Unmanned aerial vehicle cluster all-optical communication system based on laser radar detection and perception

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of space laser communication, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle cluster all-optical communication system based on laser radar detection and sensing, which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle node detection and sensing module, an optical phased array laser communication module and an unmanned aerial vehicle networking communication module, the unmanned aerial vehicle node detection sensing module comprises a laser emission unit, a laser radar driving unit and an echo detection unit, and the optical phased array laser communication module comprises a laser generation and signal processing unit, an optical phased array antenna, an optical phased array light beam pointing control unit and a large-view-field signal receiving unit. The unmanned aerial vehicle networking communication module comprises a node maintenance unit, a routing networking unit and a one-to-many time-sharing communication unit; the system adopts an all-optical detection perception and laser communication technology, is large in signal transmission bandwidth, is high in anti-electromagnetic interference capability, and can complete an unmanned aerial vehicle cluster communication task in a complex electromagnetic environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space laser communication technology, and in particular to an all-optical communication system for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms based on lidar detection and perception. Background Technology

[0002] Compared to individual drones, swarms of drones, characterized by their large scale, autonomy, and intelligence, can accomplish complex tasks. They possess greater fault tolerance and self-healing capabilities, making them widely applicable in scenarios such as low-altitude reconnaissance, communication node restoration, and high-rise building firefighting. Currently, microwave communication is commonly used for drone swarm networking. However, in complex electromagnetic environments or special environments requiring electromagnetic shielding, drone swarms using microwave communication may collectively malfunction and be unable to perform their missions due to communication band blockage.

[0003] Compared to existing microwave communication technologies, space laser communication technology offers advantages such as high bandwidth, low noise, high security, and resistance to electromagnetic interference, enabling normal communication even in complex electromagnetic environments. However, current space laser communication systems mostly employ the PAT servo tracking scheme, which includes components such as optical antennas, servo motors, and mechanical turntables. This scheme cannot meet the lightweight, integrated, and point-to-multipoint communication requirements of UAV swarm communication, thus presenting significant limitations in UAV laser communication applications.

[0004] Therefore, how to achieve all-optical detection and sensing and laser networking communication for UAV swarms, and meet the requirements of lightweight, integrated, and point-to-multipoint communication for UAV swarms, has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an all-optical communication system for UAV swarms based on lidar detection and perception, aiming to solve the problem that existing UAV swarms relying on microwave communication cannot detect, perceive, and network in an electromagnetically shielded environment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an all-optical communication system for UAV swarms based on lidar detection and perception, comprising a UAV node detection and perception module, an optical phased array laser communication module, and a UAV networking communication module. The UAV node detection and perception module includes a laser emitting unit, a lidar driving unit, and an echo detection unit. The optical phased array laser communication module includes a laser generating and signal processing unit, an optical phased array antenna, an optical phased array beam pointing control unit, and a large field-of-view signal receiving unit. The UAV networking communication module includes a node maintenance unit, a routing networking unit, and a one-to-many time-division communication unit.

[0007] The laser emitting unit is used to emit near-infrared laser pulses;

[0008] The lidar driving unit is used to control the laser emitting unit to periodically scan objects within the field of view;

[0009] The echo detection unit is used to detect the reflected near-infrared laser pulses, obtain the position, angle and distance data of the target UAV from the laser emitting unit, and transmit the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit.

[0010] The laser generating and signal processing unit is used to generate laser signals, and to perform modulation, scrambling and interleaving operations on the transmitted signals, and demodulation, descrambling and deinterleaving operations on the received signals.

[0011] The optical phased array antenna is used to split the laser signal beam into multiple channels, independently change the phase of the signal beam in each channel, and combine the signal beams in space to obtain the output signal.

[0012] The optical phased array beam pointing control unit deflects and scans the emitted signal based on the selected target UAV node position;

[0013] The large field-of-view signal receiving unit is used to receive the opposing signal beam, convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, and then transmit it to the laser generation and signal processing unit.

[0014] The node maintenance unit is used to update and manage the drone node information at the current moment, remove disconnected nodes from the drone node list, and add newly established nodes to the drone node list.

[0015] The routing network unit switches the networking mode based on actual needs and selects the optimal routing route from the list of drone nodes to achieve drone networking communication.

[0016] The one-to-many time-division communication unit inputs the target UAV node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit based on the current time period of the time-division system, and realizes time-division communication between one node and multiple nodes through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit and the optical phased array antenna.

[0017] The coordinate system of the echo detection unit and the communication coordinate system of the optical phased array beam pointing control unit need to be pre-calibrated to ensure that the coordinates of the detected target node are consistent with the laser communication coordinates.

[0018] The routing network unit supports multiple networking communication modes, including automatic networking communication and manual networking communication. The automatic networking communication defaults to networking with the plurality of nodes closest to the system in the list of UAV nodes detected by the node maintenance unit. The manual networking communication allows manual designation of any node within the LiDAR sensing range for communication.

[0019] The routing network unit adopts a distributed network architecture without a central node. This network has no fixed infrastructure, and each UAV node can dynamically interconnect with other UAV nodes. Two UAV nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other UAV nodes to forward packets, thereby enabling communication between any UAV nodes in the network.

[0020] In the aforementioned distributed network architecture without a central node, each UAV is equivalent to a routing node, which has the function of discovering UAV nodes within the LiDAR's sensing range and maintaining routes to other UAV nodes. In the distributed network architecture without a central node, there is no control center, all UAV nodes are equal in status, the network topology can be dynamically adjusted, and nodes can be accessed and dynamically scheduled.

[0021] This invention discloses an all-optical communication system for UAV swarms based on lidar detection and perception. The lidar driving unit controls the laser emitting unit to periodically scan objects within the field of view. The echo detection unit detects reflected near-infrared laser pulses and uses methods such as triangulation, pulse-time-of-flight ranging, and amplitude-modulated continuous wave ranging to acquire the position, angle, and distance data of the target UAV from the laser emitting unit, and transmits the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit. The laser generation and signal processing unit generates a laser signal and performs modulation, scrambling, and interleaving operations on the transmitted signal, and demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving operations on the received signal, improving the anti-interference capability of the signal during propagation through signal processing. The optical phased array antenna evenly splits the laser signal beam and transmits it to multiple channels, independently changing the phase of the signal beam in each channel, causing the signal beams to combine in space to obtain the output signal, thereby changing the signal... The purpose of the emission angle of the beam; the optical phased array beam pointing control unit deflects and scans the emitted signal based on the selected target UAV node position to ensure the stable establishment of the optical link; the large field-of-view signal receiving unit receives the opposing signal beam, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and then transmits it to the laser generation and signal processing unit; the node maintenance unit updates and manages the UAV node information at the current moment, removes disconnected nodes from the UAV node list, and adds newly established nodes to the UAV node list; the routing and networking unit switches the networking mode based on actual needs and selects the optimal route from the UAV node list to realize UAV networking communication; the one-to-many time-division communication unit inputs the target UAV node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit based on the current time-division system time period, and realizes time-division communication from one node to multiple nodes through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit and the optical phased array antenna.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0023] 1. The system adopts all-optical detection and sensing and laser communication technology, with a large signal transmission bandwidth and strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability, and can complete UAV swarm communication tasks in complex electromagnetic environments;

[0024] 2. This system uses optical phased array technology to realize the scanning, acquisition and tracking function of space laser communication, which can replace the traditional mechanical turntable, realize the overall system's lightweight, miniaturization and integration, and meet the UAV platform's requirements for equipment weight reduction and miniaturization;

[0025] 3. This system combines optical phased array technology with a time-division communication system. It utilizes the fast response speed and high repeatability of optical phased array equipment to achieve one-to-many spatial laser time-division communication, which can further improve the networking communication capability of UAV swarms.

[0026] 4. The system adopts a distributed network architecture without a central node. In this network architecture, there is no control center. Each UAV node can dynamically interconnect with other UAV nodes. All UAV nodes are equal in status. The network topology can be dynamically adjusted, and the network has strong resistance to damage.

[0027] 5. Supports unrestricted access and dynamic scheduling of drone nodes. Any drone node in the network has the ability to discover drone nodes within the LiDAR's sensing range and maintain routes to other drone nodes. Two drone nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other drone nodes for packet forwarding, thereby enabling communication between any drone nodes in the network. This solves the problem that existing drone swarms relying on microwave communication cannot detect, sense, and network in electromagnetically shielded environments. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention 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 the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an all-optical communication system for a drone swarm based on lidar detection and perception, provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the UAV node detection and networking communication process of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of all-optical networking communication for sparse drone swarms.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of all-optical networking communication for sparse drone swarms.

[0033] In the diagram: 1-UAV node detection and sensing module, 2-Optical phased array laser communication module, 3-UAV networking communication module, 11-Laser emitting unit, 12-LiDAR driving unit, 13-Echo detection unit, 21-Laser generation and signal processing unit, 22-Optical phased array antenna, 23-Optical phased array beam pointing control unit, 24-Large field of view signal receiving unit, 31-Node maintenance unit, 32-Route networking unit, 33-One-to-many time-division communication unit. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This invention provides an all-optical communication system for UAV swarms based on lidar detection and perception, including a UAV node detection and perception module 1, an optical phased array laser communication module 2, and a UAV networking communication module 3. The UAV node detection and perception module 1 includes a laser emitting unit 11, a lidar driving unit 12, and an echo detection unit 13. The optical phased array laser communication module 2 includes a laser generating and signal processing unit 21, an optical phased array antenna 22, an optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23, and a large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24. The UAV networking communication module 3 includes a node maintenance unit 31, a routing networking unit 32, and a one-to-many time-division communication unit 33.

[0036] The laser emitting unit 11 is used to emit near-infrared laser pulses;

[0037] The lidar driving unit 12 is used to control the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view.

[0038] The echo detection unit 13 is used to detect the reflected near-infrared laser pulse, obtain the position, angle and distance data of the target UAV from the laser emitting unit 11, and transmit the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit 31;

[0039] The laser generating and signal processing unit 21 is used to generate laser signals, and to perform modulation, scrambling and interleaving operations on the transmitted signals, and demodulation, descrambling and deinterleaving operations on the received signals.

[0040] The optical phased array antenna 22 is used to split the laser signal beam into multiple channels, independently change the phase of the signal beam in each channel, and combine the signal beams in space to obtain the output signal.

[0041] The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 deflects and scans the emitted signal based on the selected target UAV node position;

[0042] The large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 is used to receive the opposing signal beam, convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, and then transmit it to the laser generating and signal processing unit 21.

[0043] The node maintenance unit 31 is used to update and manage the drone node information at the current moment, remove disconnected nodes from the drone node list, and add newly established nodes to the drone node list.

[0044] The routing network unit 32 switches the networking mode based on actual needs and selects the optimal routing route from the list of drone nodes to realize drone networking communication.

[0045] The one-to-many time-division communication unit 33 inputs the target UAV node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 based on the current time period of the time-division system, and realizes time-division communication between one node and multiple nodes through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 and the optical phased array antenna 22.

[0046] In this embodiment of the invention, the lidar driving unit 12 controls the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view; the echo detection unit 13 detects the reflected near-infrared laser pulses and uses methods such as triangulation, pulse-time-of-flight ranging, and amplitude-modulated continuous wave ranging to obtain the position, angle, and distance data of the target UAV from the laser emitting unit 11, and transmits the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit 31; the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 generates a laser signal and performs modulation, scrambling, and interleaving operations on the transmitted signal, and demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving operations on the received signal, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the signal during propagation; the optical phased array antenna 22 divides the laser signal beam into multiple channels, independently changes the phase of the signal beam in each channel, and combines the signal beams in space to obtain the output signal, thereby changing the emission angle of the signal beam; The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 deflects and scans the emitted signal based on the selected target UAV node position to ensure the stable establishment of the optical link; the large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 receives the opposing signal beam, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and then transmits it to the laser generation and signal processing unit 21; the node maintenance unit 31 updates and manages the UAV node information at the current moment, removes disconnected nodes from the UAV node list, and adds newly established nodes to the UAV node list; the routing and networking unit 32 switches the networking mode based on actual needs and selects the optimal route from the UAV node list to realize UAV networking communication; the one-to-many time-division communication unit 33 inputs the target UAV node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 based on the current time-division system time period, and realizes time-division communication from one node to multiple nodes through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 and the optical phased array antenna 22.

[0047] Furthermore, the detection coordinate system of the echo detection unit 13 and the communication coordinate system of the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 need to be pre-calibrated to ensure that the coordinates of the detected target node are consistent with the laser communication coordinates.

[0048] Furthermore, the routing networking unit 32 supports multiple networking communication modes, including automatic networking communication and manual networking communication. The automatic networking communication defaults to networking communication with the plurality of nodes closest to the system in the list of detected UAV nodes of the node maintenance unit 31. The manual networking communication allows manual designation of any node within the sensing range of the lidar for communication.

[0049] Furthermore, the routing networking unit 32 adopts a distributed network architecture without a central node. This network has no fixed infrastructure, and each UAV node can dynamically interconnect with other UAV nodes. Two UAV nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other UAV nodes to forward packets, thereby enabling communication between any UAV nodes in the network.

[0050] Furthermore, in the aforementioned distributed network architecture without a central node, each UAV node is also equivalent to a router, possessing the ability to discover UAV nodes within the LiDAR's sensing range and maintain routes to other UAV nodes. In this distributed network architecture without a central node, there is no control center, all UAV nodes are equal in status, the network topology can be dynamically adjusted, and nodes can be accessed and dynamically scheduled at will.

[0051] To better understand this technical solution, the following embodiments are provided for further explanation:

[0052] Example 1:

[0053] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the all-optical networking communication system for dense drone swarms according to the present invention. Example 1 provides an all-optical communication system for drone swarms based on lidar detection and sensing, including a drone node detection and sensing module 1, an optical phased array laser communication module 2, and a drone networking communication module 3. In this embodiment, the drone node detection and sensing module 1 uses a Flash-type lidar, the optical phased array laser communication module 2 uses a silicon-based optical waveguide optical phased array antenna 22, and the drone networking communication module 3 uses an automatic networking communication mode, where the current node networks with the plurality of drone nodes closest to the system in the list of detected drone nodes.

[0054] The UAV node detection and sensing module 1 uses a Flash-type lidar to detect UAV nodes around the sensing device. It includes a laser emitting unit 11, a lidar driving unit 12, and an echo detection unit 13. The Flash-type lidar has a large beam divergence angle and detection field of view, which can perform global imaging in one go. It obtains depth information based on the beam flight time and has a good effect on the medium and short range detection of dense UAV clusters.

[0055] The laser emitting unit 11 uses a VCSEL surface-type emitting light source to emit near-infrared laser pulses. It has a large beam divergence angle and detection field of view, and can perform one-time global imaging.

[0056] The lidar driving unit 12 uses a pulsed driving method to control the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view of the UAV node detection and perception module 1.

[0057] The echo detection unit 13 is used to detect the reflected near-infrared laser pulses. It uses the pulse time-of-flight ranging method to obtain the depth information at the target point based on the beam flight time, thereby calculating the position, angle, distance and other data of the target UAV from the UAV node detection and sensing module 1, and transmitting the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit 31 of the UAV networking communication module 3.

[0058] The optical phased array laser communication module 2 employs a silicon-based optical waveguide optical phased array antenna 22 for space laser communication with UAV nodes at known locations. It includes a laser generation and signal processing unit 21, an optical phased array antenna 22, an optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23, and a large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24. The silicon-based optical waveguide optical phased array antenna 22 features fast response speed, high repeatability, and a large beam deflection angle, enabling one-to-many time-division communication. It is suitable for communication between multiple nodes in a dense UAV swarm and at close range.

[0059] The laser generation and signal processing unit 21 is used to generate a laser signal seed source and perform operations such as modulation, scrambling, and interleaving on the transmitted signal, and to perform operations such as demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving on the received signal, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the signal during propagation through signal processing.

[0060] The optical phased array antenna 22 uses a silicon-based optical waveguide to split the signal beam generated by the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 into multiple channels, independently change the phase of the signal beam in each channel, and combine the signal beams in space to control the signal beam to deflect to a specified position.

[0061] The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 controls the optical phased array antenna 22 to deflect and scan the signal beam emitted by the optical phased array antenna 22 toward the target position according to the target UAV node position selected in the UAV networking communication module 3, so as to ensure the stable establishment of the optical link.

[0062] The large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 is used to receive the opposing signal beam, convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmit it to the laser generation and signal processing unit 21.

[0063] The UAV networking communication module 3 is used for networking communication and route switching of the UAV swarm, and includes a node maintenance unit 31, a routing networking unit 32, and a one-to-many time-division communication unit 33. In this embodiment, the UAV networking communication module 3 adopts a network communication method of nearest-distance multiple UAV nodes.

[0064] The node maintenance unit 31 is used to update and manage the drone node information of the system at the current moment, remove disconnected nodes from the drone node list, and add newly established nodes to the drone node list.

[0065] The routing network unit 32 employs an automatic networking communication method. This node establishes a network with the plurality of drone nodes closest to the system in the list of detected drone nodes. Two drone nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other drone nodes for packet forwarding. The optimal route is selected from the current drone node list in the node maintenance unit 31, thereby enabling communication between any drone nodes in the network.

[0066] The one-to-many time-division communication unit 33 inputs the target UAV node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 of the optical phased array laser communication module 2 according to the current time period of the time-division system, and realizes time-division communication between one node and multiple nodes through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 and the phased array antenna.

[0067] The workflow of Example 1 includes initialization, node detection, node networking and routing selection, optical link establishment, and UAV swarm network communication. The specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0068] Initialization: Initialize the UAV networking communication module 3 and the optical phased array laser communication module 2. In the UAV networking communication module 3, the node maintenance unit 31 creates a blank UAV node list, and the routing networking unit 32 selects a preset networking communication mode; in the optical phased array laser communication module 2, the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 sets the phase modulation parameters corresponding to each channel of the optical phased array antenna 22 to the initial value, and the optical phased array antenna 22 calibrates the optical phase of each channel.

[0069] Node Detection: The UAV node detection and sensing module 1 detects UAV nodes within its sensing range and transmits information such as the UAV node location to the UAV networking communication module 3. In the UAV node detection and sensing module 1, the lidar driving unit 12 controls the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view of the UAV node detection and sensing module 1 using near-infrared laser pulses. The echo detection unit 13 detects the reflected near-infrared laser pulses. The UAV networking communication module 3, centered on this node, detects all UAV nodes within a 100-meter range, acquiring data such as the position, angle, and distance of the target UAV, and transmits the target UAV node location information to the node maintenance unit 31 of the UAV networking communication module 3.

[0070] Node networking and routing selection: The UAV networking communication module 3 updates the UAV node information within the local area network in real time, selects the four closest UAV nodes within the detection range to form a link network, and after the network is completed, communication between any two UAV nodes in the network is achieved through the central node in the link. In the UAV networking communication module 3, the node maintenance unit 31 receives the UAV node information transmitted from the UAV node detection and sensing module 1 and updates it in real time, removing disconnected nodes from the UAV node list and adding newly established links to the UAV node list; the routing networking unit 32 selects the optimal route from the current UAV node list of the node maintenance unit 31 to achieve communication between any two UAV nodes; the one-to-many time-division communication unit 33, according to the networking requirements, transmits the coordinates of one or more target UAV nodes to the optical phased array laser communication module 2, directing the optical phased array laser beam to the control unit 23, and controls the optical phased array laser communication module 2 to conduct spatial laser communication with one or more target UAV nodes.

[0071] Optical Link Establishment: The optical phased array laser communication module 2 receives the coordinates of the target UAV node and establishes a laser communication link with it. In the optical phased array laser communication module 2, the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 generates a laser seed source and performs signal processing operations such as modulation, scrambling, and interleaving on the seed source to generate a signal beam that is transmitted to the optical phased array antenna 22. The optical phased array antenna 22 splits the signal beam evenly and transmits it to multiple channels, independently changing the phase of each channel's signal beam to combine them in space. The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 receives the target UAV node position selected by the UAV networking communication module 3 and controls the signal beam emitted by the optical phased array antenna 22 to deflect and scan towards the target position. The large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 receives the opposing signal beam, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 for demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving signal processing operations. Once the target UAV node receives the optical signal from its local node and the local node receives the optical signal from the target UAV node, the optical link is established.

[0072] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Swarm Network Communication: After the UAV swarm completes node networking and optical link establishment, each UAV node can dynamically interconnect with other UAV nodes. All UAV nodes are of equal status and have the ability to discover UAV nodes within the LiDAR sensing range and maintain routes to other UAV nodes. Two UAV nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other UAV nodes for packet forwarding, thereby realizing communication between any UAV nodes in the network.

[0073] Example 1 is specifically designed for dense drone swarm networking communication. The drone node detection and sensing module 1 uses a Flash-type LiDAR, the optical phased array laser communication module 2 uses the silicon-based optical waveguide optical phased array antenna 22, and the drone networking communication module 3 employs an automatic networking communication method, where the current node networks with the plurality of drone nodes closest to the system in the detected drone node list. This example demonstrates good communication performance in dense drone swarm networking scenarios.

[0074] Example 2:

[0075] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the all-optical networking communication system for sparse drone swarms according to the present invention. Example 2 provides an all-optical communication system for drone swarms based on lidar detection and perception, including a drone node detection and perception module 1, an optical phased array laser communication module 2, and a drone networking communication module 3. In this example, the drone node detection and perception module 1 uses an OPA-type lidar, the optical phased array laser communication module 2 uses an optical phased array antenna 22 with a liquid crystal waveguide, and the drone networking communication module 3 uses an automatic networking communication method, dividing the space into four partitions with a 90° angle range centered on the current node. The current node then networks with the node closest to it in each of the four partitions.

[0076] The UAV node detection and sensing module 1 uses an OPA-type lidar to detect UAV nodes around the sensing device. It includes a laser emitting unit 11, a lidar driving unit 12, and an echo detection unit 13. The OPA-type lidar has a fast response speed and high detection accuracy, and it is effective in tracking high-speed moving targets in sparse UAV swarm scenarios.

[0077] The laser emitting unit 11 uses a silicon-based optical phased array antenna 22 to emit near-infrared laser pulses.

[0078] The lidar driving unit 12 is used to control the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view of the UAV node detection and perception module 1.

[0079] The echo detection unit 13 is used to detect the reflected near-infrared laser pulses. It uses the pulse time-of-flight ranging method to obtain the depth information at the target point based on the beam flight time, thereby calculating the position, angle, distance and other data of the target UAV from the UAV node detection and sensing module 1, and transmitting the target UAV node position information to the node maintenance unit 31 of the UAV networking communication module 3.

[0080] The optical phased array laser communication module 2 employs a liquid crystal waveguide optical phased array antenna 22 for space laser communication with UAV nodes at known locations. It includes a laser generation and signal processing unit 21, an optical phased array antenna 22, an optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23, and a large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24. Compared to silicon-based optical phased arrays, liquid crystal waveguide optical phased arrays offer longer beam communication distances, making them suitable for medium- to long-range communication in sparse UAV swarms.

[0081] The laser generation and signal processing unit 21 is used to generate a laser signal seed source and perform operations such as modulation, scrambling, and interleaving on the transmitted signal, and to perform operations such as demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving on the received signal, thereby improving the anti-interference capability of the signal during propagation through signal processing.

[0082] The optical phased array antenna 22 uses a liquid crystal waveguide to deflect the signal beam generated by the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 to a designated position after passing through the liquid crystal screen by changing the crystal structure arrangement of the liquid crystal screen.

[0083] The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 controls the optical phased array antenna 22 to deflect and scan the signal beam emitted by the optical phased array antenna 22 toward the target position according to the target UAV node position selected in the UAV networking communication module 3, so as to ensure the stable establishment of the optical link.

[0084] The large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 is used to receive the opposing signal beam, convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmit it to the laser generation and signal processing unit 21.

[0085] The UAV networking communication module 3 is used for networking communication and routing switching of the UAV cluster, and includes a node maintenance unit 31 and a routing networking unit 32. The UAV networking communication module 3 adopts an automatic networking communication mode, dividing the space into four partitions with a 90° angle range centered on the current node, and networking with the node closest to the current node in each partition.

[0086] The node maintenance unit 31 is used to update and manage the drone node information of the system at the current moment, remove disconnected nodes from the drone node list, and add newly established nodes to the drone node list.

[0087] The routing network unit 32 adopts an automatic networking communication method. Centered on this node, the space is divided into four partitions with an average angle range of 90°. This node selects the drone node closest to the system from the detected drone nodes in each partition for networking communication. Two drone nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other drone nodes for group forwarding. The optimal route is selected from the current drone node list of the node maintenance unit 31, thereby realizing communication between any drone nodes in the network.

[0088] The workflow of Example 2 includes initialization, node detection, node networking and routing selection, optical link establishment, and UAV swarm network communication. The specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0089] Initialization: Initialize the UAV networking communication module 3 and the optical phased array laser communication module 2. In the UAV networking communication module 3, the node maintenance unit 31 creates a blank UAV node list, and the routing networking unit 32 selects a preset networking communication mode; in the optical phased array laser communication module 2, the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 sets the phase modulation parameters corresponding to each channel of the optical phased array antenna 22 to the initial value, and the optical phased array antenna 22 calibrates the optical phase of each channel.

[0090] Node Detection: The UAV node detection and sensing module 1 detects UAV nodes within its sensing range and transmits information such as the UAV node location to the UAV networking communication module 3. In the UAV node detection and sensing module 1, the lidar driving unit 12 controls the laser emitting unit 11 to periodically scan objects within the field of view of the UAV node detection and sensing module 1 using near-infrared laser pulses. The echo detection unit 13 detects the reflected near-infrared laser pulses. The UAV networking communication module 3, centered on this node, divides the space into four 90° angular zones, detects all UAV nodes within a 1000-meter range of each zone, acquires data such as the position, angle, and distance of the target UAV, and transmits the target UAV node location information to the node maintenance unit 31 of the UAV networking communication module 3, storing it according to the four zones.

[0091] Node networking and routing selection: The UAV networking communication module 3 updates the UAV node information within the local area network in real time, selects the UAV node closest to the current UAV node within each of the four detection zones to form a link network, and after the networking is completed, communication between any two UAV nodes in the network is achieved through the central node in the link. In the UAV networking communication module 3, the node maintenance unit 31 receives the UAV node information transmitted from the UAV node detection and sensing module 1 and updates it in real time, removing disconnected nodes from the UAV node list and adding newly established links to the UAV node list; the routing networking unit 32 selects the optimal route from the current UAV node list of the node maintenance unit 31 to achieve communication between any two UAV nodes; the one-to-many time-division communication unit 33 transmits the coordinates of one or more target UAV nodes to the optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 of the optical phased array laser communication module 2 according to the networking requirements, and controls the optical phased array laser communication module 2 to conduct spatial laser communication with one or more target UAV nodes.

[0092] Optical Link Establishment: The optical phased array laser communication module 2 receives the coordinates of the target UAV node and establishes a laser communication link with it. In the optical phased array laser communication module 2, the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 generates a laser seed source and performs signal processing operations such as modulation, scrambling, and interleaving on the seed source to generate a signal beam that is transmitted to the optical phased array antenna 22. The optical phased array antenna 22 splits the signal beam evenly and transmits it to multiple channels, independently changing the phase of each channel's signal beam to combine them in space. The optical phased array beam pointing control unit 23 receives the target UAV node position selected by the UAV networking communication module 3 and controls the signal beam emitted by the optical phased array antenna 22 to deflect and scan towards the target position. The large field-of-view signal receiving unit 24 receives the opposing signal beam, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the laser generation and signal processing unit 21 for demodulation, descrambling, and deinterleaving signal processing operations. Once the target UAV node receives the optical signal from its local node and the local node receives the optical signal from the target UAV node, the optical link is established.

[0093] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Swarm Network Communication: After the UAV swarm completes node networking and optical link establishment, each UAV node can dynamically interconnect with other UAV nodes. All UAV nodes are of equal status and have the ability to discover UAV nodes within the LiDAR sensing range and maintain routes to other UAV nodes. Two UAV nodes that cannot communicate directly can use other UAV nodes for packet forwarding, thereby realizing communication between any UAV nodes in the network.

[0094] Example 2 makes targeted adjustments for sparse drone swarm networking communication. The drone node detection and sensing module 1 uses an OPA-type lidar, the optical phased array laser communication module 2 uses the optical phased array antenna 22 with a silicon-based optical waveguide, and the drone networking communication module 3 adopts an automatic networking communication method. Centered on the current node, the space is divided into four partitions with an average angle range of 90°, and networking communication is established with the node closest to the current node in each partition. This example shows good communication performance in sparse drone swarm networking communication scenarios.

[0095] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the all-optical communication system for UAV swarms based on lidar detection and perception according to the present invention. Of course, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes of the above embodiments can be implemented, and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A full-optical communication system based on laser radar detection and sensing for a UAV cluster, characterized in that ； The unmanned aerial vehicle node detection and sensing module includes a laser emission unit, a laser radar driving unit and a echo detection unit, the optical phased array laser communication module includes a laser generation and signal processing unit, an optical phased array antenna, an optical phased array beam pointing control unit and a large field of view signal receiving unit, and the unmanned aerial vehicle networking communication module includes a node maintenance unit, a routing networking unit and a one-to-many time division communication unit. The laser emission unit is configured to emit near-infrared laser pulses. The laser radar driving unit is configured to control the laser emission unit to periodically scan objects in a field of view. The echo detection unit is configured to detect reflected near-infrared laser pulses, obtain position, angle and distance data of a target unmanned aerial vehicle from the laser emission unit, and transmit target unmanned aerial vehicle node position information to the node maintenance unit. The laser generation and signal processing unit is configured to generate laser signals, and perform modulation, scrambling and interleaving operations on the transmitted signals, and perform demodulation, descrambling and deinterleaving operations on the received signals. The optical phased array antenna is configured to evenly split the laser signal beams and transmit them into multiple channels, independently change the phases of the channel signal beams, and combine the channel signal beams in space to obtain an outgoing signal. The optical phased array beam pointing control unit is configured to deflect and scan the outgoing signal based on the selected target unmanned aerial vehicle node position. The large field of view signal receiving unit is configured to receive the opposite signal beams, convert the optical signals into electrical signals, and then transmit them to the laser generation and signal processing unit. The node maintenance unit is configured to update and manage unmanned aerial vehicle node information at the current time, remove disconnected nodes from the unmanned aerial vehicle node list, and add newly connected nodes to the unmanned aerial vehicle node list. The routing networking unit is configured to switch the networking mode based on actual needs, select the optimal routing route from the unmanned aerial vehicle node list, and realize unmanned aerial vehicle networking communication. The one-to-many time division communication unit is configured to input the target unmanned aerial vehicle node position into the optical phased array beam pointing control unit based on the current time division system time period, and realize one-to-many time division communication of a node through the optical phased array beam pointing control unit and the optical phased array antenna.

2. The LIDAR detection aware UAV swarm all-optical communication system of claim 1, wherein ； The echo detection unit detection coordinate system and the optical phased array beam pointing control unit communication coordinate system need to be pre-calibrated to ensure that the detected target node coordinates and laser communication coordinates are consistent.

3. The laser radar detection-aware UAV swarm all-optical communication system of claim 1, The routing networking unit supports multiple networking communication modes, including automatic networking communication and manual networking communication. The automatic networking communication defaults to networking communication with multiple nodes closest to the system in the node maintenance unit detected unmanned aerial vehicle node list, and the manual networking communication can manually specify any node within the laser radar sensing range for communication.

4. The laser radar detection-aware UAV swarm all-optical communication system of claim 1, ​ The routing networking unit adopts a distributed network architecture without a central node, the network has no fixed infrastructure, each unmanned aerial vehicle node can be dynamically interconnected with other unmanned aerial vehicle nodes, two unmanned aerial vehicle nodes which cannot directly communicate can be grouped and forwarded by means of other unmanned aerial vehicle nodes, and communication between any unmanned aerial vehicle nodes in the network is realized.

5. The laser radar detection-aware based drone swarm all-optical communication system of claim 1, It is characterized in that; In the distributed network architecture without a central node, each unmanned aerial vehicle node also corresponds to a router, has the functions of discovering unmanned aerial vehicle nodes within the sensing range of a laser radar and maintaining routing to other unmanned aerial vehicle nodes, the distributed network architecture without a central node has no control center, the positions of any unmanned aerial vehicle nodes are equal, the network topology structure can be dynamically adjusted, and random access and dynamic scheduling of nodes are supported.

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