Laser radar and mobile device

Abstract

A laser radar and a mobile device, the laser radar comprises a housing, a perspective window, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a scanning mechanism, the scanning mechanism employs a rotatable reflector, a reflecting surface of the rotatable reflector can rotate around a first axis on the reflecting surface, the first axis and a second axis vertically intersect at a reflection point, and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The center line of the probe light emitted by the emitter of the emission module can be directly projected to the reflection point, and the probe light is emitted from the perspective window after being reflected by the reflection surface of the rotatable reflector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device employing lidar. Background Technology

[0002] LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an active remote sensing device that uses photoelectric technology for detection. It combines photoelectric detection with laser technology, employing lasers as the detection light source—an advanced detection method. LiDAR mainly consists of a transmitting module, a scanning control module, a receiving module, and a data processing module. It transmits a detection signal to the target using the transmitting module, then receives and processes the echo signal to obtain information such as the target's distance, reflectivity, velocity, and size. LiDAR equipment features high precision, strong anti-interference capabilities, high sensitivity, and is less affected by darkness.

[0003] Currently, LiDAR scanning methods are mainly divided into: 1) Mechanical rotation type: the motor drives the optical engine and hardware to rotate together; 2) Semi-solid type: only a few scanning devices rotate, while the transceiver devices are fixed; 3) Solid type: all devices are fixed, and there are no scanning devices. Currently, the mechanical rotation type can achieve a 360° scanning field of view in the horizontal direction, while the semi-solid and solid types can only achieve a scanning field of view of about 120° in the horizontal direction.

[0004] The existing LiDARs used for vehicles are all devices used to collect data on the environment around the vehicle. Currently, semi-solid-state LiDARs have a horizontal field of view of about 120 degrees and a vertical field of view of about 25 degrees. Furthermore, LiDARs cannot actively emit lasers to detect preset target locations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a lidar and a mobile device to improve the problem of small horizontal and vertical field of view of semi-solid-state lidar.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a lidar, which includes a housing, a viewing window, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a scanning mechanism. The scanning mechanism employs a rotatable reflector. The housing houses the transmitting module, the receiving module, and the rotatable reflector. The reflective surface of the rotatable reflector can rotate around a straight first axis on the reflective surface, with a rotation angle of up to 360 degrees. The first axis intersects perpendicularly with a straight second axis at a reflection point. Within a plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the second axis, the first axis can rotate around the reflection point as its rotation center, also with a rotation angle of up to 360 degrees. The reflection point is located on the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The centerline of the detection light emitted by the transmitter of the transmitting module can be directly projected onto the reflection point, or the detection light emitted by the transmitter of the transmitting module can be reflected by the fixed reflective surface of the fixedly set reflector and then transmitted. The centerline of the probe light intersects with the aforementioned reflection point, and the probe light is reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror and then emitted from the perspective window. The reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is located on the light-emitting side of the transceiver module and is used to receive the probe light emitted by the transmitter and to reflect the probe light and then emit it from the perspective window. The reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is also located on the light-receiving side of the transceiver module and is also used to receive the echo light and transmit it to the receiver of the receiving module. The transmitting module is used to emit a laser beam. The laser beam emitted by the transmitter of the laser transmitting module is also called the probe light. The receiving module is used to receive the echo light, which is formed by the reflection of the probe light by the target object. The rotatable mirror is located on the light-emitting side in front of the perspective window and is used to emit the probe light and to receive the echo light. The probe light projected from the perspective window can point to the target coordinates. The transmitter of the laser transmitting module is a laser or a fiber optic transmitter.

[0007] The housing contains a fixed motor II. The center line II of the motor II's shaft coincides with the second axis and passes through the reflection point. The motor II's shaft II is connected to a rotating frame and can drive the rotating frame to rotate around the center line II of the motor II's shaft II. A motor I is fixed on the rotating frame. The center line I of the motor I's shaft I coincides with the first axis and passes through the reflection point. The center line of the motor's shaft intersects perpendicularly with the center line I of the motor I's shaft I at the reflection point. The motor I's shaft I is connected to a rotatable reflector, and the center line I of the motor I's shaft I is located on the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The motor I's shaft I can drive the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector to rotate around the first axis. Simultaneously, in a plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the second axis, the first axis can rotate around the reflection point as the center of rotation under the drive of the motor. The laser emitting module's emitter is a laser or a fiber optic emitter. The motor is a servo motor, a stepper motor, or a brushless DC motor. A frame is provided around the rotatable reflector, and the motor I's shaft is fixed to the frame. The cable, signal line, or control line connected to motor I extends to the rotating frame and extends along the rotating frame into the rotating support of the rotating frame. It then passes through the hollow pipe space and extends to the outside of the rotating frame, and then extends to connect with the drive circuit I of motor I, which is located inside the housing. The rotating support uses a hollow bearing as a rotating joint. A conductive slip ring can also be set at the cable rotation point to avoid cable entanglement. The cable, signal line, or control line of the motor is connected to the drive circuit I of the motor. The drive circuit I and the drive circuit II are connected to the main control board located inside the housing. The drive circuit I and the drive circuit II of motor II receive the rotation angle command from the main control board and drive motor I and motor II to perform their respective rotation angle commands. The rotation angle command includes information such as the rotation angle size and direction. The main control board can perform coordinate transformation to convert the target coordinates into angles and distances in the radar coordinate system, and then send them to the drive circuit I and drive circuit II to control motor I and motor II to execute their respective rotation angle commands to control the emitted detection light to point towards the target. The target coordinates include: vehicles or pedestrians that the intelligent driving system needs to closely monitor ahead, or pedestrians or vehicles that may cross the road.

[0008] The housing contains a gimbal, and the gimbal support contains a second motor that drives a rotating plane to rotate around a rotation center. The line passing through the rotation center and perpendicular to the rotating plane is the rotation center line. The rotation center line of the gimbal's rotating plane coincides with the second axis. A first motor is mounted on the rotating plane. The first and second motors are servo motors, brushless DC motors, or stepper motors. The servo motor can also be a servo motor. The rotating shaft of the first motor is connected to the rotatable reflector. The center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor is located on the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor coincides with the first axis. The reflective surface of the rotatable reflector can rotate around the center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor on the reflective surface under the drive of the first motor. The rotation center line of the gimbal and the rotation center line of the first motor intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point. In the plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the rotation center line of the gimbal, the rotation center line of the first motor can rotate around the reflection point as the rotation center.

[0009] Among them, the rotatable reflector constitutes the scanning module of the lidar in this application. The scanning module includes a motor drive circuit. After receiving the signal from the FPGA or the signal from the control board, the motor drive circuit can drive the motor set on the first axis to rotate, and at the same time drive the motor set on the second axis to rotate. When the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is driven to complete the rotation around the first axis and the rotation around the second axis, the center line of the laser beam of the detection light can be directed to the target position.

[0010] The laser emitting module includes M transmitters, multiple receivers, and M rotatable mirrors. The M transmitters correspond one-to-one with the M rotatable mirrors. The probe light emitted by each transmitter is directly or reflected onto the reflection point of the corresponding rotatable mirror. The receiver is used to receive the echo light reflected by the reflection surface of the rotatable mirror. The reflection points of the multiple rotatable mirrors are all set in the direction parallel to the first axis or the second axis. The M transmitters and multiple receivers can be flexibly arranged in the housing and can be flexibly arranged in the direction parallel to the first axis or the second axis. M is a positive integer, such as 2 or 3.

[0011] The rotatable reflector is positioned in front of the viewing window inside the housing, and the transmitter and receiver can be rationally arranged within the housing to utilize the available space, including:

[0012] The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is set to face the viewing window, and a transmitter and a receiver are arranged horizontally and parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the viewing window.

[0013] The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is set to face the perspective window. The transmitter and the reflector are arranged horizontally and parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the perspective window, and the receiver is set on the back side of the reflective surface.

[0014] The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is set to face the viewing window. A fixed reflector is arranged horizontally and parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the viewing window. The transmitter and receiver are located on the back side of the reflective surface.

[0015] The laser emitting module and the laser receiving module include:

[0016] A transmitter for emitting probe light;

[0017] Receiver, the receiver being used to receive echo light;

[0018] The beam splitter includes a light-transmitting area and a light-reflecting area. One of the light-transmitting area and the light-reflecting area is used to receive and transmit the probe light emitted by the transmitter, and the other of the light-transmitting area and the light-reflecting area is used to receive and transmit the echo light.

[0019] In a common-aperture transceiver system, beam splitters physically isolate the transmitting and receiving optical paths: the transmitted beam is directed to the target via the transmission section, while the reflected echo is guided to the detector via the reflection section. This design significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio; some beam splitters have optimized coatings for specific wavelengths (such as 905nm or 1550nm), filtering out stray ambient light, such as infrared waves in sunlight, while splitting the beam, thus enhancing the discernibility of the target echo.

[0020] The performance of the beam splitter directly affects the detection accuracy and anti-interference capability of the lidar. Its coating process and material selection need to comprehensively consider parameters such as transmittance, reflectance, and thermal stability. In solid-state lidar, the beam splitter is often combined with MEMS galvanometers or optical phased arrays (OPA) to achieve non-mechanical scanning.

[0021] The reflecting surface of the rotatable mirror is a plane;

[0022] The laser emitting module includes a collimating lens, and the laser receiving module includes a receiving lens. The emitting lens is used to receive the probe light emitted by the transmitter and transmit it to the beam splitter. The receiving lens is used to receive the echo light output by the beam splitter and transmit it to the receiver. The transceiver lens includes one or more lenses.

[0023] A laser or a fixed reflector is positioned above and in front of the space between the reflective surface and the viewing window. When the detection light emitted by the laser or reflected from the fixed reflector is projected onto the reflection point, the first axis or the second axis is aligned with the horizontal direction. The reflective surface of the rotatable reflector rotates around the horizontal axis to form the vertical field of view of the detection light, and the rotation of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector around the vertical axis forms the horizontal field of view of the detection light. Since the reflective surface rotates around the horizontal and vertical axes, the field of view of the detection light after being reflected by the reflective surface after being projected onto the reflection point on the reflective surface can approach 180 degrees, thus expanding the field of view.

[0024] The laser emitting module further includes a collimating lens, and the laser receiving module further includes a receiving lens. The emitting lens is used to receive the probe light emitted by the transmitter and transmit it to the beam splitter, and the receiving lens is used to receive the echo light output by the beam splitter and transmit it to the receiver.

[0025] The emitter is positioned above or below the space between the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector and the viewing window, or a fixed reflector is positioned above or below the space between the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector and the viewing window. Specific methods include:

[0026] The detector light emitted by the transmitter passes through the collimating lens, then through the beam splitter, and is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The detector light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter, passes through the lens, and enters the receiver.

[0027] The detector light emitted by the transmitter passes through a collimating lens, then through a beam splitter, and is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of a rotatable mirror. The detector light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter onto another mirror, and after reflection, it passes through a lens and enters the receiver.

[0028] The detector light emitted by the transmitter passes through a collimating lens, then through a beam splitter and is projected onto the fixed reflector. The center line of the detector light reflected by the fixed reflector is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The detector light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. After being reflected by the reflective surface, it is projected onto the beam splitter. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter, passes through the lens, and enters the receiver.

[0029] The centerline of the detection light emitted by the transmitter can be directly projected onto the reflection point, or the centerline of the detection light emitted by the transmitter after being reflected by a fixed reflector intersects with the aforementioned reflection point, and the detection light is emitted from the perspective window after being reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector.

[0030] Secondly, this application provides a mobile device, including a mobile device body and a laser radar as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The laser radar is disposed on the mobile device body. The mobile device can be any mobile tool equipped with the laser radar, such as an electric vehicle, a drone, a robot, etc.

[0031] Through the above technical solution, this application can achieve a large field of view in at least two dimensions using a minimal number of transceiver channels and a clever scanning scheme. For example, if the first axis is vertical and the second axis is horizontal, the reflective surface can rotate both horizontally and vertically. This improves both the horizontal and vertical field of view, enabling the lidar to scan with a large field of view in at least two dimensions. The horizontal and vertical field of view can approach 180 degrees. In contrast, the existing product, Hesai AT128, uses a rotating prism whose reflective surface is a certain distance from the rotation axis, resulting in a horizontal field of view of only 120 degrees. The lidar of this application, being a semi-solid-state lidar, offers a significantly improved field of view compared to existing semi-solid-state lidars, making it suitable for applications requiring a large field of view. Furthermore, the lidar of this application can direct the laser beam towards the target location based on instructions from the lidar's data analysis module. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning mechanism of the first type of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning mechanism of the second type in this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the lidar of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the lidar of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the lidar of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the lidar of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment of the lidar of this application;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile device according to this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning mechanism of the first type of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, a motor 15 is fixedly mounted on the housing 26 of the lidar via a support 25. The rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 is connected to a hollow rotating frame 21 and can drive the rotating frame 21 to rotate around a second axis 18. The direction of the second axis 18 coincides with the center line 19 of the bearing 57 on the right side of the rotating frame 21. The center line 16 of the rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 extends in the same direction as the second axis 18 and passes through the reflection point 9. A motor 30 is fixed on the rotating frame 21. The center line 51 of the rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 extends in the same direction as the first axis 2 and passes through the reflection point 9. The center line 16 and the center line 51 intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point 9. The rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 is connected to a rotatable reflector 52. The reflective surface 28 of the rotatable reflector 52 can rotate around the center line 51 under the drive of the motor 30. In the plane that passes through the reflection point and is perpendicular to the second axis 18, the first axis 2 can rotate around the reflection point 9 as the center of rotation.

[0042] A rotatable reflector 52 is mounted on the frame 29. The shaft 27 of the motor 30 is fixedly connected to one side of the frame 29, and the other side of the frame 29 is rotatably connected to the rotating frame 21 via a shaft 53. The center line of the first axis 2 coincides with the center line of the shaft 53. A cable 56 connected to the motor 30 extends along the rotating frame 21. The cable 56 is a power cable, control line, or signal line. The cable 56 extends along the rotating frame 21 into the hollow rolling tube 55 on the right side of the rotating frame 21, passes through the bearing 57 on the right side of the rotating frame 21, extends through the hole in the middle of the rolling tube 55 to the hole on the support 22 on the outside of the rotating frame 21, and then extends to connect with the drive circuit. A conductive slip ring can be provided on the cable to prevent the cable or other cable from getting tangled. The drive circuit of the motor 30 and the motor 15... The drive circuit is connected to the main control board inside the lidar housing 26. It receives the rotation command from the main control board and drives the motors 30 and 15 to rotate in their respective specified directions. The rotation command includes: the coordinates of the target to be detected by the main control board. The motors 30 and 15 are servo motors, brushless DC motors, or stepper motors. The main control board converts the target coordinates into angles and distances in the lidar coordinate system, and then controls the motor 30 to rotate by an angle, and at the same time controls the motor 15 to rotate by an angle so that the center line of the laser beam emitted by the lidar points to the target.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning mechanism of the second type in this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the second scanning mechanism 60 includes a base 61 and a rotatable plane 62. A second motor is installed inside the base 61, which drives the rotatable plane 62 to rotate around a rotation center 63. A line passing through the rotation center 63 and perpendicular to the rotation plane 62 is the rotation center line 65. The rotation center 63 of the rotatable plane 62 coincides with the second axis. The first motor can be a servo motor, a brushless DC motor, or a servo servo motor. The rotatable plane 62 can also be called a rotatable platform. A first motor 66 (using a servo motor, a servo servo motor, or a brushless DC motor) is installed on the rotatable plane 62. The shaft 67 of the first motor 66 is connected to a rotatable reflector via a bracket 72. The center line 70 of the shaft of the first motor 66 is located on the reflective surface 71 of the rotatable mirror 69. The center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 coincides with the first axis. The reflective surface 71 of the rotatable mirror 69 can rotate around the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 on the reflective surface 71. The rotation center line 65 of the rotatable plane 62 and the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point 79. In the plane that passes through the reflection point 79 and is perpendicular to the rotation center line 65 of the rotatable plane 62, the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 can rotate with the reflection point 79 as the center of rotation.

[0044] like Figure 3As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the lidar of this application, as shown. Figure 3 As shown, the transmitting module, receiving module, and scanning mechanism of the lidar 1 are housed in the housing 26. A motor 15 is fixedly mounted on the housing 26 via a support 25. The rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 is connected to a hollow rotating frame 21 and can drive the rotating frame 21 to rotate around the second axis 18. The center line 16 of the rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 extends in the same direction as the second axis 18 and passes through the reflection point 9. A motor 30 is fixed on the rotating frame 21. The center line 51 of the rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 extends in the same direction as the first axis 2 and passes through the reflection point 9. The center line 16 and the center line 51 intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point 9. The rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 is connected to a rotatable reflector. The reflecting surface 28 of the rotatable reflector can rotate around the center line 51 under the drive of the motor 30. In the plane that passes through the reflection point and is perpendicular to the second axis 18, the first axis 2 can rotate around the reflection point 9 as the center of rotation.

[0045] A rotatable reflector is mounted on the frame 29, and the rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 is fixedly connected to the frame 29. The cable connected to the motor 30 extends and is arranged on the rotating frame 21. The cable is a power cable, control line, or signal line. The cable extends along the rotating frame 21 into the hollow rolling tube 55 on the right side of the rotating frame 21, and extends through the hole in the middle of the rolling tube 55 to the support 22 on the outside of the rotating frame 21, and then extends to connect with the drive circuit. Conductive slip rings can be set on the cable to prevent the cable or the passing cable from getting tangled. The drive circuits of the motor 30 and the motor 15 are connected to the main control board in the housing to receive the rotation angle command from the main control board and drive the motor 30 and the motor 15 to rotate in their respective specified directions. The rotation angle command includes: the coordinates of the target to be detected by the main control board. The motor 30 and the motor 15 are servo motors, brushless DC motors, or stepper motors. The main control board converts the target coordinates into angles and distances in the radar coordinate system, and then controls the motor 30 to rotate by an angle, and at the same time controls the motor 15 to rotate by an angle so that the center line of the laser beam emitted by the lidar points to the target.

[0046] like Figure 3As shown, the laser emitter 20 of the emission module is fixedly installed in the housing 26 on the back side of the reflective surface 28 of the rotatable reflector. The probe light 3 emitted by the emitter 20 passes through the collimating lens 5 and then through the light transmission area 7 of the beam splitter 6 and is projected onto the plane mirror 8. The probe light 3 is reflected by the plane mirror 8 and projected onto the reflection point 9 on the reflective surface 28 of the rotatable reflector. The center line of the probe light 3 passes through the reflection point 9. The probe light 3 is emitted from the perspective window after being reflected by the reflection point 9 on the reflective surface 28. The probe light 3 reaches the target object and the reflected echo light 10 is projected onto the reflective surface 28 through the perspective window. The echo light 10 is reflected by the reflective surface 28 and then projected onto the plane mirror 8. The echo light 10 is reflected by the plane mirror 8 and then projected onto the reflection area 11 of the beam splitter 6. The echo light 10 is reflected by the reflection area 11 and then passes through the lens 12 and enters the laser receiver 13, also called the detector.

[0047] The reflective area 11 can be formed by providing a reflective film on the beam splitter 6. The reflective area 11 can surround the outer periphery of the light-transmitting area 7. In this case, the light-transmitting area 7 can be made of a light-transmitting material, or it can be a blank area, i.e., without any device. The light-transmitting area 7 is the area enclosed by the light-transmitting aperture in the beam splitter 6. In another exemplary embodiment, the light-transmitting area can surround the outer periphery of the reflective area. In this case, the light-transmitting area can be made of a light-transmitting material, or it can be a blank area. In this case, the beam splitter only includes the reflective area, while the area outside the reflective area is defined as the light-transmitting area.

[0048] Because the reflecting surface 28 can rotate around the first axis, the horizontal field of view can approach 180 degrees when the first axis is horizontal, thus increasing the horizontal field of view. The existing Hesai AT128 uses a rotating prism for scanning, limiting the horizontal field of view to 120 degrees, while ours can approach 180 degrees. Similarly, the vertical field of view can also be increased. Furthermore, the reflecting surface 28 can roll around the reflection point 9 at any angle, allowing the laser beam reflected from the reflection point 9 to point in any specified direction. The aforementioned probe light is the laser beam emitted by the transmitter, and the echo light is formed by the reflection of the laser beam emitted by the transmitter by the target object.

[0049] In this embodiment, during the use of the lidar 1, the transmitter 20 and receiver 13 are fixedly mounted inside the housing 26, improving the reliability of the fixation of the transmitter 20 and receiver 13, realizing semi-solid-state rotational scanning, and reducing the size of the lidar 1. The transmitter 20, the transmitter plate electrically connected to the transmitter 20, the receiver 13, and the receiver plate electrically connected to the receiver 13 can all be mounted on the base of the housing 26, which is beneficial for heat dissipation. The transmitter plate and the receiver plate can be set separately, or they can share the same circuit board. In this case, a reflective device can be added between the transmitter 20 and the beam splitter 6 or between the receiver 13 and the beam splitter 6, so that the detection light emitted by the transmitter 20 and the echo light received by the receiver 13 can pass through different areas on the beam splitter 8. There is no limitation on this.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the lidar of this application, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown,

[0051] A motor 15 is fixedly mounted on the housing 26 of the lidar 80 via a support 25. The rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 is connected to a hollow rotating frame 21 and can drive the rotating frame 21 to rotate around a second axis 18. The direction of the second axis 18 coincides with the center line of the bearing 57 on the right side of the rotating frame 21. The center line 16 of the rotating shaft 17 of the motor 15 extends in the same direction as the second axis 18 and passes through the reflection point 9. A motor 30 is fixed on the rotating frame 21. The center line 51 of the rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 extends in the same direction as the first axis 2 and passes through the reflection point 9. The center line 16 and the center line 51 intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point 9. The rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 is connected to a rotatable reflector 52. The reflective surface 28 of the rotatable reflector 52 can rotate around the center line 51 under the drive of the motor 30. In the plane that passes through the reflection point and is perpendicular to the second axis 18, the first axis 2 can rotate around the reflection point as the center of rotation.

[0052] A rotatable reflector 52 is mounted on a frame 29. The rotating shaft 27 of the motor 30 is fixedly connected to the frame 29. The other side of the frame 29 is rotatably connected to the rotating frame 21 via a rotating shaft 53. The cable connected to motor 30 extends along the rotating frame 21. This cable can be a power cable, control line, or signal line. It extends along the rotating frame 21 into the hollow rolling tube on the right side of the frame, passes through a hole in the middle of the rolling tube, and extends to the support 22 on the outside of the rotating frame 21 before connecting to the drive circuit. Conductive slip rings can be installed on the cable to prevent tangling. The drive circuits for motor 30 and motor 15 are connected to the main control board inside the housing. The main control board receives rotation commands and drives motors 30 and 15 to rotate in their respective specified directions. The rotation commands include the coordinates of the target to be detected as requested by the main control board. Motors 30 and 15 are servo motors, brushless DC motors, or stepper motors. The main control board converts the target coordinates into angles and distances in the radar coordinate system, then controls motor 30 to rotate by an angle, and simultaneously controls motor 15 to rotate by an angle, so that the center line of the laser beam emitted by the lidar points towards the target.

[0053] The probe light 85 emitted by the transmitter 82 passes through the collimating lens 83, then through the light-transmitting area 91 of the beam splitter 92, and is projected onto the reflection point 9 of the reflecting surface 28 of the rotatable reflector. The probe light 85 reflected by the reflecting surface 28 of the rotatable reflector is projected out through the perspective window 81. The echo light 86 passes through the perspective window 81 and is projected onto the reflecting surface 28 of the rotatable reflector. After being reflected by the reflecting surface 28, it is projected onto the reflection area 90 of the beam splitter 92. The echo light 86 is reflected by the reflection area 90, passes through the lens 87, and enters the receiver 88.

[0054] The transmitter 82, collimating lens 83, beam splitter 92, and lens 87 are fixedly installed inside the housing 26.

[0055] By changing the position of the beam splitter 92, the optical path can be altered, which is beneficial for adjusting the positions of the transmitter, receiver, and lens within the lidar to better suit the available space within the lidar.

[0056] A reflector can be added, and the reflective surface of the reflector can also be used to change the optical path, which is beneficial for adjusting the position of the transmitter, receiver and lens inside the lidar to better fit the space margin inside the lidar.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the lidar of this application, as shown. Figure 5 As shown,

[0058] The lidar 100 includes a housing 102, a viewing window 101, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and two scanning mechanisms of the first type. For a detailed description of the scanning mechanism's structure, please refer to the appendix above. Figure 1 As explained, the laser emitter 115, laser emitter 116, laser receiver 118, laser receiver 110, collimating lens, beam splitter, lens, motor drive circuit, main control board, and other components shown in the diagram are fixed inside the housing 102. Their positions can be designed to make various reasonable use of the space; no constraints are imposed here. Figure 5 As shown, the center line 105 of the shaft of motor 103 coincides with the center line 107 of the shaft of motor 106. Laser emitters 115 and 116 are located above the space between reflective surfaces 108 and 109 and the perspective window 101. Laser receivers 118 and 110 are arranged behind reflective surfaces 108 and 109. Of course, laser emitters 115 and 116, laser receivers 118 and 110 can also be located below the space between reflective surfaces 108 and 109 and the perspective window 101.

[0059] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the lidar of this application, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, the lidar 120 housing contains a second scanning mechanism 60, including a base 61 and a rotatable plane 62. A second motor is installed within the base 61, driving the rotatable plane 62 to rotate around a rotation center 63. A line passing through the rotation center 63 and perpendicular to the rotation plane 62 is the rotation center line 65. The rotation center 63 of the rotatable plane 62 coincides with the second axis. The first motor can be a servo motor, a servo motor, or a brushless DC motor. The rotatable plane 62 can also be called a rotatable platform. A first motor 66 (using a servo motor, a servo motor, or a brushless DC motor) is installed on the rotatable plane 62. The shaft 67 of the first motor 66 is connected via a bracket 72. A rotatable reflector 69 is attached. The center line 70 of the shaft of the first motor 66 is located on the reflective surface 71 of the rotatable reflector 69. The center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 coincides with the first axis. The reflective surface 71 of the rotatable reflector 69 can rotate around the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 on the reflective surface 71. The rotation center line 65 of the rotatable plane 62 and the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point 79. In the plane that passes through the reflection point 79 and is perpendicular to the rotation center line 65 of the rotatable plane 62, the center line 70 of the shaft 67 of the first motor 66 can rotate with the reflection point 79 as the rotation center.

[0060] The probe light 126 emitted by the transmitter 130 passes through the collimating lens 129, then through the light-transmitting area 127 of the beam splitter 128, and is projected onto the reflection point 79 of the reflection surface 71 of the rotatable reflector 69. The probe light 126 reflected by the reflection surface 71 of the rotatable reflector 69 is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light 122 passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflection surface 71 of the rotatable reflector 69. After being reflected by the reflection surface 71, it is projected onto the reflection area 125 of the beam splitter 128. The echo light 122 is reflected by the reflection area 125, passes through the lens 123, and enters the receiver 121.

[0061] The transmitter 130, collimating lens 129, beam splitter 128, and lens 123 are fixedly installed inside the housing of the lidar 120.

[0062] By changing the position of the beam splitter 128, the optical path can be altered, which is beneficial for adjusting the positions of the transmitter, receiver, and lens within the lidar to better accommodate the available space within the lidar.

[0063] A reflector can be added, and the reflective surface of the reflector can also be used to change the optical path, which is beneficial for adjusting the position of the transmitter, receiver and lens inside the lidar to better fit the space margin inside the lidar.

[0064] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment of the lidar of this application, as shown. Figure 7 As shown, the housing of the lidar 150 is equipped with an attached... Figure 2 The second type of scanning mechanism 60 shown above provides a detailed structural description of the second type of scanning mechanism 60. Figure 2 The laser emitter 151 is fixedly mounted inside a housing on the back side of the reflective surface of a rotatable mirror. The probe light 152 emitted by the emitter 151 passes through the collimating lens 153 and then through the light-transmitting area 161 of the beam splitter 155, projecting onto the plane mirror 156. The probe light 152 is reflected by the plane mirror 156 and projected onto the reflection point 79 on the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror. The centerline of the probe light 152 passes through the reflection point 79. The probe light 152 passes through the rotatable mirror... The reflection point 79 on the reflective surface is reflected and emitted from the perspective window. The probe light 152 reaches the target object and the reflected echo light 157 is projected through the perspective window onto the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror. After being reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror, the echo light 157 is projected onto the plane mirror 156. After being reflected by the plane mirror 156, the echo light 157 is projected onto the reflection area 160 of the beam splitter 155. After being reflected by the reflection area 160, the echo light 157 passes through the lens 159 and enters the laser receiver 158.

[0065] The reflective area 160 can be formed by setting a reflective film on the beam splitter 155. The reflective area 160 surrounds the outer periphery of the light-transmitting area 161. At this time, the light-transmitting area 161 can be made of light-transmitting material, or the light-transmitting area 161 can be a blank area, that is, no device is set there. The light-transmitting area 161 is the area surrounded by the light-transmitting hole in the beam splitter 155.

[0066] In the use of the lidar 150 in this embodiment, the transmitter 151 and receiver 158 are fixedly installed inside the housing and remain stationary, improving the reliability of the fixation of the transmitter 151 and receiver 158 and realizing semi-solid-state rotational scanning. The transmitter 150, the transmitter plate electrically connected to the transmitter 150, the receiver 158, and the receiver plate electrically connected to the receiver 158 can all be installed on the base of the housing, which is beneficial for heat dissipation. The transmitter plate and the receiver plate can be installed separately, or they can share the same circuit board. In this case, a reflective device can be added between the transmitter 151 and the beam splitter 155 or between the receiver 158 and the beam splitter 155, so that the detection light emitted by the transmitter 151 and the echo light received by the receiver 158 can pass through different areas on the beam splitter 155. There is no limitation on this.

[0067] like Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile device according to this application, such as... Figure 8 As shown, one of the mobile devices in this embodiment is a vehicle 180. The vehicle 180 is equipped with a lidar 1 according to the first embodiment of this application. The lidar 1 is located on the roof above the front windshield 181 of the vehicle.

[0068] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Those skilled in the art will understand them according to the specific circumstances.

[0069] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system.

[0070] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lidar, characterized in that: The lidar includes a housing, a viewing window, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a scanning mechanism. The scanning mechanism employs a rotatable reflector. The housing houses the transmitting module, the receiving module, and the rotatable reflector. The reflective surface of the rotatable reflector can rotate around a first axis on the reflective surface. The first axis intersects a second axis perpendicularly at a reflection point. The first axis can rotate around the reflection point as its center of rotation in a plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the second axis. The reflection point is located on the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The centerline of the detection light emitted by the transmitter of the transmitting module can be directly projected onto the reflection point, or the centerline of the detection light emitted by the transmitter of the transmitting module after being reflected by the fixed reflective surface of the fixed reflector intersects with the reflection point. The detection light is emitted from the viewing window after being reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector.

2. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A motor II is fixedly installed inside the housing. The center line II of the rotating shaft II of motor II coincides with the second axis and passes through the reflection point. The rotating shaft II of motor II is connected to a rotating frame and can drive the rotating frame to rotate around the center line II of the rotating shaft II of motor II. A motor I is fixed on the rotating frame. The center line I of the rotating shaft I of motor I coincides with the first axis and passes through the reflection point. The center line II of the rotating shaft II of motor II and the center line I of the rotating shaft I of motor I intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point. The rotating shaft I of motor I is connected to a rotatable reflector, and the center line I of the rotating shaft I of motor I is located on the reflecting surface of the rotatable reflector. The rotating shaft I of motor I can drive the reflecting surface of the rotatable reflector to rotate around the first axis. In a plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the second axis, the first axis can rotate around the reflection point as the center of rotation under the drive of motor II.

3. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A gimbal is installed inside the housing, and a second motor is installed inside the gimbal support, which can drive a rotating plane to rotate around a rotation center. The line passing through the rotation center and perpendicular to the rotating plane is the rotation center line. The rotation center line of the gimbal's rotating plane coincides with the second axis. A first motor is installed on the aforementioned rotating plane, and the rotating shaft of the first motor is connected to the aforementioned rotatable reflector. The center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor is located on the reflecting surface of the rotatable reflector, and the center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor coincides with the aforementioned first axis. The reflecting surface of the rotatable reflector can rotate around the center line of the rotating shaft of the first motor on the reflecting surface under the drive of the first motor. The rotation center line of the gimbal and the rotation center line of the first motor intersect perpendicularly at the reflection point. In the plane passing through the reflection point and perpendicular to the rotation center line of the gimbal, the rotation center line of the first motor can rotate around the reflection point as the rotation center.

4. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The laser emitting module includes M transmitters, multiple receivers, and M rotatable reflectors. The M transmitters correspond one-to-one with the M rotatable reflectors. The probe light emitted by each transmitter is directly or reflected onto the reflection point of the corresponding rotatable reflector. The receiver is used to receive the echo light reflected by the reflection surface of the rotatable reflector. The reflection points of the multiple rotatable reflectors are all set in the direction of the first axis or the second axis.

5. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The rotatable reflector is positioned in front of the viewing window inside the housing, and the transmitter and receiver can be rationally arranged within the housing using available space, including: The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is set to face the viewing window, and a transmitter and a receiver are arranged horizontally and parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the viewing window. The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is set to face the perspective window. The transmitter and the reflector are arranged horizontally and parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the perspective window, and the receiver is set on the back side of the reflective surface. The initial position of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is set to face the viewing window. A fixed reflector is arranged horizontally parallel above the space between the reflective surface and the viewing window. The transmitter and receiver are located on the back side of the reflective surface.

6. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The laser emitting module and the laser receiving module include: A transmitter for emitting probe light; Receiver, the receiver being used to receive echo light; The beam splitter includes a light-transmitting area and a light-reflecting area. One of the light-transmitting area and the light-reflecting area is used to receive and transmit the probe light emitted by the transmitter, and the other of the light-transmitting area and the light-reflecting area is used to receive and transmit the echo light.

7. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The reflecting surface of the rotatable mirror is a plane.

8. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The transmitting module includes a collimating lens, and the receiving module includes a receiving lens. The transmitting lens is used to receive the probe light emitted by the transmitter and transmit it to the beam splitter, and the receiving lens is used to receive the echo light output by the beam splitter and transmit it to the receiver.

9. A lidar as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The emitter is disposed above or below the space between the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector and the perspective window, or the fixed reflector is disposed above or below the space between the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector and the perspective window. Specific methods include: The detector light emitted by the transmitter passes through the collimating lens, then through the beam splitter, and is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The detector light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter, passes through the lens, and enters the receiver. The detector light emitted by the transmitter passes through a collimating lens, then through a beam splitter, and is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of a rotatable mirror. The detector light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable mirror. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter onto another mirror, and after reflection, it passes through a lens and enters the receiver. The probe light emitted by the transmitter passes through a collimating lens, then through a beam splitter and is projected onto the fixed reflector. The center line of the probe light reflected by the fixed reflector is projected onto the reflection point of the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. The probe light reflected by the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector is projected out through the perspective window. The echo light passes through the perspective window and is projected onto the reflective surface of the rotatable reflector. After being reflected by the reflective surface, it is projected onto the beam splitter. The echo light is reflected by the beam splitter, passes through the lens, and enters the receiver.

10. A mobile device, characterized in that: The device includes a mobile device body and a lidar as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lidar is disposed on the mobile device body.

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