Matrix TOF laser emission module, device and equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the field of laser radars, and provides a matrix TOF laser transmitting module, device and equipment, the transmitting module comprises a matrix laser transmitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit, and the matrix lens unit is arranged on the matrix laser transmitting chip unit; the matrix laser emission chip unit comprises 192 laser emission chips, and the 192 laser emission chips are arranged in an array; the matrix lens unit comprises 192 lenses, and the 192 lenses are arranged in an array; lenses in the matrix lens units and laser emission chips in the matrix laser emission chips are correspondingly arranged, the lenses are used for refracting laser beams emitted by the corresponding laser emission chips into single-point emission laser points, and the matrix laser emission chip units and the matrix lens units can be adopted to achieve a vertical visual angle. And meanwhile, the size of the matrix TOF laser emission module is reduced, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lidar technology, specifically to a matrix TOF laser emitting module, device, and equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, conventional lidar mainly comes in three forms: mechanical, semi-solid-state, and solid-state. Among them, 360-degree all-angle lidar has the lowest overall cost in terms of all-round detection, but its optical components are large in size and relatively complex in structure, resulting in higher cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a matrix TOF laser emitting module, device, and equipment that can achieve a vertical viewing angle using a matrix laser emitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit, while reducing the size of the matrix TOF laser emitting module and lowering the cost.

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a matrix TOF laser emitting module, the emitting module comprising: a matrix laser emitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit, wherein the matrix lens unit is disposed on the matrix laser emitting chip unit;

[0005] The matrix laser emitting chip unit includes 192 laser emitting chips, which are arranged in an array.

[0006] The matrix lens unit includes 192 lenses, which are arranged in an array.

[0007] The lenses in the matrix lens unit are configured to correspond to the laser emitting chips in the matrix laser emitting chip. The lenses are used to refract the laser beam emitted by the corresponding laser emitting chip into a single-point emitted laser point.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array, including:

[0009] The 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array of 6 rows and 32 columns.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the matrix lens unit includes 192 lenses with refractive angles corresponding to the laser emitting chip, used to arrange the matrix-arranged laser beams into a row of laser points.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the refraction angle of the lens is determined by the array spacing and array arrangement of 192 laser emitting chips.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the refraction angle of the lens is determined by the array spacing and array arrangement of the 192 laser emitting chips, including:

[0013] The laser intersection point is determined based on the array spacing and array arrangement.

[0014] The refraction angle of the lens is determined based on the laser intersection point.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the matrix laser emitting chip unit and the matrix lens unit are clamped onto the corresponding matrix TOF laser emitting chip by an interference fit.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the laser emitted by the emitting module has a vertical viewing angle.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the emission module further includes a control chip connected to the laser emission chip in the matrix laser emission chip unit, and the control chip is used to control the laser emission state of the laser emission chip.

[0018] A second aspect of this application provides a matrix TOF laser emitting device, the matrix TOF laser emitting device including a circuit board and a matrix TOF laser emitting module as described in any one of the first aspects, the matrix TOF laser emitting module being disposed on the circuit board.

[0019] A third aspect of this application provides a matrix TOF laser emitting device, the matrix TOF laser emitting device including a housing and a matrix TOF laser emitting device as described in the second aspect, the matrix TOF laser emitting device being disposed within the housing.

[0020] Implementing the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0021] (1) It can achieve a vertical viewing angle by using a matrix laser emission chip unit and a matrix lens unit, while reducing the size of the matrix TOF laser emission module and reducing the cost.

[0022] (2) It can avoid the laser point cloud jumping distortion that occurs when the galvanometer in traditional lidar is subjected to external force. Attached Figure Description

[0023] 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 briefly 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.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a matrix TOF laser emitting module is provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This application provides a schematic diagram of the laser point cloud of a matrix TOF laser emitting module.

[0026] Figure 3 This application provides a schematic diagram of the arrangement of matrix laser emitting chip units;

[0027] Figure description: Matrix lens unit: 1; Matrix laser emitting chip unit: 2. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0030] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application can be combined with other embodiments.

[0031] To better understand the matrix TOF laser emitting module provided in this application embodiment, a brief introduction to existing lidar solutions using laser emitting modules is given below. In existing solutions, a vertical viewing angle is typically achieved mechanically using galvanometers, resulting in a large lidar size. Furthermore, because galvanometers are used, laser point cloud distortion is prone to occur when subjected to external forces.

[0032] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a matrix TOF laser emitting module that utilizes a matrix laser emitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit to achieve a vertical viewing angle, while simultaneously reducing the size and cost of the matrix TOF laser emitting module. It also avoids the laser point cloud jitter distortion that occurs when the galvanometer in traditional lidar is subjected to external forces.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of a matrix TOF laser emitting module as an embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the emission module includes: a matrix laser emission chip unit 2 and a matrix lens unit 1, wherein the matrix lens unit is disposed on the matrix laser emission chip unit 2;

[0034] The matrix laser emitting chip unit 2 includes 192 laser emitting chips, which are arranged in an array.

[0035] The matrix lens unit 1 includes 192 lenses, which are arranged in an array.

[0036] The lens in the matrix lens unit 1 is set to correspond to the laser emitting chip in the matrix laser emitting chip. The lens is used to refract the laser beam emitted by the corresponding laser emitting chip into a single-point emitted laser point.

[0037] The laser emitted by the emitting module has a vertical viewing angle. For example... Figure 3 As shown, 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array of 6 rows and 32 columns. The matrix laser emitting chip unit 2 and the matrix lens unit 1 are clamped onto the corresponding matrix TOF laser emitting chip by interference fit.

[0038] In this example, a vertical viewing angle can be achieved using a matrix laser emitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit, while reducing the size of the matrix TOF laser emitting module. This achieves high integration and miniaturization, significantly reducing costs compared to existing galvanometer-based lidar systems. It also avoids the laser point cloud jitter distortion that occurs when the galvanometer in traditional lidar is subjected to external forces, thus improving reliability.

[0039] In a specific implementation, such as Figure 2As shown, the matrix lens unit 1 includes 192 lenses with refraction angles corresponding to the laser emitting chips, used to arrange the matrix-arranged laser beams into a row of laser points. Specifically, the refraction angles of the lenses are determined by the array spacing and arrangement of the 192 laser emitting chips in an array. The lenses deflect the laser beam path, which can be understood as refracting the laser light, ultimately arranging the 6 rows and 32 columns of laser beams into a row of laser point clouds (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (As shown). For specific arrangements, please refer to... Figure 3 The arrangement shown is labeled with 6 rows and 32 columns respectively. The 6 rows are sorted as A, B, C, D, E, F; and the 32 columns are sorted as 1-32. Figure 2 It involves arranging 32 points in 6 rows into a straight line to form a cloud of 192 points. The refraction angle of the lens needs to be precisely calculated to deflect the light, thus arranging the 6 rows of point clouds into a single row (A1~F32) of 192 point clouds.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the refraction angle of the lens is determined by the array spacing and array arrangement of the 192 laser emitting chips, including:

[0041] The laser intersection point is determined based on the array spacing and array arrangement; the refraction angle of the lens is determined based on the laser intersection point.

[0042] The specific method for determining laser intersection points based on array spacing and array arrangement can be as follows: Determine the row position of a specific point cloud row, and perform mapping processing on the corresponding point cloud and laser emitting chips within that row to obtain the corresponding position information of each laser emitting chip on the point cloud row. Based on this position information, the position information of the optical lenses, the position information of the laser emitting chips in the array, and the array spacing, the laser intersection points are determined. Specifically, this can be achieved using a pre-trained intersection point determination model. The input data for this model includes the corresponding position information of each laser emitting chip on the point cloud row, the position information of the optical lenses, the position information of the laser emitting chips in the array, and the array spacing.

[0043] The laser intersection can be understood as Figure 2At the optical lens, the beam crosses. After determining the crossover point, the refraction angle is determined based on the crossover point and the actual position of each laser emitting chip in the array. Specifically, a line is drawn connecting the crossover point and the position of the laser emitting chip in the array to obtain a straight line passing through both points. The angle between this line and the beam emitted perpendicularly from the laser emitting chip is determined as the lens's refraction angle. After determining the refraction angle, the direction from the position point to the crossover point is determined as the final laser emission direction, thus arranging the 6 rows of point clouds into 1 row (A1~F32) of 192 point clouds.

[0044] The emission module also includes a control chip, which is connected to the laser emission chip in the matrix laser emission chip unit 2. The control chip is used to control the laser emission state of the laser emission chip.

[0045] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0047] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A matrix TOF laser emission module, characterized by, The emitting module comprises a matrix laser emitting chip unit and a matrix lens unit, wherein the matrix lens unit is arranged above the matrix laser emitting chip unit. The matrix laser emitting chip unit comprises 192 laser emitting chips arranged in an array. The matrix lens unit comprises 192 lenses arranged in an array. The lenses in the matrix lens unit are arranged correspondingly to the laser emitting chips in the matrix laser emitting chip unit, and the lenses are used to refract the laser beams emitted by the corresponding laser emitting chips into single-point emitted laser points.

2. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array, comprising: The 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array of 6 rows and 32 columns.

3. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module of claim 2, wherein, The matrix lens unit comprises 192 lenses having corresponding refractive angles of the laser emitting chips, and is used to arrange the matrix-arranged laser beams into a row of laser points.

4. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module of claim 3, wherein, The refractive angles of the lenses are determined by the array spacing and array arrangement mode when the 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array.

5. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module of claim 4, wherein, The refractive angles of the lenses are determined by the array spacing and array arrangement mode when the 192 laser emitting chips are arranged in an array, comprising: Determine the laser intersection point according to the array spacing and array arrangement mode; Determine the refractive angle of the lens according to the laser intersection point.

6. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The matrix laser emitting chip unit and the matrix lens unit are clamped on the corresponding matrix TOF laser emitting chip through interference fit.

7. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The laser emitted by the emitting module has a vertical angle of view.

8. The matrix TOF laser transmitter module of claim 6, wherein, The emitting module further comprises a control chip connected to the laser emitting chips in the matrix laser emitting chip unit, and the control chip is used to control the laser emitting state of the laser emitting chips.

9. A matrix TOF laser emitting device, characterized in that, The matrix TOF laser emitting device comprises a circuit board and the matrix TOF laser emitting module according to any one of claims 1-8, and the matrix TOF laser emitting module is arranged on the circuit board.

10. A matrix TOF laser emitting device, characterized in that, The matrix TOF laser emitting device comprises a housing and the matrix TOF laser emitting device according to claim 9, and the matrix TOF laser emitting device is arranged in the housing.

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