Laser radar module debugging method, system and related device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a laser radar module debugging method and system and a related device, and the method comprises the steps: lightening at least part of an area array region of a laser chip to form a characteristic light beam, and projecting the characteristic light beam to a reflection plate to form a characteristic light spot; determining coordinates of the characteristic light spots through a light spot recording graph obtained by shooting the characteristic light spots; and the transmitting module is horizontally rotated by 180 degrees, and if the coordinate difference value before and after rotation is larger than a threshold value, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflecting plate is adjusted based on the coordinates before and after rotation until target light spot coordinates with the coordinate difference value smaller than or equal to the threshold value are obtained. An extra centering tool does not need to be arranged, the coordinate information difference of characteristic light spots emitted by the laser chip before and after rotation is ingeniously utilized, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflecting plate can be adjusted, the center of the transmitting module and the center of the reflecting plate are made to be two points and one line, and the positioning accuracy is improved. Therefore, the requirement for searching the center point of the transmitting module is met efficiently at low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical technology, and in particular to methods, systems and related devices for debugging lidar modules. Background Technology

[0002] Nowadays, lidar products (hereinafter referred to as products) are widely used in aircraft, automobiles, robots and other equipment. Before lidar products are installed in these devices, it is often necessary to find the center point of the specific product to be tested inside, such as the transmitting module (or centering and debugging), so that it can be accurately aligned and installed in the subsequent assembly process, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the navigation or monitoring system.

[0003] Traditional alignment and adjustment methods utilize two alignment fixtures and a highlighter. Specifically, the pre-fabricated alignment fixture A is placed on the repeater to find its geometric center. Taking advantage of the rectilinear propagation of light, a highlighter is installed at the center of alignment fixture A. The highlighter's spot coincides with the center of the reflector, achieving two-point alignment between the reflector and the repeater. Furthermore, the rigidity of the pre-fabricated alignment fixture B is used to achieve two-point alignment between the transmitting module and the repeater. After adjusting these pairs of alignments, the centers of the transmitting module, the repeater, and the reflector are aligned on a straight line, thus achieving the alignment and adjustment of the transmitting module and the reflector, and consequently finding the center of the transmitting module.

[0004] It is evident that the traditional alignment and debugging process needs to be split into two parts, which takes a long time and the process of aligning and debugging each part separately can increase the difficulty of debugging and the error rate. In addition, in order to avoid introducing tolerances, it is necessary to specially make or purchase two types of high-precision alignment fixtures and relay mirrors, which results in a large cost investment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, system, and related apparatus for debugging a lidar module, which can efficiently and cost-effectively meet the requirement of finding the center point of the transmitting module.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a method for debugging a lidar module, including:

[0007] The laser chip in the LiDAR product to be tested is placed on the test fixture, and the center line between the laser chip in the laser chip and the laser chip itself is aligned.

[0008] At least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip is illuminated to form a characteristic beam, and the characteristic beam is projected onto a reflector to form a characteristic spot;

[0009] The characteristic light spot is photographed to obtain a light spot recording image, and the coordinates of the characteristic light spot are determined by the light spot recording image;

[0010] Rotate the transmitting module horizontally by 180° and return to the step of projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic spot, to obtain the coordinates of the rotated characteristic spot;

[0011] If the difference between the coordinates before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector is adjusted based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target light spot coordinates are obtained with the coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold; the target light spot coordinates are used to determine the center point of the transmitting module.

[0012] Optionally, placing the transmitting module to be tested in the lidar product onto the test fixture includes:

[0013] Obtain a test fixture with locating pin holes machined thereon; the locating pin holes are located on the center line or symmetrically distributed along the center line.

[0014] With the center line between the test fixture and the transmitting module as a reference, the transmitting module is placed above the test fixture, and the positioning member is inserted into the positioning pin hole to position the transmitting module.

[0015] Optionally, determining the coordinates of the characteristic light spot using the light spot recording map includes:

[0016] If there are multiple characteristic light spots, at least one or more of the relatively central characteristic light spots shall be selected as the selected light spots;

[0017] Based on the coordinates of each pixel in the spot recording image, the coordinates of the center point formed by the selected light spots are calculated as the coordinates of multiple feature spots.

[0018] Optionally, adjusting the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after the rotation until the target spot coordinates with a coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold includes:

[0019] Based on the coordinates before and after the rotation, calculate the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis of the characteristic beam;

[0020] Using the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis as a reference, the position of the emitting module relative to the reflector is adjusted until the target light spot coordinates are obtained; the difference between the target light spot coordinates and the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis is less than or equal to the threshold.

[0021] Optionally, projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic light spot includes:

[0022] A relay mirror is placed between the transmitting module and the reflector, and the characteristic beam is projected onto the reflector through the relay mirror.

[0023] Optionally, after adjusting the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after the rotation, the method includes:

[0024] Referring to the position adjustment information of the transmitting module, the position of the relay mirror relative to the reflector is adjusted synchronously.

[0025] In practice, the method described in the first aspect of this application may be implemented using the content described in the second aspect of this application.

[0026] A second aspect of this application provides a transmitter module alignment system, including: a moving unit and a processing unit;

[0027] The moving unit is used to place the transmitting module to be tested in the lidar product onto the test fixture; the center line between the transmitting module and the transmitting module itself is aligned.

[0028] The processing unit is used to illuminate at least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip to form a characteristic beam, and to project the characteristic beam onto a reflector to form a characteristic spot.

[0029] The processing unit is further configured to capture the characteristic light spot to obtain a light spot recording image, and determine the coordinates of the characteristic light spot through the light spot recording image;

[0030] The moving unit is also used to rotate the transmitting module horizontally by 180°;

[0031] The processing unit is also used to return to the step of projecting the feature beam onto the reflector to form a feature spot, and to obtain the coordinates of the rotated feature spot;

[0032] The processing unit is further configured to, if the coordinate difference before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, adjust the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target light spot coordinates are obtained with the coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold; the target light spot coordinates are used to determine the center point of the transmitting module.

[0033] A third aspect of this application provides an electronic device, including: a processor and a memory;

[0034] The processor is configured to communicate with the memory and execute instructions in the memory to implement the method described in the first aspect of the embodiments of this application or any specific implementation thereof.

[0035] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof.

[0036] A fifth aspect of this application provides a computer program product, the computer program product including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in the first aspect of this application or any specific implementation thereof.

[0037] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of this application have at least the following advantages:

[0038] This application embodiment does not require additional centering fixtures. By cleverly utilizing the difference in coordinate information between the characteristic light spots emitted by the laser chip before and after rotation, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector can be adjusted so that the center points of the transmitting module and the reflector are aligned, thereby efficiently and cost-effectively fulfilling the requirement of finding the center point of the transmitting module. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0040] It should be noted that although the steps in the flowcharts (if any) involved in the embodiments are drawn sequentially according to the arrows, unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts involved in the embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the debugging method for this lidar module;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the initial positions of each structure in the debugging method of this lidar module;

[0043] Figure 3 A diagram showing the effect of the reflector display in the debugging method of this lidar module;

[0044] Figure 4 The image shows a light spot recording taken for the debugging method of this lidar module;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the test fixture for the debugging method of this lidar module;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the laser radar module's spot coordinates before rotation, as shown in the debugging method for this laser radar module.

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the rotated laser spot coordinates for the debugging method of this lidar module.

[0048] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the later positions of each structure in the debugging method of this lidar module;

[0049] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the centering system of this launch module;

[0050] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this electronic device.

[0051] Reference numerals: 1. Reflector; 2. Repeater mirror; 3. Test fixture; 31. Positioning pin hole; 4. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limitations on this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0054] In the following description, expressions such as "one specific implementation" or "one specific example" describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it is understood that "one specific implementation" or "one specific example" can be the same or different subsets of all possible embodiments and can be combined with each other without conflict. In the following description, the term "multiple" means at least two. When a certain value mentioned in this application reaches a threshold (if it exists), in some specific examples, it can include the former being greater than the latter. When "any" or "at least one" or similar expressions are mentioned, it specifically refers to any one of the listed examples or any combination of these examples.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0056] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 The first aspect of this application provides a specific embodiment of a laser radar module debugging method, which includes the following operation steps:

[0057] Step S11: The controller places the transmitter module to be tested in the lidar product onto the test fixture;

[0058] The aforementioned controller specifically refers to a main device capable of controlling positioning adjustment equipment (such as robotic arms, grippers, and conveyor belts), computing devices, and imaging devices. Specifically, it can align the laser chip in the transmitting module (which can be simply referred to as the specific product) with the center line of the transmitting module itself (i.e., onto the same straight line). For example, the laser chip can be positioned at the center of the transmitting module through circuit design to facilitate quick and accurate subsequent centering adjustments. For instance, the transmitting module can be placed on a test fixture using a robotic arm or gripper.

[0059] Of course, the center lines between the laser chip and test fixture 3 can also be aligned, effectively preventing the laser chip from shifting when the emission module is rotated via test fixture 3, which would increase the difficulty of alignment and debugging. Specifically, the position of the laser chip in the emission module can be locked first, for example, by aligning the center line of the laser chip with the center line of the entire emission module as described above. In addition, the center lines between the emission module and the test fixture can be designed to be on the same straight line (see below for details), thus achieving the goal of aligning the center lines between the laser chip and test fixture 3.

[0060] It should be noted that the aforementioned emission module is the core component used to emit laser signals, primarily for achieving three-dimensional perception. It can acquire depth information of the target surface, enabling accurate ranging and obstacle recognition. The aforementioned laser chip can be an edge-emitting laser (EEL) or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

[0061] Specifically, EEL chips: The laser beam is emitted from the side of the chip, parallel to the substrate surface. They employ a double heterojunction structure and are excited by electrical injection, generating stimulated emission in the active layer. Their resonant cavity is relatively long (millimeters to centimeters), supporting high-power output, but the manufacturing process is complex, requiring external optical components to adjust the beam. VCSEL chips: The laser beam is emitted perpendicular to the chip surface. They employ a vertical cavity structure, combined with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), to achieve low threshold, single-mode output. Their resonant cavity is short (micrometers), supporting high-speed modulation and easy integration into two-dimensional arrays.

[0062] Step S12: The controller illuminates at least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip to form a characteristic beam, and projects the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic spot;

[0063] Taking a VCSEL chip as an example, a VCSEL chip consists of a two-dimensional array composed of multiple independently controllable emitting units (or area arrays). Each unit can emit light individually through current driving, thus illuminating at least a portion of the area array region (such as a 4×8 matrix) in the VCSEL chip to form the desired laser characteristic beam. Of course, this beam can be one or more groups, and the shapes formed by the arrangement of multiple beam groups can be the same or different, such as rhombuses, circles, or other shapes, depending on the light emission effects supported by the chip, and are not limited here.

[0064] Afterwards, the illuminated matrix beam can be projected onto reflector 1, thus presenting... Figure 3 The diagram shows at least one set of 4 rows and 8 columns of characteristic light spots (or illuminated matrices). These illuminated matrices can be used to explore coordinate information such as the center coordinates of the characteristic light spots emitted by the VCSEL.

[0065] It should be further explained that, through long-term research and experimentation, the applicant has discovered that, theoretically, the optical axis of the VCSEL (i.e., the central axis of the laser beam) and the mechanical central axis (or centerline) of the transmitting module are generally consistent, or in other words, there is a known, small, fixed offset between them. Therefore, it is believed that the positional information of the light spot emitted by the VCSEL (such as the center) can directly reflect the center position of the transmitting module. Thus, this application proposes that the center of the transmitting module can be found by locating the center of the light spot emitted by the VCSEL in the transmitting module, thereby completing the centering and adjustment of the transmitting module. Details are provided below. Of course, the coordinates of the non-center position of the light spot can also be used to find the center of the transmitting module, but the effect is not as obvious as the center coordinates; the specific settings can be configured as needed.

[0066] Step S13: The controller captures a characteristic light spot to obtain a light spot recording image, and determines the coordinates of the characteristic light spot using the light spot recording image;

[0067] For example, a camera (such as an infrared industrial camera 4) can be used to capture the light spot, and the captured light spot recording image can be as follows: Figure 4 As shown.

[0068] Furthermore, the coordinates of the feature spot can be determined by the coordinate information of multiple pixels (which can be understood as light-emitting points) in the spot recording image. These coordinates can be the center coordinates formed by a group or more rectangular spots, or the corner coordinates formed by the individual of these one or more groups of spots. These coordinates can be used to characterize the overall position information of the feature spot, and can be used for subsequent coordinate comparison to determine the center point position of the transmitting module.

[0069] To determine the center coordinates of a feature light spot, for example, an image recognition algorithm can be used to analyze the collected coordinates of multiple pixels, deriving the center of the entire set of multiple rectangular light spots from the center of a single rectangular light spot. The specific process is as follows:

[0070] 1. Center calculation of a single rectangular light spot (based on pixel clustering)

[0071] Image recognition algorithms first perform cluster analysis on the captured pixels:

[0072] Since each rectangular light spot's pixels (light-emitting points) form an independent "high-brightness pixel group" in the image, the algorithm uses a grayscale threshold to filter (distinguish between light spot pixels and background pixels), thus... Figure 4 The pixel groups corresponding to the five rectangular light spots shown were extracted respectively.

[0073] For each pixel group (i.e. a single rectangular spot), calculate its geometric center: by statistically analyzing the mean X coordinate X_avg=ΣXi / n and the mean Y coordinate Y_avg=ΣYi / n of all pixels in the group, obtain the center coordinates of a single rectangular spot, such as the center of the first rectangle (X1,Y1), the center of the second rectangle (X2,Y2)...the center of the fifth rectangle (X5,Y5), where n is the number of pixels in a single pixel group.

[0074] 2. Calculation of the center of the overall characteristic light spot (based on symmetrical light spot matching)

[0075] Based on the symmetrical layout of 5 rectangular light spots, such as Figure 4 or Figure 6 The algorithm determines the overall center of the five rectangular light spots, consisting of a central rectangular light spot and four symmetrical rectangular light spots in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, using the following logic:

[0076] We can first locate a rectangular light spot at the center position: its center coordinates (X0, Y0) can be used as an initial reference;

[0077] Next, verify the center-to-center line of the four symmetrical rectangular light spots: the line connecting the center of the upper rectangle (X_up, Y_up) and the center of the lower rectangle (X_down, Y_down) is perpendicular to the horizontal direction, and the coordinates of the midpoint of this symmetry are ((X_up + X_down) / 2, (Y_up + Y_down) / 2); the line connecting the center of the left rectangle (X_left, Y_left) and the center of the right rectangle (X_right, Y_right) is horizontal, and the coordinates of the midpoint of this symmetry are ((X_left + X_right) / 2, (Y_left + Y_right) / 2).

[0078] If the difference between the midpoint of the aforementioned symmetry and the center of the central rectangle (X0, Y0) is within the allowable range, then (X0, Y0) is determined as the center coordinate of the feature spot. Otherwise, the algorithm can take the average of all symmetry midpoints and the center of the central rectangle as the center to reduce the error of a single rectangular spot.

[0079] In other embodiments, the center coordinates of the feature spot can also be obtained by reasoning from the input image using a pre-trained artificial intelligence module.

[0080] The center coordinates determined above can be used as follows: Figure 6 The coordinates shown (977.236524, 2745.500000) can be used for subsequent verification and correction.

[0081] Step S14: The controller rotates the transmitting module horizontally by 180° and returns to the step of projecting the feature beam onto the reflector to form the feature spot, thus obtaining the coordinates of the rotated feature spot;

[0082] To better verify whether the center of the transmitting module is aligned with the center of the reflector, so that subsequent focusing / calibration operations can be performed on the transmitting module and other products, the transmitting module can be rotated horizontally by 180° to verify the reliability of the characteristic spot coordinates determined above.

[0083] Specifically, you can rotate only the launch module as a whole by 180°, or rotate the test fixture 3 and the launch module on which it is placed by 180° as a whole, depending on the actual situation.

[0084] Step S15: If the coordinate difference before and after rotation is greater than the threshold, the controller adjusts the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target spot coordinates with a coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold are obtained.

[0085] In practical applications, the size of the above threshold depends mainly on the accuracy requirements of the product. Generally, the smaller the better. The specific value range of the above threshold can be set according to the actual situation, and there is no limit here.

[0086] For example, the target spot coordinates mentioned above can specifically refer to the center coordinates of the spot after the coordinate difference is small enough. Since the position information such as the center of the spot can directly reflect the center position of the transmitting module, the center point of the transmitting module can be found based on the target spot coordinates mentioned above.

[0087] In summary, the embodiments of this application do not require additional centering fixtures. By cleverly utilizing the coordinate difference of the characteristic light spot emitted by the laser chip before and after rotation, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector 1 can be adjusted so that the center points of the transmitting module and the reflector 1 are aligned, thereby efficiently and cost-effectively fulfilling the requirement of finding the center point of the transmitting module.

[0088] Based on the above examples, the method of this application will be further described in detail below, and some specific possible implementation examples will be provided. In practical applications, the implementation content of these examples can be combined or implemented separately as needed according to the corresponding functional principles and application logic. If combined, the execution order between the combined examples can be determined according to their respective processing logic, which can be determined by the actual scenario.

[0089] In some specific examples, the process of "the controller places the transmitter module to be tested in the lidar product on the test fixture" in step S11 may include (designing the center line between the transmitter module and the test fixture to be on the same straight line): obtaining a test fixture 3 with machined positioning pin holes 31, the positioning pin holes 31 being located on the center line or symmetrically distributed along the center line; with the center line between the test fixture 3 and the transmitter module coinciding as a reference, placing the transmitter module above the test fixture 3, and inserting the positioning element into the positioning pin hole 31 to position the transmitter module.

[0090] For example, a test fixture 3 with a positioning pin hole 31 can be designed (such as...). Figure 5 As shown, the positioning pin hole 31, combined with the positioning component, facilitates the positioning of the transmitting module on the test fixture 3, or in other words, facilitates the more stable placement of the transmitting module on the test fixture 3 for centering and adjustment. This positioning component may include at least one of pins, bolts, and positioning pins. The positioning pin hole 31 is designed to be located on or symmetrically distributed along the center line of the transmitting module to ensure that the theoretical center line of the transmitting module's light spot remains unchanged after the transmitting module is rotated 180° by the test fixture 3, that is, to ensure that the deviation of the transmitting module's center line before and after rotation is small or non-existent.

[0091] In some examples, the aforementioned positioning element can be deployed on the launch module or test fixture. For instance, at least one positioning element is designed on one side of the launch module, which can be inserted into the aforementioned positioning pin hole 31 to achieve positioning and fixation of the launch module and the test fixture.

[0092] In some specific examples, the process of "the controller determines the coordinates of the feature spot through the spot recording map" in step S13 may include: if there are multiple feature spots, at least one or more relatively central feature spots are selected as selected spots; based on the coordinates of each pixel point of the selected spots in the spot recording map, the coordinates of the center point formed by the encirclement of the selected spots are calculated as the coordinates of the multiple feature spots.

[0093] like Figure 6 As shown, the image recognition algorithm of the focusing device can be used to calculate the coordinates of the center point (977.236524, 2745.500000) formed by the two sets of characteristic light spots in the center position. This coordinate is used to characterize the overall coordinates of the aforementioned sets of characteristic light spots, and it can reflect the approximate distribution characteristics of these characteristic light spots to a certain extent. Of course, if the projected light spot effect is symmetrical, the coordinates of all light spots can be used to calculate the center coordinates, instead of only using the light spots in the middle for calculation. That is, each set of characteristic light spot matrices can also be used as the selected light spots. In short, at least some of the characteristic light spots in the light spot recording image can be selected as the selected light spots as needed.

[0094] Still with Figure 6 For example, in some examples, the coordinates of the corners of the selected light spot (such as the coordinates of the four corners of a rectangle) can be used instead of the coordinates of the center point mentioned above, and used as the coordinates of the entire set of multiple feature light spots for subsequent comparison. That is, the coordinates involved in the comparison before or after rotation can be one or more, and the specific coordinates can be determined by the user.

[0095] In some specific examples, the process of "the controller adjusts the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector 1 based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target spot coordinates are obtained with a coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold" in step S15 may include: calculating the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis of the characteristic beam based on the coordinates before and after rotation; adjusting the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector 1 with the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis as a reference until the target spot coordinates are obtained; and the difference between the target spot coordinates and the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis is less than or equal to the threshold.

[0096] Taking the coordinates of the center point of the selected light spot as the coordinates of the characteristic light spot as an example, after the transmitting module is rotated horizontally by 180°, the re-captured light spot record image can be as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the distribution positions of the five sets of characteristic light spot matrices are offset from the positions within the green box. The area within the green box can be understood as the distribution position of the light spots emitted by the emission module before it was rotated (see [reference]). Figure 6 ). Still with Figure 7 For example, similarly, the coordinates of the rotated feature spot can be calculated as the coordinates of the center point (1008.937993,2777).

[0097] Still with Figure 6 , Figure 7 For example, if the difference between the coordinates of the light spot before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, such as a large deviation in the center point coordinates before and after rotation, the average value of the selected light spot with respect to the center point coordinates before and after rotation can be calculated using the following formula. This average value (993.0872585, 2761.25) can be used as the theoretical center coordinate value of the optical axis:

[0098] (X1 + X2) / 2 = Center in the X direction = (977.236524 + 1008.937993) / 2 = 993.0872585

[0099] (Y1+Y2) / 2 = center in the Y direction = (2745.5+2777) / 2 = 2761.25.

[0100] Then, based on the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis (993.0872585, 2761.25), the position of the emitting module relative to reflector 1 can be adjusted until the target light spot coordinates are obtained. Specifically, the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis can be used to guide the adjustment of the placement of the rotated emitting module relative to reflector 1 (e.g., a movable fixture can be used to move the emitting module). Figure 7For example, the transmitting module can be offset in the X direction towards the mark 993.0872585, and in the Y direction towards the mark 2761.25, until the ideal situation is achieved, that is, the recalculated center coordinates of the light spot are completely consistent with the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis. At this point, it can be considered that the centers of the transmitting module and the reflector 1 are on a straight line. Of course, in practical applications, the ideal situation is generally difficult to achieve. Therefore, if the difference between the adjusted center coordinates of the light spot and the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis is small enough (mainly less than or equal to the threshold), that is, not necessarily completely consistent, it can still be considered that the centers of the transmitting module and the reflector 1 are on a straight line, and the center of the transmitting module can be found by following the center of the reflector 1.

[0101] In short, taking advantage of the physical property that light travels in a straight line, if the difference between the coordinates of the characteristic light spot after rotation and the coordinates of the light spot before rotation is less than or equal to a threshold after the characteristic light spot is rotated 180°, for example, if the coordinates of the center point before and after rotation are the same, then it can be assumed that the center between the emitting module and the reflector 1 is on the same straight line, and the mechanical center point of the emitting module can be found along the center point after rotation.

[0102] In some specific examples, the process of “projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic light spot” in step S12 may include: placing a relay mirror 2 between the transmitting module and the reflector 1, and projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector 1 through the relay mirror 2.

[0103] The addition of the repeater mirror 2 is due to the fact that it can control the laser divergence angle and adjust the optical path, which can ensure that the beam emitted by the laser chip is projected onto the reflector 1 better and more completely.

[0104] Controlling the laser divergence angle: The laser chip (such as VCSEL) has a large beam divergence angle. When directly projected onto the distant reflector 1, the light spot will spread and the energy will be dispersed. The repeater 2 can reduce the divergence angle by collimating the beam, ensuring that the beam remains focused during transmission. For example, the repeater 2 can transmit the laser beam in stages, thereby avoiding energy dissipation caused by long optical paths.

[0105] Optical path adjustment: Repeater 2 can change the propagation path of the light beam to adapt to environments with limited space. For example, in imaging module testing, repeater 2 can image distant objects to a closer position, generating a magnified virtual image, thereby completing the test within a limited space.

[0106] As explained above, after adding the repeater mirror 2, in some specific examples, following step S15 "the controller adjusts the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector 1 based on the coordinates before and after rotation," the method of this application embodiment may further include: referring to the position adjustment information of the transmitting module, synchronously adjusting the position of the repeater mirror 2 relative to the reflector 1, thereby further ensuring that the beam emitted by the laser chip can be better and more completely projected onto the reflector 1 through the repeater mirror 2, facilitating subsequent adjustment of the center three points of the transmitting module, repeater mirror 2, and reflector 1 into a straight line (e.g., ...). Figure 8 This will accelerate the search efficiency for the launch module center.

[0107] In summary, the method of this application embodiment can be called the centering and debugging scheme. This scheme reduces the investment and reliance on centering tooling, helps to quickly and accurately find the center of the launch module, improves the accuracy and yield of the launch module, and reduces the debugging time and manufacturing cost of the launch module.

[0108] Please see Figure 9 The second aspect of this application provides a specific embodiment of a launch module centering system, the system comprising: a moving unit and a processing unit;

[0109] The moving unit is used to place the transmitter module under test in the lidar product onto the test fixture; the center line between the laser chip and the transmitter module itself is aligned; in practical applications, the moving unit here can be at least one of the following hardware that can realize the moving function: a robotic arm, a gripper, or a conveyor belt, or a control program built into the hardware.

[0110] The processing unit is used to illuminate at least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip to form a characteristic beam, and to project the characteristic beam onto a reflector to form a characteristic spot. In practical applications, the processing unit here can be at least one of the following: a host computer, a logic control program module, or a logic circuit in an FPGA that can perform the required functions: software and / or hardware.

[0111] The processing unit is also used to capture the characteristic light spot to obtain a light spot recording image, and to determine the coordinates of the characteristic light spot through the light spot recording image; in practical applications, the processing unit here can be hardware such as a camera that can achieve the required functions, or software programs that control the hardware.

[0112] The moving unit is also used to rotate the transmitting module horizontally by 180°;

[0113] The processing unit is also used to return to the step of projecting the feature beam onto the reflector to form the feature spot, and to obtain the coordinates of the rotated feature spot;

[0114] The processing unit is also used to adjust the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after rotation if the difference between the coordinates before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, until the coordinates of the target light spot are obtained with a difference less than or equal to the threshold; the target light spot coordinates are used to determine the center point of the transmitting module.

[0115] In some specific examples, the moving unit is used specifically for:

[0116] Obtain a test fixture with locating pin holes; the locating pin holes are located on the center line or symmetrically distributed along the center line;

[0117] With the center line between the test fixture and the launch module as the reference, place the launch module above the test fixture and insert the positioning component into the positioning pin hole to position the launch module.

[0118] In some specific examples, the processing unit is specifically used for:

[0119] If there are multiple characteristic light spots, at least one or more relatively central characteristic light spots should be selected as the selected light spots;

[0120] Based on the coordinates of each pixel in the selected light spot in the light spot recording image, the coordinates of the center point formed by the encirclement of the selected light spots are calculated as the coordinates of multiple feature light spots.

[0121] In some specific examples, the processing unit is specifically used for:

[0122] Based on the coordinates before and after rotation, calculate the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis of the characteristic beam;

[0123] Using the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis as a reference, adjust the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector until the target spot coordinates are obtained; the difference between the target spot coordinates and the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0124] In some specific examples, the moving unit is used specifically for:

[0125] A relay mirror is placed between the transmitting module and the reflector, and the characteristic beam is projected onto the reflector through the relay mirror.

[0126] In some specific examples, the processing unit is also used for:

[0127] Based on the position adjustment information of the reference transmission module, the position of the relay mirror relative to the reflector is adjusted synchronously; the processing unit can specifically be hardware and / or software programs that can control the robotic arm or slide table to achieve the required functions.

[0128] In this embodiment, the operations performed by the transmitting module on each unit of the centering system are similar to those described in the first aspect or any specific method embodiment of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Of course, the specific implementation process of each operation in the first aspect of this application can also be found in the relevant description of the second aspect.

[0129] Please see Figure 10 The electronic device in this application embodiment may include one or more processors (such as a central processing unit, CPU) and a memory, in which one or more applications or data are stored.

[0130] The memory can be volatile or persistent. The program stored in the memory can include one or more modules, each module including a series of instruction operations on the electronic device. Furthermore, the processor can be configured to communicate with the memory and execute the series of instruction operations stored in the memory on the electronic device.

[0131] Electronic devices may also include one or more power supplies, one or more wired or wireless network interfaces, one or more input / output interfaces, and / or one or more operating systems, such as Windows Server, Mac OS X, Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, etc.

[0132] The processor can perform the operations performed by the first aspect or any specific method embodiment of the first aspect, which will not be described in detail here.

[0133] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof.

[0134] This application provides a computer program product containing instructions or computer programs, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof.

[0135] It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each step does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each step should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. The operations added or refined to the above-described methods, systems, or devices (if any) may not necessarily be executed in specific implementations. If more than two operations are added, these operations can be implemented in combination or individually, depending on the actual scenario.

[0136] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the system (if it exists) and device described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0137] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system or apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

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

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

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

Claims

1. A method for debugging a lidar module, characterized in that, include: The laser chip in the LiDAR product to be tested is placed on the test fixture, and the center line between the laser chip in the laser chip and the laser chip itself is aligned. At least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip is illuminated to form a characteristic beam, and the characteristic beam is projected onto a reflector to form a characteristic spot; The characteristic light spot is photographed to obtain a light spot recording image, and the coordinates of the characteristic light spot are determined by the light spot recording image; Rotate the transmitting module horizontally by 180° and return to the step of projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic spot, to obtain the coordinates of the rotated characteristic spot; If the difference between the coordinates before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector is adjusted based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target light spot coordinates are obtained with the coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold; the target light spot coordinates are used to determine the center point of the transmitting module.

2. The laser radar module debugging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of placing the transmitter module under test in the lidar product onto the test fixture includes: Obtain a test fixture with locating pin holes machined thereon; the locating pin holes are located on the center line or symmetrically distributed along the center line. With the center line between the test fixture and the transmitting module as a reference, the transmitting module is placed on the test fixture, and the positioning member is inserted into the positioning pin hole to position the transmitting module.

3. The laser radar module debugging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the coordinates of the characteristic light spot using the light spot recording map includes: If there are multiple characteristic light spots, at least one or more of the relatively central characteristic light spots shall be selected as the selected light spots; Based on the coordinates of each pixel in the spot recording image, the coordinates of the center point formed by the selected light spots are calculated as the coordinates of multiple feature spots.

4. The laser radar module debugging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after the rotation until the target spot coordinates with a coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold include: Based on the coordinates before and after the rotation, calculate the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis of the characteristic beam; Using the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis as a reference, the position of the emitting module relative to the reflector is adjusted until the target light spot coordinates are obtained; the difference between the target light spot coordinates and the theoretical center coordinates of the optical axis is less than or equal to the threshold.

5. The laser radar module debugging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of projecting the characteristic beam onto the reflector to form a characteristic light spot includes: A relay mirror is placed between the transmitting module and the reflector, and the characteristic beam is projected onto the reflector through the relay mirror.

6. The laser radar module debugging method according to claim 5, characterized in that, After adjusting the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after the rotation, the method includes: Referring to the position adjustment information of the transmitting module, the position of the relay mirror relative to the reflector is adjusted synchronously.

7. A transmission module alignment system, characterized in that, include: Moving unit, processing unit; The moving unit is used to place the transmitting module to be tested in the lidar product onto the test fixture; The laser chip in the transmitting module is aligned with the center line of the transmitting module itself. The processing unit is used to illuminate at least a portion of the array area of ​​the laser chip to form a characteristic beam, and to project the characteristic beam onto a reflector to form a characteristic spot. The processing unit is further configured to capture the characteristic light spot to obtain a light spot recording image, and determine the coordinates of the characteristic light spot through the light spot recording image; The moving unit is also used to rotate the transmitting module horizontally by 180°; The processing unit is also used to return to the step of projecting the feature beam onto the reflector to form a feature spot, and to obtain the coordinates of the rotated feature spot; The processing unit is further configured to, if the coordinate difference before and after rotation is greater than a threshold, adjust the position of the transmitting module relative to the reflector based on the coordinates before and after rotation until the target light spot coordinates are obtained with the coordinate difference less than or equal to the threshold; the target light spot coordinates are used to determine the center point of the transmitting module.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The processor is configured to communicate with the memory and execute instructions in the memory to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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