the detection unit b2, a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a3 and the second detector in the detection unit b3,... , a channel formed by the second laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the second detector in the detection unit b16.

[0246] …

[0247] The 8th group may include: the channel formed by the 8th laser in the light-emitting unit a1 and the 8th detector in the detection unit b1, the channel formed by the 8th laser in the light-emitting unit a2 and the 8th detector in the detection unit b2, the channel formed by the 8th laser in the light-emitting unit a3 and the 8th detector in the detection unit b3,... , the channel formed by the 8th laser in the light-emitting unit a16 and the 8th detector in the detection unit b16.

[0248] In this case, when channel 1 is performing detection, the other detectors in detection unit b1 (i.e., detectors 12 to 18) are idle. Therefore, the other detectors in detection unit b1 can be used as reference detectors corresponding to channel 1. For example, detector 12 can be used as the reference detector corresponding to channel 1.

[0249] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that by reusing the detectors in the idle channels in the current detection round as reference detectors, there is no need to perform hardware improvements on the existing lidar, thereby reducing hardware costs.

[0250] Method 2: Add a detector in the receiving module 20 as a reference detector corresponding to channel 1.

[0251] That is to say, the reference detector corresponding to channel 1 is the other detectors in the lidar except the detectors in the 128 channels.

[0252] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of another laser radar transceiver module is shown. Figure 16As shown, a detector 11' can be added at a suitable position near the detection unit b1, so that the detection field of the detector 11' has a preset offset relative to the detection field of the channel 1, and partially overlaps with the detection field of the channel 1. In this way, the detector 11' can be used as a reference detector corresponding to the channel 1. It should be noted that this detector 11' does not perform actual ranging and does not increase the overall wiring harness of the laser radar. Its function is to assist in identifying whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of the channel 1.

[0253] Similarly, for channel 2 in the laser radar, a detector 12' can be added at a suitable position near the detection unit b1 ( Figure 16 (not shown), and the detector 12' is used as the reference detector corresponding to channel 2.

[0254] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that by adding a new detector as a reference detector in the receiving module 20 , the hardware modification of the laser radar is simpler and the hardware modification cost is lower.

[0255] In some embodiments, multiple channels in the lidar can also share the same reference detector. Specifically, assume that the 128 channels in the lidar are divided into multiple groups, the channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and the channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds. There can be at least one second channel among the above 128 channels, and the detection process of the at least one second channel shares the same reference detector with the detection process of channel 1, and the at least one second channel is in the same group as channel 1. That is to say, at least some of the channels in the same group as channel 1 can share the same reference detector with channel 1.

[0256] For example, Figure 16 In this example, it is assumed that the eight channels formed by the light-emitting unit a1 and the detection unit b1 are in different groups. That is, these eight channels do not emit light in parallel. In this case, these eight channels can share the reference detector 11'. That is, when channel 1 performs detection, detector 11' serves as the reference detector for channel 1; when channel 2 performs detection, detector 11' serves as the reference detector for channel 2; when channel 3 performs detection, detector 11' serves as the reference detector for channel 3, and so on.

[0257] It can be understood that multiple channels share the same reference detector, which can reduce the number of new detectors required in the receiving module 20, thereby further reducing hardware modification costs.

[0258] (2) The second type of lidar: a single laser corresponds to a single linear detector.

[0259] Figure 17A schematic diagram of another laser radar transceiver module is shown. Figure 17 As shown, the laser radar includes a transmitting module 10 and a receiving module 20. The transmitting module 10 includes k lasers, namely laser 01, laser 02, laser 03, ..., laser 0k, etc. The receiving module 20 includes k linear array detectors, each of which is formed by a plurality of detectors arranged in a column. For example, Figure 17 , detectors 11 to 18 form the first linear array of detectors, detectors 21 to 28 form the second linear array of detectors, ..., and detectors k1 to k8 form the kth linear array of detectors.

[0260] The k lasers correspond to k linear detectors one by one, that is, one laser corresponds to one linear detector. Each laser and its corresponding linear detector form multiple channels. Figure 17 Assuming that laser 01 corresponds to the first linear detector, laser 01 and each detector in the first linear detector form a channel. For example, laser 01 and detector 11 form channel 1, laser 01 and detector 12 form channel 2, ..., and laser 01 and detector 18 form channel 8. The laser beam emitted by laser 01 can simultaneously illuminate the entire corresponding linear detector array. In other words, channels 1 through 8 are detected in parallel.

[0261] The following example illustrates Figure 17 For the lidar shown, how to design a reference detector for each channel.

[0262] Method 1: Reuse idle line detectors in the current detection round.

[0263] Taking the first linear detector as an example, when the first linear detector performs detection, other linear detectors that are not parallel to the first linear detector can be reused. Figure 17 Assuming that laser 02 and laser 01 are not emitting light in parallel, the second linear detector is idle while the first linear detector is performing detection. Therefore, each detector in the second linear detector can be used as a reference detector for each channel in the first linear detector. For example, detector 21 in the second linear detector can be used as the reference detector for channel 1, detector 22 in the second linear detector can be used as the reference detector for channel 2, and so on. Detector 28 in the second linear detector can be used as the reference detector for channel 8.

[0264] Method 2: Add a new linear detector

[0265] Taking the first linear array detector as an example, a new linear array detector can be added to the receiving module 20, and the first detector in the newly added linear array detector serves as the reference detector corresponding to channel 1, the second detector in the newly added linear array detector serves as the reference detector corresponding to channel 2, ..., the eighth detector in the newly added linear array detector serves as the reference detector corresponding to channel 8.

[0266] It can be seen from this that for Figure 17 In the illustrated lidar, assuming that the detector in the preset channel corresponds to the i-th detector in the first linear array of detectors in the lidar, the reference detector can correspond to the i-th detector in the second linear array of detectors, where i is a positive integer. The second linear array of detectors can reuse other linear arrays that perform non-parallel detection with the first linear array of detectors (corresponding to the aforementioned method 1), or the second linear array of detectors can be a newly added linear array of detectors in the receiving module 20 (corresponding to the aforementioned method 2). This newly added linear array of detectors does not perform actual ranging and does not increase the overall beam of the lidar. Its function is to assist in identifying whether there are real obstacles within the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0267] (3) The third type of lidar: using digital SPAD array.

[0268] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of a receiving module of another laser radar is shown. Figure 18 As shown, the receiving module 20 uses a digital single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array. The SPAD array includes m*n arrayed SPADs. Among them, SPAD is a photodiode that operates in Geiger mode (reverse bias voltage is greater than its avalanche breakdown voltage) and uses avalanche breakdown to achieve single photon detection capability. SPADs generally have the characteristics of high photon detection efficiency, wide spectral response range, extremely high sensitivity and low power consumption.

[0269] Each SPAD in the SPAD array can be controlled individually, so that multiple SPADs can be combined to form detectors with different field of view sizes. For example, see Figure 18 , SPAD11, SPAD 12, SPAD 21, and SPAD 22 can be combined to form a detector, and SPAD13, SPAD14, SPAD23, and SPAD24 can be combined to form another detector.

[0270] For a lidar using a SPAD array, the detectors in each channel may correspond to the first portion of the SPADs in the SPAD array, while the reference detector corresponding to that channel may correspond to the second portion of the SPADs in the SPAD array. For example, the detector in channel 1 may be a detector formed by the combination of SPAD11, SPAD12, SPAD21, and SPAD22, while the reference detector corresponding to channel 1 may be a detector formed by the combination of SPAD13, SPAD14, SPAD23, and SPAD24.

[0271] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the correspondence between the detector and the SPAD in each channel may be pre-set or dynamically determined during the operation of the LiDAR, and this specification does not limit this. The correspondence between the reference detector and the SPAD corresponding to each channel may be pre-set or dynamically determined during the operation of the LiDAR, and this specification does not limit this.

[0272] The above description assumes that the lidar has a reference detector corresponding to the reference field of view. Therefore, processor 130 can use the detection signal received by this reference detector as the second detection signal R′. However, in some cases, the lidar may not have a reference detector corresponding to the reference field of view. Therefore, in some possible implementations, processor 130 can also calculate the second detection signal R′ corresponding to the reference field of view.

[0273] Specifically, the laser radar 100 may include multiple reference detectors, and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors are all different from the reference field of view. In this case, the processor 130 can obtain multiple third detection signals received by the multiple reference detectors, and then determine the second detection signal R' corresponding to the reference field of view based on the multiple third detection signals and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors. For example, the processor 130 can interpolate the multiple third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information, and then determine the second detection signal R' corresponding to the reference field of view based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors.

[0274] For ease of understanding, the interpolation calculation process is illustrated below using the third type of lidar as an example.

[0275] Figure 19 A schematic diagram of a receiving module of another laser radar is shown. Figure 19As shown, it is assumed that SPAD11 and SPAD12 form detectors in channel 1, SPAD21 and SPAD22 form detectors in channel 2, SPAD31 and SPAD32 form detectors in channel 3, SPAD41 and SPAD42 form detectors in channel 4, SPAD51 and SPAD52 form detectors in channel 5, SPAD61 and SPAD62 form detectors in channel 6, SPAD71 and SPAD72 form detectors in channel 7, SPAD81 and SPAD82 form detectors in channel 8, and SPAD91 and SPAD92 form detectors in channel 9. The above channels 1 to 9 perform parallel detection.

[0276] Continue to see Figure 19 , 4 reference detectors are also formed in the SPAD array. Among them,

[0277] SPAD 23, SPAD 24, and SPAD 25 form a reference detector 1. The detection field of view of the reference detector 1 and the detection field of view of channel 2 meet the preset field of view condition. Therefore, the detection field of view of the reference detector 1 can be used as the reference field of view corresponding to channel 2, and the detection signal received by the reference detector 1 can be used as the second detection signal R' corresponding to channel 2.

[0278] SPAD 43 and SPAD 44 form a reference detector 2. The detection field of view of the reference detector 2 and the detection field of view of channel 4 meet the preset field of view condition. Therefore, the detection field of view of the reference detector 2 can be used as the reference field of view corresponding to channel 4, and the detection signal received by the reference detector 2 can be used as the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 4.

[0279] SPAD 63 forms the reference detector 3. The detection field of view of the reference detector 3 and the detection field of view of channel 6 meet the preset field of view condition. Therefore, the detection field of view of the reference detector 3 can be used as the reference field of view corresponding to channel 6, and the detection signal received by the reference detector 3 can be used as the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 6.

[0280] SPAD83, SPAD84, SPAD93, and SPAD94 form a reference detector 4. The detection field of view of the reference detector 4 and the detection fields of view of channels 8 and 9 meet a preset field of view condition. Therefore, the detection field of view of the reference detector 4 can be used as the reference field of view corresponding to channels 8 and 9, and the detection signal received by the reference detector 4 can be used as the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channels 8 and 9.

[0281] Because the four reference detectors formed in the SPAD array are not used as reference detectors for channels 1, 3, 5, and 7, the second detection signals R′ corresponding to channels 1, 3, 5, and 7 cannot be obtained by the four reference detectors. In this case, the processor 130 can perform interpolation calculations based on the detection signals received by reference detectors 1, 2, 3, and 4 to obtain detection distribution information.

[0282] Furthermore, for channel 1, the processor 130 may determine the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 1 based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view corresponding to channel 1 and the detection fields of view of the four reference detectors.

[0283] For channel 3, the processor 130 may determine the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 3 based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view corresponding to channel 3 and the detection fields of view of the four reference detectors.

[0284] For channel 5, the processor 130 may determine the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 5 based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view corresponding to channel 5 and the detection fields of view of the four reference detectors.

[0285] For channel 7, the processor 130 may determine the second detection signal R′ corresponding to channel 7 based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view corresponding to channel 7 and the detection fields of view of the four reference detectors.

[0286] It can be seen from this that for a certain channel in the laser radar, if it is impossible to find a reference detector that matches the reference field of view corresponding to the channel, the detection signals corresponding to multiple easily found reference detectors can be used to interpolate and calculate the second detection signal R′ corresponding to the channel, so that the detection method provided in this specification can be applied to any channel in the laser radar, thereby improving the wide range of applications.

[0287] The detection method provided in this specification does not require any hardware improvements to the laser radar, or only requires a small amount of hardware improvements (such as adding some reference detectors) to avoid or reduce the high-reflection ghosting problem, and the cost of hardware modification is low. Furthermore, the detection method provided in this specification, during the detection process of a preset channel, uses the second detection signal R' corresponding to the reference field of view of the preset channel to assist in identifying whether there are real obstacles in the detection field of view of the preset channel, thereby effectively avoiding or reducing the high-reflection ghosting problem. The above-mentioned detection method is simple to implement, does not require the emission of multiple pulses, and does not require angle encoding, making the detection method provided in this specification easier to implement.

[0288] An embodiment of the present specification also provides a laser radar, which includes at least one transceiver channel and a processor. Each transceiver channel includes a laser and a detector. The processor is communicatively connected to the at least one transceiver channel and is configured to: control the laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam and obtain a first detection signal received by the detector in the preset channel, where the preset channel is any channel in the at least one transceiver channel; obtain a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, where the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel and overlaps with a partial area of the detection field of view of the preset channel; determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and when a real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel, determine information about the real obstacle based on the first detection signal.

[0289] In some embodiments, in order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: determines whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel based on the relative size relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

[0290] In some embodiments, in order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset threshold, then determines that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel; or, if the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is less than or equal to the preset threshold, then determines that there is no real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

[0291] In some embodiments, to determine the information of the real obstacle, the processor: determines a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and determines the information of the real obstacle based on the difference.

[0292] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes: a reference detector, the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view; in order to obtain a second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: uses the detection signal received by the reference detector as the second detection signal.

[0293] In some embodiments, the reference detector is a detector other than the detector in the at least one transceiver channel in the laser radar.

[0294] In some embodiments, the at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; the reference detector is a detector in the first channel, and the first channel and the preset channel are in different groups.

[0295] In some embodiments, the at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; the at least one transceiver channel includes a second channel, the detection process of the second channel and the detection process of the preset channel share the reference detector, and the second channel and the preset channel are in the same group.

[0296] In some embodiments, the laser radar includes at least a first linear detector and a second linear detector, multiple detectors in the first linear detector collectively correspond to a first laser, multiple detectors in the second linear detector collectively correspond to a second laser, and the first laser and the second laser are not emitted in parallel, wherein the detector in the preset channel corresponds to the i-th detector in the first linear detector, and the reference detector corresponds to the i-th detector in the second linear detector, where i is a positive integer.

[0297] In some embodiments, the laser radar includes a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, wherein the detector in the preset channel corresponds to a first portion of SPADs in the SPAD array, and the reference detector corresponds to a second portion of SPADs in the SPAD array.

[0298] In some embodiments, the laser radar also includes multiple reference detectors, and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors are different from the reference field of view; in order to obtain a second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: obtains multiple third detection signals received by the multiple reference detectors; and, based on the multiple third detection signals and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of the multiple reference detectors, determines the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view.

[0299] In some embodiments, in order to determine the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: interpolates the multiple third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information; and, based on the detection distribution information and the positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors, determines the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view.

[0300] Those skilled in the art will understand that the laser radar provided in the embodiments of this specification can execute the detection method described above, and its implementation principle and technical effects are similar to those described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0301] On the other hand, this specification provides a non-transitory storage medium storing at least one set of executable instructions for performing detection. When the executable instructions are executed by a processor, the executable instructions instruct the processor to implement the steps of the detection method P100 described in this specification. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of this specification can also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes program code. When the program product is run on a laser radar, the program code is used to cause the laser radar to perform the steps of the detection method P100 described in this specification. The program product for implementing the above method can use a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) to include program code and can be run on the laser radar. However, the program product of this specification is not limited to this. In this specification, a readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system. The program product can use any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include: an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transfer a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Program code for performing the operations of this specification may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as "C" or similar programming languages.

[0302] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a laser radar signal processing method, which can be configured to configure a third laser to emit detection light within a first time window, a fourth laser not to emit detection light within the first time window, a third detector corresponding to the third laser detecting a signal within the first time window as a first detection signal, and a fourth detector corresponding to the fourth laser detecting a signal within the first time window as a fourth detection signal. If there is a clear difference between the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal, the first detection signal is considered to be a valid signal. If the difference between the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal is small, the first detection signal is considered to be an invalid signal. The above method can more accurately determine whether the signal received by the detector is valid, and the accuracy of the laser radar operation can be improved.

[0303] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the embodiments of the present disclosure, the concepts, schemes, principles and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific application examples.

[0304] First, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a laser radar signal processing method, wherein the laser radar includes a preset channel and a first channel, the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector, and the first channel includes a fourth laser and a fourth detector; Figure 21 A schematic diagram of the steps of a laser radar signal processing method in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 21 As shown in the figure, the lidar signal can be processed by the following steps:

[0305] Step A: Acquire a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window.

[0306] The third laser and the third detector have a corresponding relationship. As mentioned above, the lasers and detectors can have multiple corresponding relationships, such as one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one or many-to-many. Figure 22 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a laser radar in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 22 As shown, the laser radar includes an array laser LA1, an array detector LA2, a transmitting lens LA3, and a receiving lens LA4. There is a corresponding relationship between the laser TX1 and the detector RX1. The detector RX1 forms a preset receiving field of view V1 after passing through the receiving lens LA4. The detection light emitted by the laser TX1 passes through the transmitting lens LA3 and falls within the preset receiving field of view V1 of the detector RX1. The laser TX1 and the detector RX1 form a channel.

[0307] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step A may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step A may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step A may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0308] Step B: acquiring at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within a first time window, wherein the fourth laser does not emit detection light within the first time window.

[0309] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a corresponding relationship between the fourth laser and the fourth detector. The description of the corresponding relationship refers to the aforementioned third laser and third detector, which will not be repeated here.

[0310] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step B may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step B may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step B may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0311] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is no specific restriction on the opening time and duration of the first time window. For example, for any time window, within the time window, the laser that emits the detection light is the third laser, and the channel formed by the third laser and its corresponding third detector is the preset channel; the laser that does not emit the detection light is the fourth laser, and the channel formed by the fourth laser and the corresponding fourth detector is the first channel. It should be noted that the same laser is the third laser in one time window and can be the third laser or the fourth laser in another time window. The same laser is the fourth laser in one time window and can be the third laser or the fourth laser in another time window.

[0312] Step C: Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0313] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal value may include an amplitude or an integral value. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal value may include a pulse width of a signal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal value may include a half-height width of a signal. It should be noted that the signal value is used to characterize the size of a signal. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the representation form of the signal value. The signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal only need to use the same representation form. The above embodiments are only used for illustrative purposes.

[0314] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step C may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step C may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step C may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0315] Adopting the method described in the above embodiment can improve the accuracy of judging the validity of the echo signal and improve the accuracy of lidar measurements. As previously described, the third laser emits light within the first time window, and it is necessary to determine whether the first detection signal from the third detector is a valid signal. Since the fourth laser does not emit light within the first time window, the fourth detection signal from the fourth detector is not a valid signal, but the fourth detection signal can be used to determine the validity of the first detection signal. The detection light energy emitted by the laser is much higher than stray light. If there is an object in the direction pointed by the preset channel, the signal value of the first detection signal will differ significantly from the signal value of the fourth detection signal. If there is no object in the direction pointed by the preset channel, the signal value of the first detection signal will differ slightly from the signal value of the fourth detection signal. It should be noted that the signal value of the first detection signal can be zero, and the signal value of the fourth detection signal can also be zero. Even when the signal values are zero, the signal processing method of the present embodiment can still be performed. The method described in the present embodiment is simple and applicable to various types of lidar.

[0316] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step B may include the following steps:

[0317] Step B1: Acquire the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector within the first time window.

[0318] Accordingly, when acquiring the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector within the first time window, step C may include the following steps:

[0319] Step C11: compare the signal value of the first detection signal with the signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtain a comparison result.

[0320] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the difference between the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal may be used as the comparison result.

[0321] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ratio of the signal value of the first detection signal to the signal value of the fourth detection signal may be used as the comparison result.

[0322] It can be understood that the embodiment of the present disclosure does not impose any specific restrictions on how to compare the signal value of the first detection signal with the signal value of the fourth detection signal, as long as the comparison result obtained can represent the difference between the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal.

[0323] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to improve the accuracy of the signal processing method, the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector may be less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold. Figure 23 A schematic diagram of the positions of a third detector and a fourth detector is shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 23 As shown, when acquiring the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector within the first time window, the fourth detector RX2 separated from the third detector RX1 by two detectors may be selected.

[0324] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to further improve the accuracy of the signal processing method, the fourth detector is adjacent to the third detector. Figure 24 Another schematic diagram of the positions of the third detector and a fourth detector is shown. Figure 24 As shown, when acquiring the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector within the first time window, the fourth detector RX2 adjacent to the third detector RX1 may be selected. It should be understood that the above example is merely illustrative and does not constitute any limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the third detector and the fourth detector may be further apart.

[0325] Step C12: Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

[0326] By adopting the above embodiment, by obtaining the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector, and then comparing the signal value of the first detection signal with the signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result, not only can it be accurately determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the comparison result, but the method is simple, the calculation amount is small, and the real-time performance of signal processing can be improved.

[0327] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step B may include the following steps:

[0328] Step B2: Acquire multiple fourth detection signals from multiple fourth detectors within the first time window.

[0329] For example, refer to Figure 25 As shown in the schematic diagram of the positions of the third detector and the plurality of fourth detectors, when the plurality of fourth detection signals of the plurality of fourth detectors are obtained within the first time window, the following can be selected: Figure 25 Three fourth detectors RX2 are shown.

[0330] For example, refer to Figure 26 Another schematic diagram of the positions of a third detector and a plurality of fourth detectors is shown. When a plurality of fourth detection signals of a plurality of fourth detectors are obtained within the first time window, the following can be selected: Figure 26 Eight fourth detectors RX2 are shown.

[0331] It is understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute any limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any specific limitation on the number of the fourth detectors and the distance between the third detector and the fourth detector.

[0332] It should be noted that, when the laser radar includes multiple detector chips, the third detector and the fourth detector can be located on the same detector chip or on different detector chips.

[0333] For example, Figure 27 Another schematic diagram of the positions of the third detector and the fourth detector is shown. Figure 27 As shown in G1, the third detector RX1 and the two fourth detectors RX2 can be located on the detector chip 1. Figure 27 As shown in FIG. G2 , the third detector RX1 and one fourth detector RX2 can be located on the detector chip 1 , and another fourth detector RX2 can be located on the detector chip 2 . Figure 27 As shown in G3 , the third detector RX1 may be located on the detector chip 2 , and the fourth detector RX2 may be located on the detector chip 1 .

[0334] Accordingly, when acquiring the plurality of fourth detection signals from the plurality of fourth detectors within the first time window, step C may include the following steps:

[0335] Step C21: determining the signal values of a plurality of the fourth detection signals.

[0336] Step C22: Determine weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals.

[0337] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be preset weights, which may be directly called during the signal processing process to improve the real-time performance of the signal processing.

[0338] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be determined according to the number of the plurality of fourth detectors and the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector.

[0339] For example, the weight of the fourth detection signal may be negatively correlated with the number of the plurality of fourth detectors.

[0340] For another example, the weight of the fourth detection signal may be negatively correlated with the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector. In other words, the closer the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector, the greater the weight of the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector.

[0341] Because closer detectors are, their optical paths are closer, assigning a larger weight to the fourth detection signal of a fourth detector that is closer to the third detector can further improve the accuracy of the signal processing results. This method can improve the flexibility and accuracy of the signal processing method. When the number or position of fourth lasers corresponding to the third laser needs to be adjusted, the impact of the adjusted fourth detection signal of the fourth detector on the first detection signal may change. To ensure the accuracy of the signal processing method, the weights of the multiple fourth detection signals can be re-determined based on the adjusted number of fourth detectors and their distances from the third detector.

[0342] Step C23 : determining a comparison result according to the signal value of the first detection signal, the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals.

[0343] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be selected according to the weight of each fourth detection signal for comparison with the signal value of the first detection signal to obtain a comparison result.

[0344] For example, a fourth detection signal with the highest weight can be selected and directly subtracted from the signal value of the first detection signal, with the difference between the two signal values being used as the comparison result. Since the weight can be negatively correlated with the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector, the highest weight indicates that the fourth detection signal corresponding to the fourth detection signal is closest to the third detector, thereby further improving the accuracy of the signal processing results.

[0345] For another example, a fourth detection signal with the largest weight may be selected, and the ratio of the signal value of the first detection signal to the signal value of the fourth detection signal may be used as the comparison result.

[0346] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be weighted, and the weighted result may be used to compare with the signal value of the first detection signal to obtain a comparison result.

[0347] For example, the signal values of the fourth detection signals may be multiplied by their respective weights and then integrated, the integrated result may be subtracted from the signal value of the first detection signal, and the difference between the two signal values may be used as the comparison result.

[0348] For another example, the signal values of the fourth detection signals may be multiplied by their respective weights and then integrated, and the ratio of the integration result to the signal value of the first detection signal may be used as the comparison result.

[0349] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal value of each fourth detection signal among the plurality of signal values of the fourth detection signals may be compared with the signal value of the first detection signal and then weighted, and the weighted result may be used as the comparison result.

[0350] For example, the signal value of each fourth detection signal may be subtracted from the signal value of the first detection signal, and then each difference may be multiplied by a weight corresponding to each fourth detection signal and then summed, and the summed result may be used as the comparison result.

[0351] For another example, the signal value of each fourth detection signal may be ratioed to the signal value of the first detection signal, and then each ratio may be multiplied by the weight corresponding to each fourth detection signal and then summed, and the summed result may be used as the comparison result.

[0352] Step C24: Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the comparison result.

[0353] Using the above embodiment, multiple fourth detection signals from multiple fourth detectors are acquired within the first time window, and weights are assigned to each fourth detection signal. A comparison result is then determined based on the signal value of the first detection signal, the signal values of the multiple fourth detection signals, and the weights of the multiple fourth detection signals. Because the comparison result is derived based on multiple fourth detection signals, it is highly robust. Furthermore, using multiple fourth detection signals to determine the validity of the first detection signal can further improve the accuracy of the comparison result, thereby improving the accuracy of the signal processing result.

[0354] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for step C12 and step C24, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal may be determined by the following steps:

[0355] Step S1: When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the first detection signal is judged to be an invalid signal.

[0356] Figure 28 A schematic diagram showing signal strength comparison between a first detection signal and a fourth detection signal in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 29 FIG. 4 shows another schematic diagram of comparing the signal strengths of the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 28 and Figure 29 As shown, the horizontal axis t represents time, the vertical axis RSS represents signal strength, SS1 represents the first detection signal, and SS2 represents the fourth detection signal. Figure 28 As shown, the difference between the first detection signal SS1 and the fourth detection signal SS2 is small, for example, the difference between the amplitude of the first detection signal SS1 and the amplitude of the fourth detection signal SS2 is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, then the first detection signal SS1 can be determined to be an invalid signal. Figure 29 As shown, the difference between the first detection signal SS1 and the fourth detection signal SS2 is large. For example, if the difference between the amplitude of the first detection signal SS1 and the amplitude of the fourth detection signal SS2 is greater than the first preset threshold, it can be determined that the first detection signal SS1 is a valid signal. It should be noted that the signal strength can be represented by power P or voltage U, for example Figure 28 and Figure 29 The unit of the vertical axis RSS can be watts W or volts V.

[0357] The size of the first preset threshold value can be determined according to the characterization method of the signal value, the characterization method of the comparison result, and the use requirements of the laser radar. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the amplitude is used to characterize the first detection signal value and the fourth detection signal value, and the comparison result is represented by the difference between the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal, then the first preset threshold value can be set to an intensity value of a certain size, such as any value less than or equal to 10mW, for example, 0mW, 1mW, 2mW, etc. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, if the integral value is used to characterize the first detection signal value and the fourth detection signal value, and the ratio of the signal value of the first detection signal to the signal value of the fourth detection signal is used as the comparison result, then the first preset threshold value can be set to a certain ratio, such as any value less than or equal to 1.5, for example, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 1.1, 1.2, etc.

[0358] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, after determining that the first detection signal is an invalid signal, the point corresponding to the first detection signal can be removed from the point cloud image of the laser radar, or the point is not formed directly.

[0359] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step C12 and step C24 may further include the following steps:

[0360] Step S2: When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be a valid signal.

[0361] The size of the second preset threshold value can be determined according to the characterization method of the signal value, the characterization method of the comparison result, and the use requirements of the laser radar. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the amplitude is used to characterize the first detection signal value and the fourth detection signal value, and the difference between the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal is used as the comparison result, then the second preset threshold value can be set to an intensity value of a certain size, such as any value greater than 10mW, for example, 11mW, 15mW, 20mW, 30mW, etc. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, if the integral value is used to characterize the first detection signal value and the fourth detection signal value, and the ratio of the signal value of the first detection signal to the signal value of the fourth detection signal is used as the comparison result, then the second preset threshold value can be set to a certain ratio, for example, any value greater than 1.5, for example, 1.6, 2, 5, 10, etc.

[0362] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to improve the efficiency of signal processing, the first detection signal with obviously weaker intensity is usually directly filtered out.

[0363] For example, a third preset threshold can be set so that only the first detection signal with a signal value greater than the third preset threshold will be obtained for signal processing, and the first detection signal less than or equal to the third preset threshold will be considered an invalid signal and will not be processed.

[0364] For another example, a preset threshold curve may be set so that only the first detection signal having a signal value greater than the preset threshold curve is acquired for signal processing.

[0365] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose specific limitations on the third preset threshold and the preset threshold curve. Those skilled in the art may set them based on the actual performance requirements of the lidar. For example, when the lidar is performing close-range detection, the third preset threshold and the preset threshold curve may be higher. For another example, when the lidar is performing long-range detection, the third preset threshold and the preset threshold curve may be lower.

[0366] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, before acquiring the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal, the third preset threshold value or the preset threshold value curve may be lowered.

[0367] By lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve, signals with relatively weak intensity can also pass the threshold, thereby ensuring the effective detection of low-reflectivity objects or distant objects by the laser radar, and further improving the detection performance of the laser radar.

[0368] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the laser radar may include multiple preset channels. When judging the validity of the first detection signal obtained by the third detector of the multiple preset channels, the fourth detection signal of the same one or more fourth detectors may be obtained.

[0369] For example, refer to Figures 30 to 31 ,in, Figure 30 FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of another laser radar in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 31 A schematic diagram showing the positions of a plurality of third detectors and a plurality of fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 32 FIG. 2 shows another schematic diagram of the positions of multiple third detectors and multiple fourth detectors in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 30 As shown, the laser radar includes a planar array laser LA1, a planar array detector LA2, a transmitting lens LA3 and a receiving lens LA4, wherein the laser group TX1G includes one or more lasers, one or more detectors in TX1G can emit light simultaneously, and the detector group RX1G includes multiple detectors. Figure 31 As shown, for the first detection signal of each detector in the detector group RX1G, the fourth detection signal of each detector in the detector group RX2G can be selected to be processed together with the first detection signal. Figure 32 ,like Figure 32 As shown in G1, the two third detectors RX1 in G1 can select the four fourth detectors RX2 in G1.

[0370] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the laser radar may include multiple preset channels. When the validity of the first detection signal obtained by the third detector of the multiple preset channels is judged, the fourth detection signal of a different fourth detector may be obtained.

[0371] The present disclosure further provides a signal processing device, including:

[0372] The receiving module is configured to acquire a first detection signal from a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within a first time window.

[0373] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the receiving module may be implemented by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, the receiving module may be implemented by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, the receiving module may be implemented by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0374] The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0375] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module can execute the laser radar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal. The specific steps can be referred to the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0376] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing module may be implemented by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, the processing module may be implemented by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, the processing module may be implemented by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0377] A signal processing device using some embodiments of the present disclosure obtains a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one fourth detector within a first time window through a receiving module, and then determines whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal through a processing module. The device has good signal processing effect and a simple structure.

[0378] The present disclosure also provides a computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein when executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The specific steps can be found in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0379] The present disclosure also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The specific steps can be found in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0380] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium may be any suitable computer-readable storage medium such as an optical disc, a mechanical hard disk, or a solid-state drive.

[0381] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar, including:

[0382] A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector;

[0383] a first channel comprising a fourth laser and a fourth detector;

[0384] a signal acquisition circuit, configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the fourth detector;

[0385] The processor is configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0386] Using the lidar described in the above embodiment, the signal acquisition circuit acquires the signal from the third detector and the signal from the fourth detector, and then processes the signal using a processor. Because the signal processing method executed by the processor can determine whether the signal from the third detector is a valid signal, the accuracy of the lidar measurement results can be improved. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the threshold curve of the lidar detector can be lowered so that even a weaker first detection signal can exceed the threshold curve for signal validity determination, thereby improving the lidar's ability to detect low-reflectivity objects and distant objects, further enhancing the lidar's detection performance.

[0387] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a sensing device, including: the laser radar described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0388] For example, in the field of autonomous driving, the perception device may include a device for measuring the distance and shape of the surrounding environment, helping the vehicle to perceive roads, vehicles, obstacles, etc., thereby realizing automatic navigation and obstacle avoidance functions.

[0389] For another example, in the field of industrial measurement and mapping, the sensing device may include equipment used for construction measurement, land surveying and mapping.

[0390] For another example, in the field of smart homes, the sensing devices may include devices for distance measurement, gesture recognition, and virtual reality.

[0391] It should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute any limitation to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0392] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vehicle, comprising: the laser radar described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0393] For example, the vehicle may include a vehicle.

[0394] As another example, the vehicle may include a mobile robot.

[0395] It should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute any limitation to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0396] It should be noted that the modules in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be composed of discrete components or implemented by a single electrical chip.

[0397] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a laser radar signal processing method, which can be configured to configure a third laser to emit detection light within a first time window, and the third detector corresponding to the third laser detects the signal within the first time window as a first detection signal, and the reference detector detects the signal within the first time window as a fourth detection signal. If there is a clear difference between the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal, the first detection signal is considered to be a valid signal. If the difference between the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal is small, the first detection signal is considered to be an invalid signal. The above method can more accurately determine whether the signal received by the detector is valid, and the accuracy of the laser radar operation can be improved.

[0398] The present disclosure provides a laser radar signal processing method, wherein the laser radar includes a preset channel and a reference detector, and the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector. Figure 20 A schematic diagram showing the steps of a laser radar signal processing method in some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 20 As shown in the figure, the lidar signal can be processed by the following steps:

[0399] Step S01: acquiring a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window;

[0400] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a corresponding relationship between the third laser and the third detector. For the description of the corresponding relationship, please refer to the aforementioned third laser and third detector, which will not be repeated here.

[0401] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S01 may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step S01 may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step S01 may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0402] Step S02: acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within a first time window;

[0403] In some embodiments, the reference detector includes a fifth detector, and the fifth detector has no corresponding laser. For example, the reference detector is a newly added detector in the laser radar. Figure 15 In the illustrated lidar, the transmitting module 10 includes 128 lasers, and the receiving module 20 includes 128 detectors. These 128 lasers and 128 detectors correspond to each other to form 128 channels. Laser 01 and detector 11 form channel 1, laser 02 and detector 12 form channel 2, and so on. Figure 16 A schematic diagram of another laser radar transceiver module is shown. Figure 16 As shown, a detector 11' can be added at a suitable location near detection unit b1. This allows detector 11' to serve as the reference detector for channel 1. In other words, the reference detector is a detector in the lidar in addition to the detectors in the 128 channels. It should be noted that this detector 11' does not perform actual ranging and does not add to the overall lidar wiring harness. Its function is to assist in identifying whether there are real obstacles within the detection field of channel 1.

[0404] In some embodiments, the reference detector includes a fourth detector, and a fourth laser corresponding to the fourth detector does not emit detection light within the first time window. As described above, the laser radar may include a first channel, the first channel including a fourth detector and a fourth laser, and the fourth laser does not emit detection light within the first time window.

[0405] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S02 may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step S02 may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step S02 may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0406] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, there is no specific restriction on the opening time and duration of the first time window, and no further details are given here.

[0407] Step S03: determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0408] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the signal value is used to characterize the size of the signal, for example, it may include the amplitude or integral value or pulse width or half-height width of the signal, etc. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the representation form of the signal value.

[0409] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S03 may be performed by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, step S03 may be performed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, step S03 may be performed by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0410] Adopting the methods described in the above embodiments can improve the accuracy of determining the validity of echo signals and thus improve the accuracy of lidar measurements. As described above, the third laser emits light within the first time window, and it is necessary to determine whether the first detection signal from the third detector is a valid signal. Since the reference detector has no corresponding laser or the corresponding laser does not emit light within the first time window, the fourth detection signal from the reference detector is not a valid signal. However, the fourth detection signal can be used to determine the validity of the first detection signal. The detection light energy emitted by the laser is much higher than stray light. If there is an object in the direction indicated by the preset channel, the signal value of the first detection signal will differ significantly from the signal value of the fourth detection signal. If there is no object in the direction indicated by the preset channel, the signal value of the first detection signal will differ slightly from the signal value of the fourth detection signal. It should be noted that the signal value of the first detection signal can be zero, and the signal value of the fourth detection signal can also be zero. Even when the signal values are zero, the signal processing method of the disclosed embodiments can still be performed. The methods described in the disclosed embodiments are simple and applicable to various types of lidars.

[0411] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S02 may include the following steps:

[0412] Step S0211, acquiring the fourth detection signal of one of the reference detectors within the first time window;

[0413] Accordingly, when acquiring the fourth detection signal of the reference detector within the first time window, step S03 may include the following steps:

[0414] Step S0311: comparing the signal value of the first detection signal with the signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result;

[0415] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth detection signal of the reference detector may be the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector in the aforementioned embodiment, or may be the fourth detection signal of the fifth detector.

[0416] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the difference or ratio between the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the fourth detection signal may be used as the comparison result, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0417] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, to improve the accuracy of the signal processing method, the distance between the reference detector and the third detector is less than or equal to a fourth threshold. As previously mentioned, when a fourth detector is used as the reference detector, the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector can be less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold. Similarly, when a fifth detector is used as the reference detector, the distance between the fifth detector and the third detector can be less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold. This is not further described here.

[0418] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, to further improve the accuracy of the signal processing method, the reference detector is adjacent to the third detector. As previously mentioned, when a fourth detector is used as the reference detector, the fourth detector is adjacent to the third detector. Similarly, when a fifth detector is used as the reference detector, the fifth detector is adjacent to the third detector. This is not further described here.

[0419] Step S0312: Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

[0420] By adopting the above embodiment, by obtaining the fourth detection signal of one of the reference detectors, and then comparing the signal value of the first detection signal with the signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result, not only can it be accurately determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the comparison result, but the method is simple, the calculation amount is small, and the real-time performance of signal processing can be improved.

[0421] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S02 may include the following steps:

[0422] Step S0221: Acquire a plurality of the fourth detection signals of a plurality of the reference detectors within the first time window.

[0423] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above, the fourth detection signal of the reference detector may be the fourth detection signal of the fourth detector or the fourth detection signal of the fifth detector. As in the aforementioned embodiments, the third and fourth detectors may have various positional relationships. Similarly, the third and fifth detectors may also have such positional relationships, which will not be described in detail here.

[0424] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above, when the laser radar includes multiple detector chips, the third detector and the fourth detector can be located on the same detector chip or on different detector chips. Similarly, the third detector and the fifth detector can be located on the same detector chip or on different detector chips, which will not be further described here.

[0425] Accordingly, when acquiring the plurality of fourth detection signals of the plurality of reference detectors within the first time window, step S03 may include the following steps:

[0426] Step S0321: determining a plurality of signal values of the fourth detection signals;

[0427] Step S0322: Determine weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals.

[0428] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be preset weights, which may be directly called during the signal processing process to improve the real-time performance of the signal processing.

[0429] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, when a fourth detector is used as a reference detector, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals can be determined based on the number of the plurality of fourth detectors and the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector. Similarly, when a fifth detector is used as a reference detector, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals can be determined based on the number of the plurality of fifth detectors and the distance between the fifth detector and the third detector. When a fourth detector and a fifth detector are used as reference detectors, the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals can be determined based on the number of multiple reference detectors (i.e., the fourth detector and the fifth detector) and the distance between the reference detector and the third detector. The principle is the same as that of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be elaborated here.

[0430] Step S0323: determining a comparison result according to the signal value of the first detection signal, the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and the weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals.

[0431] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above, one of the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be selected based on the weights of the respective fourth detection signals for comparison with the signal value of the first detection signal to obtain a comparison result, which will not be elaborated herein.

[0432] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals may be weighted, and the weighted result may be compared with the signal value of the first detection signal to obtain a comparison result, which will not be elaborated here.

[0433] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above, the signal value of each of the plurality of fourth detection signals can be compared with the signal value of the first detection signal and then weighted, and the weighted result can be used as the comparison result, which will not be elaborated here.

[0434] Step S0324: Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the comparison result.

[0435] Using the above embodiment, multiple fourth detection signals from multiple reference detectors are acquired within the first time window, and weights are assigned to each fourth detection signal. A comparison result is then determined based on the signal value of the first detection signal, the signal values of the multiple fourth detection signals, and the weights of the multiple fourth detection signals. Because the comparison result is derived based on the multiple fourth detection signals, the comparison result is highly robust. Furthermore, using multiple fourth detection signals to determine the validity of the first detection signal can further improve the accuracy of the comparison result, thereby improving the accuracy of the signal processing result.

[0436] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for step S0312 and step S0324, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal may be determined by the following steps:

[0437] Step Y1: When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, the first detection signal is judged to be an invalid signal.

[0438] The confirmation method, confirmation principle, and the manner in which the first preset threshold value is indicated, etc., refer to the aforementioned embodiments and are not described in detail here.

[0439] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, after determining that the first detection signal is an invalid signal, the point corresponding to the first detection signal can be removed from the point cloud image of the laser radar, or the point is not formed directly.

[0440] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, step S0312 and step S0324 may further include the following steps:

[0441] Step Y2: When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is judged to be a valid signal.

[0442] The confirmation method, confirmation principle, and the manner in which the second preset threshold is defined, etc., refer to the aforementioned embodiments and are not described in detail here.

[0443] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, to improve signal processing efficiency, the first detection signal with significantly weaker intensity is typically directly filtered out. As previously mentioned, the first detection signal with significantly weaker intensity can be filtered out by setting a third preset threshold or a preset threshold curve, which will not be described in detail here.

[0444] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, before acquiring the first detection signal and the fourth detection signal, the third preset threshold value or the preset threshold value curve may be lowered.

[0445] As mentioned above, lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve can improve the detection performance of the laser radar, which will not be elaborated here.

[0446] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the laser radar may include multiple preset channels. When judging the validity of the first detection signal obtained by the third detector of the multiple preset channels, the fourth detection signal of the same one or more reference detectors may be obtained.

[0447] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as mentioned above, the laser radar may include multiple preset channels. When judging the validity of the first detection signals obtained by the third detectors of the multiple preset channels, the fourth detection signals of different reference detectors may be obtained.

[0448] The present disclosure further provides a signal processing device, including:

[0449] The receiving module is configured to acquire a first detection signal from a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal from at least one reference detector within a first time window.

[0450] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the receiving module may be implemented by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, the receiving module may be implemented by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, the receiving module may be implemented by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0451] The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

[0452] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module can execute the laser radar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal. The specific steps can be referred to the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0453] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing module may be implemented by an integrated circuit. In some embodiments, the processing module may be implemented by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). In some embodiments, the processing module may be implemented by a combination of an integrated circuit and a processor.

[0454] A signal processing device using some embodiments of the present disclosure obtains a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within a first time window through a receiving module, and then determines whether the first detection signal is a valid signal based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal through a processing module. The device has good signal processing effect and a simple structure.

[0455] The present disclosure also provides a computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein when executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The specific steps can be found in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0456] The present disclosure also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the lidar signal processing method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The specific steps can be found in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0457] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium may be any suitable computer-readable storage medium such as an optical disc, a mechanical hard disk, or a solid-state drive.

[0458] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar, including:

[0459] A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector;

[0460] Reference detector;

[0461] a signal acquisition circuit configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the reference detector;

[0462] The processor is configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0463] Using the lidar described in the above embodiment, the signal acquisition circuit acquires the signal from the third detector and the signal from the reference detector, and then processes the signal using a processor. Because the signal processing method executed by the processor can determine whether the signal from the third detector is a valid signal, the accuracy of the lidar measurement results can be improved. In some embodiments, the threshold curve of the lidar detector can be lowered so that even a weaker first detection signal can exceed the threshold curve for signal validity determination, thereby improving the lidar's detection capability for low-reflectivity objects and distant objects, further enhancing the lidar's detection performance.

[0464] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a sensing device, including: the laser radar described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0465] For example, in the field of autonomous driving, the perception device may include a device for measuring the distance and shape of the surrounding environment, helping the vehicle to perceive roads, vehicles, obstacles, etc., thereby realizing automatic navigation and obstacle avoidance functions.

[0466] For another example, in the field of industrial measurement and mapping, the sensing device may include equipment used for construction measurement, land surveying and mapping.

[0467] For another example, in the field of smart homes, the sensing devices may include devices for distance measurement, gesture recognition, and virtual reality.

[0468] It should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute any limitation to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0469] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vehicle, comprising: the laser radar described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0470] For example, the vehicle may include a vehicle.

[0471] As another example, the vehicle may include a mobile robot.

[0472] It should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute any limitation to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0473] It should be noted that the modules in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be composed of discrete components or implemented by a single electrical chip.

[0474] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different channels, lasers, detectors, signals and comparison results, and are not used to impose any limitations on their specific structures, positions, or functions.

[0475] The foregoing description of this specification describes specific embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the particular order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0476] In summary, after reading this detailed disclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing detailed disclosure may be presented by way of example only and may not be limiting. Although not expressly stated herein, those skilled in the art will understand that this specification encompasses various reasonable changes, improvements, and modifications to the embodiments. Such changes, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested by this specification and are within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this specification.

[0477] Furthermore, certain terms in this specification have been used to describe embodiments of this specification. For example, “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” and / or “some embodiments” mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be understood that two or more references to “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” or “an alternative embodiment” in various parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments of this specification.

[0478] It should be understood that in the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments of this specification, to facilitate understanding of a feature and to simplify this specification, various features are combined in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this does not necessarily mean that these features are combined. When reading this specification, a person skilled in the art may label some of the devices as separate embodiments. In other words, the embodiments of this specification can also be understood as the integration of multiple sub-embodiments. The content of each sub-embodiment is also valid even when it includes fewer than all the features of a single previously disclosed embodiment.

[0479] Each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other materials, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, documents, articles, and the like, cited herein, except to the extent that it is inconsistent or conflicting with this document or that it has a limiting effect on the broadest scope of the claims, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes now or hereafter connected with this document. In addition, in the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the description, definition, and / or use of a term in any material and the description, definition, and / or use of a term in this document, the term in this document shall control.

[0480] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments of the application disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of this specification. Other modified embodiments are also within the scope of this specification. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples and not limitations. Those skilled in the art can adopt alternative configurations based on the embodiments in this specification to implement the application in this specification. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification are not limited to the embodiments precisely described in the application.

Claims

1. A laser radar signal processing method, characterized in that: The laser radar includes a preset channel and a reference detector, the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector; the method includes: Acquiring a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window; Acquire at least one fourth detection signal of at least one of the reference detectors within a first time window; Whether the first detection signal is a valid signal is determined according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

2. The signal processing method according to claim 1, wherein: The reference detector includes a fifth detector, and the fifth detector has no corresponding laser.

3. The signal processing method according to claim 2, wherein: Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within the first time window includes: acquiring the fourth detection signal of one reference detector within the first time window; The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes: comparing a signal value of the first detection signal with a signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result; Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

4. The signal processing method according to claim 2, wherein: Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within the first time window includes: acquiring a plurality of fourth detection signals of a plurality of reference detectors within the first time window; The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes: determining signal values of a plurality of the fourth detection signals; determining weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals; determining a comparison result according to a signal value of the first detection signal, signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals; According to the comparison result, it is determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal.

5. The signal processing method according to claim 4, wherein: The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the number of the plurality of reference detectors; or, The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the distance between the reference detector and the third detector.

6. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes: When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be an invalid signal.

7. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes: When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be a valid signal.

8. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The signal value includes: amplitude or integration value.

9. The signal processing method according to claim 2, wherein: The amplitude of the first detection signal is greater than a third preset threshold or a preset threshold curve.

10. The signal processing method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The signal processing method further includes lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve.

11. The signal processing method according to claim 2, wherein: The distance between the reference detector and the third detector is less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold.

12. The signal processing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The reference detector is adjacent to the third detector.

13. The signal processing method according to claim 2, wherein: The third detector and the reference detector are located on the same detector chip; or, The third detector and the reference detector are located on different detector chips.

14. A signal processing device, characterized in that: include: a receiving module configured to acquire a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one reference detector within a first time window; The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

15. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, characterized in that When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the laser radar signal processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is implemented.

16. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the laser radar signal processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is implemented.

17. A laser radar, characterized in that: include: A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector; Reference detector; a signal acquisition circuit configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the reference detector; A processor configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. A sensing device, characterized in that: include: The laser radar according to claim 17.

19. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: The laser radar according to claim 17.

20. A laser radar signal processing method, characterized in that: The laser radar includes a preset channel and a first channel, the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector, and the first channel includes a fourth laser and a fourth detector; the method includes: Acquiring a first detection signal from the third detector within a first time window, wherein the third laser emits detection light within the first time window; Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within a first time window, wherein the fourth laser does not emit detection light within the first time window; Whether the first detection signal is a valid signal is determined according to the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

21. The signal processing method according to claim 20, characterized in that: Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal of at least one fourth detector within the first time window includes: acquiring the fourth detection signal of one fourth detector within the first time window; The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes: comparing a signal value of the first detection signal with a signal value of the fourth detection signal, and obtaining a comparison result; Determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result.

22. The signal processing method according to claim 20, characterized in that: Acquiring at least one fourth detection signal from at least one fourth detector within the first time window includes: acquiring a plurality of fourth detection signals from a plurality of fourth detectors within the first time window; The determining, based on the signal value of the first detection signal and the signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal, whether the first detection signal is a valid signal includes: determining signal values of a plurality of the fourth detection signals; determining weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals; determining a comparison result according to a signal value of the first detection signal, signal values of the plurality of fourth detection signals, and weights of the plurality of fourth detection signals; According to the comparison result, it is determined whether the first detection signal is a valid signal.

23. The signal processing method according to claim 22, wherein: The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the number of the plurality of fourth detectors; or, The weight of the fourth detection signal is negatively correlated with the distance between the fourth detector and the third detector.

24. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that: The determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes: When it is determined that the comparison result is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be an invalid signal.

25. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that: The determining whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to the comparison result includes: When it is determined that the comparison result is greater than a second preset threshold, the first detection signal is determined to be a valid signal.

26. The signal processing method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that: The signal value includes: amplitude or integration value.

27. The signal processing method according to claim 20, wherein: The amplitude of the first detection signal is greater than a third preset threshold or a preset threshold curve.

28. The signal processing method according to claim 27, characterized in that: The signal processing method further includes lowering the third preset threshold or lowering the preset threshold curve.

29. The signal processing method according to claim 20, characterized in that: The distance between the fourth detector and the third detector is less than or equal to a fourth preset threshold.

30. The signal processing method according to claim 29, wherein: The fourth detector is adjacent to the third detector.

31. The signal processing method according to claim 20, wherein: The third detector and the fourth detector are located on the same detector chip; or, The third detector and the fourth detector are located on different detector chips.

32. A signal processing device, characterized in that: include: a receiving module configured to acquire a first detection signal of a third detector and at least one fourth detection signal of at least one fourth detector within a first time window; The processing module is configured to determine whether the first detection signal is a valid signal according to a signal value of the first detection signal and a signal value of the at least one fourth detection signal.

33. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, characterized in that When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the laser radar signal processing method described in any one of claims 20-31 is implemented.

34. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the laser radar signal processing method described in any one of claims 20-31 is implemented.

35. A laser radar, characterized in that: include: A preset channel, wherein the preset channel includes a third laser and a third detector; a first channel comprising a fourth laser and a fourth detector; a signal acquisition circuit, configured to acquire a signal from the third detector and a signal from the fourth detector; A processor configured to execute the lidar signal processing method described in any one of claims 20-31.

36. A sensing device, characterized in that include: The laser radar as described in claim 35.

37. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: The laser radar as described in claim 35.

38. A laser radar detection method, characterized in that: The laser radar includes at least one transceiver channel, each transceiver channel includes a laser and a detector, and the method includes: Controlling the laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam and obtaining a first detection signal received by the detector in the preset channel, wherein the preset channel is any channel in the at least one transceiver channel; Obtaining a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, wherein the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel and overlaps with a portion of the detection field of view of the preset channel; Determining whether there is a real obstacle within the detection field of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and When a real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel, information about the real obstacle is determined based on the first detection signal.

39. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that The determining, based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, whether there is a real obstacle within the detection field of view of the preset channel includes: Based on the relative magnitude relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal, it is determined whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein The determining whether there is a real obstacle within the detection field of the preset channel based on the relative magnitude relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal includes: If the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset threshold, it is determined that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel; or If the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that no real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein The determining the information of the real obstacle based on the first detection signal includes: determining a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and The information of the real obstacle is determined based on the difference.

42. The method according to claim 38, wherein The laser radar further includes a reference detector, wherein the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view; The obtaining of a second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view includes: The detection signal received by the reference detector is used as the second detection signal.

43. The method according to claim 38, wherein The laser radar further includes a plurality of reference detectors, wherein the detection fields of the plurality of reference detectors are different from the reference field of view; The obtaining of a second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view includes: obtaining a plurality of third detection signals received by the plurality of reference detectors; as well as The second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view is determined based on the multiple third detection signals and a positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein The determining, based on the plurality of third detection signals and a positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the plurality of reference detectors, the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view includes: interpolating the plurality of third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information; and The second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view is determined based on the detection distribution information and a positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors.

45. A laser radar, characterized in that: include: at least one transceiver channel, each of the transceiver channels comprising a laser and a detector; as well as a processor, communicatively connected to the at least one transceiver channel, and configured to: Controlling the laser in a preset channel to emit a laser beam and obtaining a first detection signal received by the detector in the preset channel, wherein the preset channel is any channel in the at least one transceiver channel; Obtaining a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, wherein the reference field of view has a preset offset relative to the detection field of view of the preset channel and overlaps with a portion of the detection field of view of the preset channel, Determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of the preset channel based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal, and When a real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel, information about the real obstacle is determined based on the first detection signal.

46. The laser radar according to claim 45, characterized in that In order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: Based on the relative magnitude relationship between the first detection signal and the second detection signal, it is determined whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

47. The laser radar according to claim 46, characterized in that In order to determine whether there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel, the processor: If the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is greater than a preset threshold, it is determined that there is a real obstacle in the detection field of view of the preset channel; or If the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that no real obstacle exists in the detection field of view of the preset channel.

48. The laser radar according to claim 45, characterized in that In order to determine the information of the real obstacle, the processor: determining a difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal; and The information of the real obstacle is determined based on the difference.

49. The laser radar according to claim 45, characterized in that The laser radar further comprises: a reference detector, wherein the detection field of view of the reference detector corresponds to the reference field of view; In order to obtain a second detection signal corresponding to a reference field of view, the processor uses the detection signal received by the reference detector as the second detection signal.

50. The laser radar according to claim 49, characterized in that The reference detector is a detector other than the detector in the at least one transceiver channel in the laser radar.

51. The laser radar according to claim 49, characterized in that The at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; The reference detector is a detector in a first channel, and the first channel and the preset channel are in a different group.

52. The laser radar according to claim 49, characterized in that The at least one transceiver channel is divided into M groups, where M is an integer greater than 1, wherein channels in the same group are configured to emit light in parallel, and channels in different groups are configured to emit light in different detection rounds; The at least one transceiver channel includes a second channel, a detection process of the second channel and a detection process of the preset channel share the reference detector, and the second channel and the preset channel are in the same group.

53. The laser radar according to claim 49, characterized in that The laser radar comprises at least a first linear detector and a second linear detector, wherein a plurality of detectors in the first linear detector collectively correspond to a first laser, a plurality of detectors in the second linear detector collectively correspond to a second laser, and the first laser and the second laser emit light in non-parallel fashion, wherein: The detector in the preset channel corresponds to the i-th detector in the first linear array of detectors, and the reference detector corresponds to the i-th detector in the second linear array of detectors, where i is a positive integer.

54. The laser radar according to claim 49, characterized in that The laser radar includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, wherein: The detector in the preset channel corresponds to the first part of SPADs in the SPAD array, The reference detector corresponds to a second portion of SPADs in the SPAD array.

55. The laser radar according to claim 45, characterized in that The laser radar further includes a plurality of reference detectors, wherein the detection fields of the plurality of reference detectors are different from the reference field of view; In order to obtain the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: obtaining a plurality of third detection signals received by the plurality of reference detectors, and The second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view is determined based on the multiple third detection signals and a positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors.

56. The laser radar according to claim 55, characterized in that In order to determine the second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view, the processor: interpolating the plurality of third detection signals to obtain detection distribution information; and The second detection signal corresponding to the reference field of view is determined based on the detection distribution information and a positional relationship between the reference field of view and the detection fields of view of the multiple reference detectors.

Images