Lidar light source and lidar system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of laser radars, and discloses a laser radar light source and a laser radar system, wherein the laser radar light source comprises a substrate; a light-emitting module arranged on the substrate, the light-emitting module comprising a first column of lamp beads and a second column of lamp beads, the first column of lamp beads and the second column of lamp beads being arranged in a staggered mode along the column length direction; and a first light-adjusting lens comprising a first light-adjusting part, a first supporting part and a second light-adjusting part, the lower end and the upper end of the first supporting part being connected with the first light-adjusting part and the second light-adjusting part respectively, a first cavity being formed in the first light-adjusting part, the first supporting part and the second light-adjusting part, and the first light-adjusting part being arranged above the second column of lamp beads. The application can improve the resolution of the laser radar light source, and can avoid the staggered arrangement of the scanning and detection results of the lamp beads in different columns on a target object, so that the detection results are not distorted after laser is returned to the receiving module of the laser radar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lidar technology, specifically to lidar light sources and lidar systems. Background Technology

[0002] LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a radar system that uses a linear array scanning laser light source to emit laser beams to detect the position, velocity, and shape of a target. These features are then received by a laser receiving sensor and converted into image information. It is widely used in autonomous driving, intelligent robotics, surveying, and other fields. Current LiDAR emission modules employ three emission scanning methods: point array, linear array, and area array. Linear array scanning is currently the most common LiDAR emission scanning method.

[0003] Currently, to improve the resolution of lidar detection and scanning, the number of lines in lidar light sources is constantly increasing, from 16 lines, 32 lines, and 64 lines to 128 lines and 192 lines, and may even exceed 1000 lines in the future. With the increase in the number of lines, the number of LEDs also increases. LEDs arranged in a linear pattern occupy a very large area, forming a long, narrow structure, which is detrimental to product structural design. To reduce the size of the laser light source, a denser arrangement of LEDs is required. However, since the LEDs themselves occupy a certain size, a denser arrangement leads to narrower spacing between adjacent LEDs and an excessive number of LEDs per unit area, which can easily cause excessive heat accumulation in localized areas, burning out the LEDs. Therefore, the improvement in lidar detection and scanning resolution is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a lidar light source and lidar system to solve the technical problem of insufficient detection and scanning resolution of lidar light sources.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a lidar light source, comprising:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] A light-emitting module is disposed on a substrate. The light-emitting module includes a first row of LED beads and a second row of LED beads, which are staggered along the column length.

[0008] The first dimming lens includes a first dimming part, a first support part, and a second dimming part. The lower end and the upper end of the first support part are connected to the first dimming part and the second dimming part, respectively. A first cavity is formed in the first dimming part, the first support part, and the second dimming part. The first dimming part is disposed above the second row of LED beads. The first support part is tilted towards the first row of LED beads so that the projection of the beam emission point of the second dimming part along the column length is located on the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of LED beads. The first dimming part is used to deflect the beam emitted by the second row of LED beads towards the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of LED beads. The beam after being deflected by the first dimming part enters the first cavity. The second dimming part is used to deflect the beam incident through the first cavity so that the direction of the emitted beam is the same as the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of LED beads.

[0009] The lidar light source of the present invention arranges LEDs in different columns on a substrate in a staggered manner, and uses a first dimming lens to deflect the light beam emitted by the second column of LEDs before it is emitted into the column containing the first column of LEDs. Furthermore, the first and second columns of LEDs emit light at the same angle, ensuring sufficient distance between adjacent LEDs in the same column. This facilitates heat dissipation of the light-emitting module, prevents excessive heat accumulation in localized areas, and avoids burning out the LEDs. Therefore, the number of LEDs can be increased beyond the existing upper limit for LED arrangement, improving the resolution of the lidar light source. Moreover, it avoids misalignment of the scanning and detection results on the target object caused by LEDs in different columns, which leads to distortion of the detection results after the laser returns to the lidar receiving module, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of the reproduction of the target object's true condition.

[0010] In one optional embodiment, the first dimming unit has a first surface on the side away from the second row of LEDs, the second dimming unit has a second surface on the side near the first cavity, and a third surface on the side away from the first cavity. The first surface is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the second row of LEDs toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LEDs, and the second and third surfaces are used to deflect the light beam incident through the first cavity so that the direction of the emitted light beam is the same as the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LEDs.

[0011] In this method, the first surface of the first dimming unit is defined as the deflection surface of the first row of lamp bead beams, and the second and third surfaces of the second dimming unit are the cooperative deflection surfaces of the cavity incident beams. The curvature, tilt angle and other parameters of each surface can be designed in a targeted manner to precisely control the deflection angle of the beams and ensure that the coaxiality deviation of the two rows of lamp bead beams is controlled within a very small range, thereby further improving the optical performance stability of the light source.

[0012] In one optional embodiment, the refractive indices of both the first dimming unit and the second dimming unit are greater than the refractive index of air. The first surface is an arc-shaped surface, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam emitted from the second row of LEDs at the exit point of the first surface and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LEDs is greater than 90 degrees. The second surface is a plane, and the third surface is an arc-shaped surface. The angle between the second surface and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LEDs is greater than or equal to 90 degrees, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam at the exit point of the third surface and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LEDs is less than 90 degrees.

[0013] In this method, by clearly defining the surface morphology and included angle parameters of the first dimming unit and the second dimming unit, it is convenient to process and manufacture the first dimming unit and the second dimming unit.

[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the second dimming unit has a fourth surface on the side near the second row of LEDs, and a second cavity is formed between the fourth surface and the substrate. The second row of LEDs is located in the second cavity, and the fourth surface is used to deflect the light beam emitted by the second row of LEDs toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted by the first row of LEDs.

[0015] In this approach, the beam can be further deflected by the fourth surface, thereby reducing the overall height of the first dimming lens and shrinking the component size.

[0016] In one alternative embodiment, the fourth surface is a plane, and the angle between the beam emitted from the second row of LEDs and the fourth surface on the side closer to the first row of LEDs is less than 90 degrees.

[0017] In this method, the light beam emitted from the first row of LEDs can be deflected toward the optical axis of the light beam emitted from the second row of LEDs.

[0018] In one optional embodiment, the lidar light source further includes a second dimming lens. The second dimming lens has the same structure as the first dimming lens and is symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis between the first row of LEDs and the second row of LEDs. The second dimming lens is disposed above the first row of LEDs to deflect the light beam emitted by the first row of LEDs to the central axis and then emit it in a preset direction.

[0019] In this method, the first dimming lens refracts the second row of LEDs twice, and the second dimming lens refracts the first row of LEDs twice, so that the light beams of the first row of LEDs and the second row of LEDs are arranged in an alternating pattern, which reduces the dimming capability requirements of the first dimming lens and the second dimming lens, and thus reduces the overall height of the first dimming lens and the second dimming lens.

[0020] In one alternative implementation, the light-emitting module further includes a third row of LEDs, which are arranged on the central axis.

[0021] In this method, the light emitted by the three rows of LEDs can be reflected or transmitted to the first adjustment lens and emitted at the same angle, which further improves the directional consistency and energy concentration of the emitted light from the light source, and meets the requirements of lidar for light source performance in more complex application scenarios.

[0022] In one optional embodiment, a third dimming lens is provided above the third row of LEDs, which is used to dim or collimate the light beam emitted by the third row of LEDs.

[0023] In this method, the beam emitted from the third row of LEDs is dimmed or collimated by the third dimming lens, which can make the beam emitted from the third row of LEDs more accurately transmitted to the central axis and emitted in a preset direction, thus meeting the requirements of lidar for light source performance in more complex application scenarios.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a lidar system comprising a lidar light source as described in any of the first aspects of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lidar light source in related technologies;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a single-line scanning detection method for a lidar light source.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lamp bead arrangement of the lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a front view of a lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a right view of a lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a front view of another lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a front view of another lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8This is a front view of another lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a lidar light source scanning and detecting a target object without a first dimming lens;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a lidar light source scanning and detecting a target object according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the lamp bead arrangement of another lidar light source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lidar system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0039] 100, Substrate; 110, Light-emitting module; 1101, Lamp beads; 1101a, First row of lamp beads; 1101b, Second row of lamp beads; 1101c, Third row of lamp beads; 1102, Lead wire; 200, Driving module; 300, Cell unit; 120, First dimming lens; 1201, First dimming section; 1202, First support section; 1203, Second dimming section; 1204, First cavity; 1205, Second cavity; 1201a, First surface; 1203a, Second surface; 1203b, Third surface; 1201b, Fourth surface; 130, Second dimming lens; 1301, Third dimming section; 1302, Second support section; 1303, Fourth dimming section; 1304, Third cavity; 10, LiDAR light source; 20, Galvanometer; 30, Target object; 40, Laser receiving sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. The terms "parallel," "perpendicular," and "equal" include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, where the range of similarity is within an acceptable deviation range, which is determined by a person skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate parallelism can be, for example, within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, within 5°; "equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate equality can be, for example, the difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one. For a person skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, in related technologies, a lidar light source includes a substrate 100, a driving module 200, and multiple light-emitting modules 110. The light-emitting modules 110 are disposed on the substrate 100 and include several LEDs 1101. The light-emitting modules 110 are electrically connected to the driving module 200 via leads 1102. Each light-emitting module 110 has several LEDs 1101 arranged in a linear fashion, and the LEDs 1101 between multiple light-emitting modules 110 are also arranged in a linear fashion.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the single-line scanning detection of target 30 using a current linear array scanning lidar light source. (Reference) Figure 1 and Figure 2 Several LEDs 1101 are arranged in a linear pattern. This arrangement facilitates scanning of the target object 30 when the lidar system uses a linear array scanning method. The target object 30 can be decomposed into multiple cells 300 arranged in a matrix. Because the LEDs 1101 are arranged in a long strip, the spacing between adjacent LEDs 1101 is too large, and the spacing between adjacent light spots 1101' projected onto the target object 30 is also large, resulting in low resolution when scanning and detecting the target object 30. To improve the accuracy and pixel count of lidar detection and scanning, the number of lines in current lidar systems is constantly increasing, from 16 lines, 32 lines, 64 lines to 128 lines and 192 lines, and may even reach more than 1000 lines in the future. With the increase in the number of lines, the number of LEDs 1101 also increases. Figure 1 The linear arrangement of the light-emitting module 110 results in a very large size for the laser light source, forming a long, elongated structure, which is detrimental to the product's structural design. To reduce the size of the laser light source, a denser arrangement of LEDs 1101 is required. Since the LEDs 1101 themselves occupy a certain size, a dense arrangement of LEDs 1101 presents a physical obstacle. Furthermore, the narrow spacing between adjacent LEDs 1101 and the excessive number of LEDs 1101 per unit area can easily lead to excessive heat accumulation in localized areas, causing the LEDs 1101 to burn out. Therefore, according to the current design approach, to improve resolution, a dense arrangement of LEDs 1101 inevitably leads to poor heat dissipation and LED burnout problems.

[0044] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a lidar light source and a lidar system. To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lidar light source is provided. For example... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the lidar light source includes:

[0046] substrate 100;

[0047] The light-emitting module 110 is disposed on the substrate 100. The light-emitting module 110 includes a first row of LED beads 1101a and a second row of LED beads 1101b. The first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b are staggered along the column length direction.

[0048] The first dimming lens 120 includes a first dimming part 1201, a first support part 1202, and a second dimming part 1203. The lower end and the upper end of the first support part 1202 are connected to the first dimming part 1201 and the second dimming part 1203, respectively. A first cavity 1204 is formed in the first dimming part 1201, the first support part 1202, and the second dimming part 1203. The first dimming part 1201 is disposed above the second row of LED beads 1101b. The first support part 1202 is tilted towards the first row of LED beads 1101a to enable second dimming. The projection of the beam emission point of section 1203 along the column length direction is located on the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of lamp beads 1101a. The first dimming section 1201 is used to deflect the beam emitted by the second row of lamp beads 1101b toward the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of lamp beads 1101a. The beam after being deflected by the first dimming section 1201 enters the first cavity 1204. The second dimming section 1203 is used to deflect the beam incident through the first cavity 1204 so that the direction of the emitted beam is the same as the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of lamp beads 1101a.

[0049] Specifically, substrate 100 is a physical support platform that carries components on the lidar light source, such as a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0050] The light-emitting module 110 includes at least two rows of LED beads 1101, namely a first row of LED beads 1101a and a second row of LED beads 1101b. The initial emission direction of the LED beads 1101 in either row is upward, perpendicular to the substrate 100. Each row of LED beads 1101 includes multiple LED beads 1101 spaced apart along the Y direction, i.e., the column length direction. The LED beads 1101 in different rows are arranged in a linear staggered manner, that is, after the LED beads 1101 in different rows are projected onto the same column along the X direction, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the column length, the LED beads 1101 are staggered along the column length direction.

[0051] The spacing between adjacent LED beads 1101 may be equal or unequal. Preferably, after LED beads 1101 from different columns are translated to the same column position along the direction perpendicular to the column length, the spacing between adjacent LED beads 1101 becomes equal. At this time, the spacing between adjacent light spots is equal, and under normal circumstances, the point cloud information obtained by scanning will be more uniform and consistent, which helps to improve the accuracy of radar detection. In special cases, the spacing between adjacent LED beads 1101 may need to be set to unequal in order to obtain more uniform and consistent point cloud information.

[0052] With this arrangement, compared to a single-row arrangement of LEDs 1101, more LEDs 1101 can be placed on a substrate 100 of the same length without requiring a very long strip. This simplifies device configuration, reduces the overall size of the product, and ensures that adjacent light spots perpendicular to the scanning direction are spaced closer together, significantly improving resolution when scanning and detecting the target object 30. Furthermore, the distance between adjacent LEDs 1101 in the same row and between LEDs 1101 in different rows can be increased, thereby solving problems such as poor heat dissipation and lamp burn-out.

[0053] However, when the lidar light source scans the target 30, the laser spots emitted by different columns of LEDs 1101, such as the first column of LEDs 1101a and the second column of LEDs 1101b, are not located on the same cell 300 when projected onto the target 30. Figure 9As shown, the projected light spot of the first row of LED beads 1101a on the target object 30 is 1101a', and the projected light spot of the second row of LED beads 1101b on the target object 30 is 1101b'. Both of them perform horizontal back-and-forth scanning on a row of cells 300 of the target object 30, causing the scanning detection results of the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b to be misaligned. After the laser returns to the receiving module of the lidar, the detection result is distorted, the restoration of the true situation of the target object 30 decreases, and more difficulties will be added when processing by the lidar receiving module and the image processing module.

[0054] Therefore, the present invention further includes a first dimming lens 120. The light emission direction of the LED 1101 is generally perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 100, that is, the light emission direction is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The first dimming lens 120 is disposed above the second row of LEDs 1101b, and is used to deflect the light beam output by the second row of LEDs 1101b and transmit it to the position of the optical axis of the final emitted light beam of the first row of LEDs 1101a, and emit the light beam at the same angle from this optical axis position. In this way, the scanning results of different rows of LEDs 1101 are avoided from being misaligned, and the light beams of different rows of LEDs 1101 are accurately linearly scanned.

[0055] The first dimming lens 120 includes a first dimming part 1201, a first support part 1202, and a second dimming part 1203. The material of the first dimming lens 120 can be glass, optical plastic, etc. The first dimming part 1201 and the second dimming part 1203 can refract light to change the deflection direction of the light beam emitted from the second row of lamp beads 1101b.

[0056] Specifically, the first row of LED beads 1101a is positioned to the left of the second row of LED beads 1101b, meaning the optical axis of the beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a is located to the left of the second row of LED beads 1101b. The beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b, after passing through the first dimming section 1201, tilts to the left to approach the optical axis of the beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a. After passing through the first cavity 1204 and being obliquely transmitted towards the optical axis of the beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a, it enters the second dimming section 1201. 203, so that the projection of the beam emission point of the second dimming unit 1203 along the column length direction is located on the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first column of lamp beads 1101a. The second dimming unit 1203 deflects the beam again, so that the direction of the emitted beam is the same as the optical axis direction of the beam emitted by the first column of lamp beads 1101a. This makes the beams of the first column of lamp beads 1101a and the second column of lamp beads 1101b arranged in a staggered arrangement in the Y direction and emitted in the same direction, thus achieving linear scanning.

[0057] It should be understood that the initial emission direction of the light beam of the first row of LED beads 1101a can be the same as or different from the initial emission direction of the light beam of the second row of LED beads 1101b. The degree of deflection of the light beam by the first dimming unit 1201 and the second dimming unit 1203 can be set according to the specific component position and the initial emission direction of the light beam.

[0058] The lidar light source of this invention arranges LED beads 1101 in different columns on the substrate 100 in a staggered manner, and reflects the light beam emitted from the second column of LED beads 1101b back to the first column of LED beads 1101a through the first dimming lens 120 so that the light beams are emitted at the same angle. This ensures that there is sufficient distance between adjacent LED beads 1101 in the same column, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the light-emitting module 110 and ensures that too much heat does not accumulate in local areas, thus avoiding burning out the LED beads 1101. Therefore, the number of LED beads 1101 can be increased beyond the existing upper limit of LED bead arrangement, thereby improving the resolution of the lidar light source.

[0059] This invention uses a first dimming lens 120 to project the projected light spots of different columns of LED beads 1101 into a staggered column along the Y direction on the cell 300 of the target object 30. For example... Figure 10 As shown, such beam shaping not only improves the scanning resolution of the lidar system, but also avoids misalignment of the scanning and detection results of different columns of LED beads 1101 on the target object 30, which would lead to distortion of the detection results after the laser returns to the lidar receiving module and reduce the fidelity of the reproduction of the true situation of the target object 30.

[0060] The scheme of deflecting the beam using the first dimming lens 120 is more compact and more suitable for the arrangement of lidar components compared to the scheme of using a reflector.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first dimming unit 1201 has a first surface 1201a on the side away from the second row of LED beads 1101b, and the second dimming unit 1203 has a second surface 1203a on the side near the first cavity 1204 and a third surface 1203b on the side away from the first cavity 1204. The first surface 1201a is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a. The second surface 1203a and the third surface 1203b are used to deflect the light beam incident through the first cavity 1204 so that the direction of the emitted light beam is the same as the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a.

[0062] Specifically, the refractive indices of both the first dimming unit 1201 and the second dimming unit 1203 are greater than the refractive index of air. For example, the refractive indices of the first dimming unit 1201 and the second dimming unit 1203 are approximately 1.5, while the refractive index of air, i.e., the refractive index of the first cavity 1204, is approximately 1, thereby enabling the first dimming unit 1201 and the second dimming unit 1203 to deflect the light beam based on the principle of light beam refraction.

[0063] Furthermore, since the first surface 1201a is an arc-shaped surface, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b at the exit point of the first surface 1201a and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads 1101a is greater than 90 degrees, the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b is deflected towards the optical axis of the first row of LED beads 1101a. Taking the first row of LED beads 1101a as being located to the left of the second row of LED beads 1101b as an example, the light beam will be deflected to the left. Because the first surface 1201a is an arc-shaped surface, the position of the exit point of the light beam on the first surface 1201a can be adjusted, thereby changing the angle between the exit point and the incident light beam, and thus changing the degree of light beam deflection.

[0064] In this embodiment of the invention, the initial emission angles of the light beams emitted by the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b are the same, that is, they are perpendicular to the substrate 100 and upward. The light beam emitted by the first row of LED beads 1101a passes through the first surface 1201a, exits from the first dimming section 1201, enters the first cavity 1204, and is deflected in the direction of the optical axis of the first row of LED beads 1101a. After the light beam is transmitted to the position of the first row of LED beads 1101a, it is deflected again by the second dimming section 1203, so that the direction of the final light beam emitted by the second row of LED beads 1101b is the same as the direction of the light beam emitted by the first row of LED beads 1101a. Specifically, in the second dimming unit 1203, the second surface 1203a is a plane, and the third surface 1203b is an arc-shaped surface. The angle between the second surface 1203a and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads 1101a is greater than or equal to 90 degrees, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam at the exit point of the third surface 1203b and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads 1101a is less than 90 degrees. After the light beam passes through the second surface 1203a and enters the second dimming unit 1203, if the angle between the second surface 1203a and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads 1101a is equal to 90 degrees, then the transmission direction of the light beam remains unchanged. Figure 6 As shown. If the included angle is greater than 90 degrees, the beam will be deflected away from the optical axis of the first row of LED beads 1101a, that is, the beam will be deflected to the right, as shown. Figure 7As shown. After the beam passes through the third surface 1203b, the beam is emitted. Since the angle between the tangent of the beam at the emission point of the third surface 1203b and the incident beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads 1101a is less than 90 degrees, the direction of the emitted beam is deflected to the right again, so that the beam emitted by the second row of LED beads 1101b and the beam emitted by the first row of LED beads 1101a have the same optical axis direction.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 5 Meanwhile, when viewed from the X direction, the light emission angles of the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b are the same. In this embodiment, when viewed from the X direction, the initial light emission angles of the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b are the same and have not changed.

[0066] In other embodiments, the initial light emission angles of the light beams of the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b may be different, as long as the final light emission angles are the same.

[0067] In this embodiment of the invention, by defining the first surface 1201a of the first dimming unit 1201 as the deflection surface of the beam of the first row of lamp beads 1101a, and the second surface 1203a and the third surface 1203b of the second dimming unit 1203 as the cooperative deflection surface of the cavity incident beam, the curvature, tilt angle and other parameters of each surface can be designed in a targeted manner to precisely control the deflection angle of the beam, ensure that the coaxiality deviation of the beams of the two rows of lamp beads 1101 is controlled within a very small range, and further improve the optical performance stability of the light source.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the second dimming unit 1203 has a fourth surface 1201b on the side near the second row of LED beads 1101b. A second cavity 1205 is formed between the fourth surface 1201b and the substrate 100. The second row of LED beads 1101b is located in the second cavity 1205. The fourth surface 1201b is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a.

[0069] Specifically, the fourth surface 1201b is a plane, and the angle between the light beam emitted from the second row of lamp beads 1101b and the fourth surface 1201b on the side closer to the first row of lamp beads 1101a is less than 90 degrees, thereby causing the light beam to be deflected towards the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of lamp beads 1101a.

[0070] By adding a fourth surface 1201b to the side of the first dimming unit 1201 near the first row of LED beads 1101a, the dimming capability of the first dimming lens 120 for the second row of LED beads 1101b is improved, allowing the light beam to be better deflected in a preset direction. Specifically, since the angle between the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads 1101b and the fourth surface 1201b on the side near the first row of LED beads 1101a is less than 90 degrees, the light beam will be more easily deflected in the direction of the optical axis of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a, thereby improving the dimming capability of the first dimming lens 120 for the second row of LED beads 1101b.

[0071] Meanwhile, since the dimming capability of the first dimming lens 120 is enhanced, the degree of beam deflection can be designed to be greater, the volume of the first cavity 1204 can be reduced, and the overall height of the first dimming lens 120 can be reduced.

[0072] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the lidar light source also includes a second dimming lens 130. The second dimming lens 130 and the first dimming lens 120 have the same structure and are symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis between the first row of lamp beads 1101a and the second row of lamp beads 1101b. The second dimming lens is located above the first row of lamp beads 1101a. 130 is used to deflect the light beam emitted by the first row of lamp beads 1101a to the central axis and then emit it in a preset direction.

[0073] The dimming principle of the second dimming lens 130 is similar to that of the first dimming lens 120. Specifically, the second dimming lens 130 includes a third dimming part 1301, a second support part 1302, and a fourth dimming part 1303, forming a third cavity 1304 between them. The second support part 1302 is inclined towards the central axis between the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b. Refraction by the third dimming part 1301 and the fourth dimming part 1303 changes the deflection direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a. This causes the light beam to be deflected again after reaching the central axis position and emitted along a preset direction, thus ensuring that the optical axis of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads 1101a is located on the central axis. Generally, the preset direction is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 100.

[0074] Simultaneously, after the beam of the second row of LED beads 1101b is deflected to the central axis by the first dimming lens 120, the beam is deflected again by the second dimming unit 1203 to the same direction as the optical axis of the beam emitted by the first row of LED beads 1101a before being emitted. This achieves the goal of making the beams of the first row of LED beads 1101a and the second row of LED beads 1101b arranged in a staggered pattern in the Y-axis direction and emitted at the same angle, thus realizing linear scanning.

[0075] Furthermore, the second dimming lens 130 also includes a fourth cavity, in which the first row of LED beads 1101a are disposed. By adding the fourth cavity, the dimming capability of the second dimming lens 130 for the first row of LED beads 1101a is improved, allowing the light beam to be better deflected in the preset direction. At the same time, the volume of the third cavity 1304 can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall height of the second dimming lens 130.

[0076] In the above scheme, through the two refractions of the second row of lamp beads 1101b by the first dimming lens 120 and the two refractions of the first row of lamp beads 1101a by the second dimming lens 130, the light beams of the first row of lamp beads 1101a and the second row of lamp beads 1101b are arranged in a staggered arrangement, which reduces the dimming capability requirements of individual lenses of the first dimming lens 120 and the second dimming lens 130, and thus reduces the overall height of the first dimming lens 120 and the second dimming lens 130.

[0077] In some embodiments, the light-emitting module 110 further includes a third row of LED beads 1101c, which are arranged on the central axis.

[0078] In the above scheme, the light emitted by the three rows of LED beads 1101 can be reflected or transmitted to the first adjustment lens and emitted at the same angle, which further improves the directional consistency and energy concentration of the emitted light from the light source, and meets the requirements of lidar for light source performance in more complex application scenarios.

[0079] In some embodiments, a third dimming lens is provided above the third row of LED beads 1101c, and the third dimming lens is used to dim or collimate the light beam emitted by the third row of LED beads 1101c.

[0080] In this method, the beam emitted by the third row of LED beads 1101c is dimmed or collimated by the third dimming lens, which can make the beam emitted by the third row of LED beads 1101c more accurately transmitted to the central axis and emitted in a preset direction, thus meeting the requirements of lidar for light source performance in more complex application scenarios.

[0081] Furthermore, the lamp beads 1101 of the present invention can also be in 4, 5 or even more columns, and the beam can be deflected by setting corresponding dimming lenses to achieve linear scanning emission.

[0082] It should be understood that the first dimming lens 120 and the second dimming lens 130 not only have the function of adjusting the beam deflection, but also have the function of beam collimation, so that each row of LED beads 1101 has a high degree of directional consistency in the final light emission direction. Alternatively, a collimating lens can be added to ensure that each row of LED beads 1101 has a high degree of directional consistency in the final light emission direction.

[0083] Please see Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is another schematic diagram of the linear array scanning lidar light source 10 of this application. In this embodiment, the plurality of LEDs 1101 provided on a single light-emitting module 110 of this application can also be arranged in an alternating pattern, that is, the staggered arrangement of the LEDs 1101 can be on different light-emitting modules 110 or on the same light-emitting module 110. The optical path control processing of the staggered arrangement of LEDs 1101 is the same as the optical path control processing between the light-emitting modules 110 described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0084] Furthermore, the lidar light source 10 also includes a driving module 200, which is disposed on the substrate 100. The LEDs 1101 in different columns are connected to the driving module 200 through corresponding leads 1102.

[0085] Specifically, the driving module 200 includes a control chip and a corresponding control circuit, which controls the light-emitting state of each LED bead 1101.

[0086] Each light-emitting module 110 can be connected to a driver module 200 independently, which can reduce the line length of the lead wire 1102 and save the space occupied by the lead wire 1102.

[0087] Multiple light-emitting modules 110 can also share a single driver module 200, which can reduce the overall production cost of the product.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lidar system is also provided, including a lidar light source 10 as described in the above embodiment.

[0089] like Figure 12 As shown, the lidar system also includes a galvanometer 20, a laser receiving sensor 40, and an image processor. The galvanometer 20 is located at the beam emission end of the lidar light source 10 and is used to scan the emitted beam along a single or dual line and then illuminate the target object 30. The laser receiving sensor 40 generates an electrical signal based on the beam reflected back from the target object 30 and sends the electrical signal to the image processor. The image processor generates image information based on the electrical signal.

[0090] Among them, lidar systems can be used in scenarios such as autonomous driving, intelligent robots, and surveying.

[0091] The galvanometer 20 is a rapidly oscillating mirror, typically manufactured using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. It alters the propagation direction of the emitted light beam by applying an alternating voltage to the mirror surface, causing it to oscillate periodically. In a lidar system, the galvanometer 20 is positioned at the beam emission end of the lidar light source 10, scanning the emitted beam along a single or dual-path path before illuminating the target object 30. By rapidly changing the beam's propagation direction, the galvanometer 20 enables the lidar system to scan a large target area in a short time, thereby acquiring rich environmental information.

[0092] The laser receiving sensor 40 generates an electrical signal based on the light beam reflected back from the target object 30. For example, in an autonomous driving scenario, when the laser beam emitted by the lidar light source 10 illuminates the target object 30 such as a vehicle or pedestrian in front and reflects back, the laser receiving sensor 40 receives these reflected beams and converts them into electrical signals, providing raw data for subsequent image processing and target recognition.

[0093] The image processor is the core processing component of the LiDAR system. It receives electrical signals from the laser receiving sensor 40 and converts these electrical signals into image information through a series of algorithms and calculations.

[0094] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lidar light source, characterized by, include: substrate(100); A light-emitting module (110) is disposed on the substrate (100). The light-emitting module (110) includes a first row of LED beads (1101a) and a second row of LED beads (1101b). The first row of LED beads (1101a) and the second row of LED beads (1101b) are staggered along the column length direction. The first dimming lens (120) includes a first dimming part (1201), a first support part (1202), and a second dimming part (1203). The lower end and upper end of the first support part (1202) are connected to the first dimming part (1201) and the second dimming part (1203) respectively. A first cavity (1204) is formed in the first dimming part (1201), the first support part (1202), and the second dimming part (1203). The first dimming part (1201) is disposed above the second row of LED beads (1101b). The first support part (1202) is tilted towards the first row of LED beads (1101a) so that the projection of the light beam exit point of the second dimming part (1203) along the column length direction is located on the optical axis of the light beam emitted by the first row of LED beads (1101a). The first dimming part (1201) is used to... The light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads (1101b) is deflected towards the optical axis of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads (1101a). After being deflected by the first dimming unit (1201), the light beam enters the first cavity (1204). The second dimming unit (1203) is used to deflect the light beam incident through the first cavity (1204). After deflection, the light beam is transmitted to the position of the optical axis of the final emitted light beam of the first row of LED beads (1101a), so that the direction of the emitted light beam is the same as the optical axis of the light beam emitted by the first row of LED beads (1101a), thereby realizing linear scanning of the light beams of different rows of LED beads. The light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads (1101b) is reflected back to the first row of LED beads (1101a) by the first dimming lens (120) and emitted at the same angle, so as to ensure that there is sufficient distance between adjacent LED beads in the same row, which is convenient for heat dissipation of the light-emitting module (110).

2. The lidar light source of claim 1, wherein, The first dimming unit (1201) has a first surface (1201a) on the side away from the second row of LED beads (1101b), and the second dimming unit (1203) has a second surface (1203a) on the side near the first cavity (1204) and a third surface (1203b) on the side away from the first cavity (1204). The first surface (1201a) is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads (1101b) toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads (1101a). The second surface (1203a) and the third surface (1203b) are used to deflect the light beam incident through the first cavity (1204) so ​​that the direction of the emitted light beam is the same as the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of LED beads (1101a).

3. The lidar light source according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refractive indices of the first dimming unit (1201) and the second dimming unit (1203) are both greater than the refractive index of air. The first surface (1201a) is an arc-shaped surface, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam emitted from the second row of LED beads (1101b) at the emission point of the first surface (1201a) and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads (1101a) is greater than 90 degrees. The second surface (1203a) is a plane, and the third surface (1203b) is an arc-shaped surface. The angle between the second surface (1203a) and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads (1101a) is greater than or equal to 90 degrees, and the angle between the tangent of the light beam at the emission point of the third surface (1203b) and the incident light beam on the side closer to the first row of LED beads (1101a) is less than 90 degrees.

4. The lidar light source of claim 3, wherein, The second dimming unit (1203) has a fourth surface (1201b) on the side near the second row of lamp beads (1101b). A second cavity (1205) is formed between the fourth surface (1201b) and the substrate (100). The second row of lamp beads (1101b) is located in the second cavity (1205). The fourth surface (1201b) is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the second row of lamp beads (1101b) toward the optical axis direction of the light beam emitted from the first row of lamp beads (1101a).

5. The lidar light source of claim 4, wherein, The fourth surface (1201b) is a plane, and the angle between the light beam emitted from the second row of lamp beads (1101b) and the fourth surface (1201b) on the side closer to the first row of lamp beads (1101a) is less than 90 degrees.

6. The lidar light source of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a second dimming lens (130), which has the same structure as the first dimming lens (120) and is symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis between the first row of lamp beads (1101a) and the second row of lamp beads (1101b). The second dimming lens (130) is arranged above the first row of lamp beads (1101a) and is used to deflect the light beam emitted from the first row of lamp beads (1101a) to the central axis and then emit it in a preset direction.

7. The lidar light source of claim 6, wherein, The light-emitting module (110) also includes a third row of LED beads (1101c), which are arranged on the central axis.

8. The lidar light source of claim 7, wherein, A third dimming lens is provided above the third row of LED beads (1101c), and the third dimming lens is used to dim or collimate the light beam emitted by the third row of LED beads (1101c).

9. The lidar light source of claim 1, wherein, The first dimming part (1201), the first support part (1202), and the second dimming part (1203) are integrally formed structures.

10. A lidar system, comprising: Includes the lidar light source as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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