Laser radar system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of laser radars, and specifically provides a laser radar system. The utility model aims to solve the problems of low internal space utilization rate and high cost of the existing radar system. The utility model discloses a laser radar system, and the system comprises a transmitting module which is used for transmitting light; the receiving module is used for receiving an optical signal; the rotating mirror is used for transmitting an optical signal and receiving an external optical signal, the rotating mirror is configured to be controlled, the angle of the rotating mirror can be adjusted, and the rotating mirror and the transmitting module are located on the same side; the light reflection assembly is used for receiving the emitted light rays, converting the emitted light rays to the rotating mirror and converting the light rays received by the rotating mirror to the receiving module; the receiving module and the transmitting module are symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the light reflection assembly respectively. The radar system provided by the utility model effectively improves the utilization rate of the internal space, reduces the overall manufacturing cost, and is simple in structure and easy to realize.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of laser radars, and specifically provides a laser radar system. Background Art

[0002] In an era of rapidly evolving autonomous and assisted driving technologies, automotive LiDAR (LiDAR) is becoming an increasingly indispensable component. The layout of the LiDAR optical and mechanical system is crucial to its overall performance, directly determining its size, cost, ranging capability, field of view, and other performance parameters.

[0003] The existing coaxial rotating mirror optical system of laser radar obtains a large field of view angle through rotating mirror scanning, which makes the transmitting module and the receiving module occupy a large internal space, making the volume of the whole machine larger.

[0004] Therefore, a laser radar system is needed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] One object of the present utility model is to provide a radar system that can share some lenses at the transmitting and receiving ends, thereby effectively improving the space utilization inside the radar system and reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a laser radar system, comprising:

[0007] A transmitting module, used for generating a transmitting optical signal;

[0008] The light reflecting assembly includes a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface, wherein the first reflecting surface is used to reflect the transmitted light signal to the rotating mirror, and the second reflecting surface is used to reflect the received signal received from the rotating mirror to the receiving module;

[0009] a rotating mirror for transmitting the signal reflected by the first reflecting surface to the environment and reflecting the corresponding received signal to the second reflecting surface of the light reflecting assembly;

[0010] The receiving module is used to receive the receiving signal reflected by the second reflecting surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the light reflecting assembly includes a light reflector, a third lens group and a first reflector, the third lens group is arranged between the light reflector and the first reflector; the outgoing light path and the incident light path of the first reflector form a preset angle.

[0012] Furthermore, the second reflecting surface and the first reflecting surface are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] Furthermore, the light reflector includes a first reflecting member and a second reflecting member, the first reflecting surface is set on the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting surface is set on the second reflecting member; the first reflecting member is set on the second reflecting member, and a light transmission channel is opened on the second reflecting member, so that the emitted light signal can reach the first reflecting surface through the light transmission channel.

[0014] Furthermore, the first reflective element and the second reflective element are both configured as prisms with inclined surfaces, the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are respectively configured on the inclined surfaces corresponding to the prisms, and the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are configured opposite to each other.

[0015] Furthermore, the prism of the first reflector is configured as a triangular prism or a trapezoidal prism; and the prism of the second reflector is configured as a triangular prism.

[0016] Furthermore, the cross section of the light conducting channel is set to be square or circular.

[0017] Furthermore, a first lens group is provided between the emission module and the light reflection component, and the first lens group is provided in the light conduction channel.

[0018] Furthermore, along the light propagation direction, the inner diameter of the light conducting channel at the light entrance is larger than the inner diameter at the light exit.

[0019] Based on the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will understand that, in the aforementioned technical solution of the present invention, the receiving module and the transmitting module can share the lens within the light reflective assembly, thereby enabling the LiDAR system to fully utilize its internal space. Furthermore, by adding two reflective surfaces to the same light reflective assembly, the space occupied by the reflective device is reduced, and light conversion is performed through reflection, effectively solving the problem of existing coaxial radar systems that use a beam splitter for light transmission, resulting in significant energy loss and low light transmission efficiency.

[0020] Furthermore, the optical reflector of the present invention has a relatively simple structure and low manufacturing cost. Compared with the existing radar system that uses a spectrometer for light conversion, it effectively reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the radar system and is conducive to large-scale production in factories.

[0021] Furthermore, by arranging the lens group in the transmitting module within the light reflecting assembly, the internal space of the radar system can be fully utilized, effectively improving the space utilization rate of the radar system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts; the drawings of the present invention are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some other embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some further embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Front left axle-side view of the mid-light reflector;

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Front right axle-side view of the mid-light reflector;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of light reflectors in some examples;

[0029] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the light reflector in other examples;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the light reflector portion in other embodiments of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of the light reflector part in other embodiments of the utility model.

[0032] Description of reference numerals:

[0033] 100. LiDAR system;

[0034] 1. Transmitter module; 11. Laser transmitter; 12. First lens group;

[0035] 2. Receiving module; 21. Second lens group; 22. Third reflector; 23. Sensor chip;

[0036] 3. Rotate the mirror;

[0037] 4. Light reflection assembly; 41. Light reflector; 411. Light conduction channel; 412. Second reflection surface; 413. First reflection surface; 42. Third lens group; 43. First reflector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Based on the embodiments provided by the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for ease of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or element described must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as limiting the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0041] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 9 , to describe in detail the radar system in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some other embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a radar system in some further embodiments of the present invention; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Front left axle-side view of the mid-light reflector; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Front right axle-side view of the mid-light reflector; Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of light reflectors in some examples; Figure 7 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of light reflectors in other examples. Figure 8This is a schematic structural diagram of the light reflector portion in other embodiments of the present utility model; Figure 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of the light reflector part in other embodiments of the utility model.

[0042] It should be noted that, for the convenience of description and to enable those skilled in the art to quickly understand the technical solution of the present invention, the following text only describes the technical features that are closely related (directly or indirectly related) to the technical problem and / or technical concept to be solved by the present invention, and does not describe the technical features that are less closely related to the technical problem and / or technical concept to be solved by the present invention. Since such technical features with a lesser degree of relevance are common knowledge in the field, even if the present invention does not describe such features with a lesser degree of relevance, it will not result in insufficient disclosure of the present invention.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a laser radar system 100 is provided, comprising a transmitting module 1, a receiving module 2, a rotating mirror 3, and a light reflecting assembly 4. The transmitting module 1 is used to generate a transmitting light signal. The light reflecting assembly 4 includes a first reflecting surface 413 and a second reflecting surface 412. The first reflecting surface 413 is used to reflect the transmitting light signal to the rotating mirror 3, and the second reflecting surface 412 is used to reflect the receiving signal received from the rotating mirror 3 to the receiving module 2. The rotating mirror 3 is used to transmit the signal reflected by the first reflecting surface 413 to the environment and reflect the corresponding receiving signal to the second reflecting surface 412 of the light reflecting assembly 4. The receiving module 2 is used to receive the receiving signal reflected by the second reflecting surface 412.

[0044] In the technical solution of the present invention, receiving module 2 and transmitting module 1 can share light reflection assembly 4, allowing the laser radar system 100 to fully utilize its internal space. Furthermore, by adding two reflective surfaces to the same light reflection assembly 4, light transmission is performed by reflection while reducing the space occupied by the reflective device. This effectively solves the problem of existing coaxial radar systems using a beam splitter and a partial transmission and partial reflection method, which causes significant energy loss during light transmission.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the emission module 1 includes a laser emitter 11 and a first lens group 12, and the first lens group 12 is arranged between the laser emitter 11 and the light reflecting component 4. The light emitted by the laser emitter 11 reaches the light reflecting component 4 through the first lens group 12.

[0046] Although not shown in the figures, in other embodiments of the present invention, the transmitting module 1 further includes a second reflector, which is disposed between the first lens group 12 and the laser emitter 11 to convert the light emitted by the laser emitter 11 into light perpendicular to the light reflecting assembly 4 and enter the light reflecting assembly 4. When the position of the laser emitter 11 is different, the addition of a reflector can cause the light to enter the light reflecting assembly 4 perpendicularly, thereby adapting to the layout and coordination requirements of the various components of different lidar systems.

[0047] The light reflecting assembly 4 is used to reflect the light received from the transmitting module 1 to the rotating mirror 3 , and to reflect the external light received by the rotating mirror 3 to the receiving module 2 .

[0048] The light reflection assembly 4 includes a light reflector 41, a third lens group 42, and a first reflector 43. The third lens group 42 is disposed between the light reflector 41 and the first reflector 43. The optical axes of the light reflector 41, the third lens group 42, and the first reflector 43 coincide with each other. The outgoing light path of the first reflector 43 forms a predetermined angle with the incident light path.

[0049] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the optical reflector 41 is used to receive the optical signal emitted by the transmitting module 1 and the optical signal reflected from the rotating mirror 3 and the third lens group 42. The outgoing optical path and the incident optical path of the first reflector 43 form a preset angle, which is used to change the direction of the outgoing / incident light to coordinate the overall layout of the laser radar system and reduce the longitudinal size. Figure 2 As shown, in order to reduce the longitudinal size, the rotating mirror 3 is set on the optical path perpendicular to the light reflector 41 and the first reflector 43. At this time, the direction of the optical path needs to be changed by the first reflector 43 to reflect the light onto the rotating mirror 43.

[0050] Rotating mirror 3 is located on one side of light-reflecting assembly 4 and on the same side as transmitting module 1. Receiving module 2 and transmitting module 1 are respectively located on either side of light-reflecting assembly 4. Rotating mirror 3 is configured to be able to rotate at a controlled angle to receive light from light-reflecting assembly 4 or light from the external environment.

[0051] The rotating mirror 3 has at least three reflective surfaces.

[0052] The overall shape of the rotating mirror 3 can be set to be a triangular prism or a cube.

[0053] The rotating mirror 3 generally includes a rotating mirror bracket, a rotating shaft and a motor. The rotating shaft is driven by the motor to drive the rotating mirror bracket to rotate, thereby adjusting the angle of the rotating mirror 3 so that the rotating mirror 3 can receive the light reflected by the first reflector 43 or receive the light provided by the external environment.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the light reflector 41 includes a light reflector body, a first reflective surface 413, and a second reflective surface 412. The first reflective surface 413 is used to receive light from the transmitting module 1 and reflect the received light toward the rotating mirror 3. The second reflective surface 412 is used to receive light reflected by the rotating mirror 3 and reflect the light toward the receiving module 2. The first reflective surface 413 and the second reflective surface 412 are both disposed on the light reflector, and the first reflective surface 413 and the second reflective surface 412 are disposed on two different planes of the light reflector.

[0055] Specifically, if Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the light reflector includes a first reflective member and a second reflective member, the first reflective surface is arranged on the first reflective member, and the second reflective surface is arranged on the second reflective member; the first reflective member is arranged on the second reflective member, and the second reflective surface 412 is arranged opposite to the first reflective surface 413, and their projections in the direction perpendicular to the paper are perpendicular to each other.

[0056] The first reflector and the second reflector are both configured as prisms with inclined surfaces. Figure 6 For example, a first reflective surface 413 is disposed on the inclined surface of the first reflector prism, and a second reflective surface 412 is disposed on the inclined surface of the second reflector prism. A light transmission channel 411 is defined on the second reflector. The bottom surface of the first reflector contacts the bottom of the light transmission channel 411, so that the first reflective surface 413 faces the light transmission channel 411. The transmitted light signal can pass through the light transmission channel 411 and reach the first reflective surface 413. The cross-section of the light transmission channel 411 can be square or circular, depending on actual needs.

[0057] It should be noted that the amount of light reflected is related to the size of the reflecting surface, such as Figure 3 In the embodiment, the sizes of the first reflecting surface 413 and the second reflecting surface 412 are constrained to each other. If the first reflecting surface 413 is too large, the second reflecting surface 412 will be smaller, and the luminous flux on the emission light path will be reduced, and vice versa. Therefore, the luminous flux and imaging effect can be observed from the optical path simulation software, and the ratio of the first reflecting surface 413 to the second reflecting surface 412 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the first reflecting element on the second reflecting element until the optimal ratio is reached.

[0058] In this embodiment, since the first reflector and the second reflector are integrated on different surfaces of the light reflector, light is transmitted by reflection on the basis of reducing the space occupied by the reflector, which effectively solves the problem that the existing coaxial radar system uses a splitter and a partial transmission and partial reflection method, which causes a large energy loss during the light transmission process.

[0059] In some other embodiments of the present invention, the light reflector is integrally formed by injection molding, and the first reflective surface 413 and the second reflective surface 412 can be fixed to the light reflector body by polishing the light reflector surface or by bonding.

[0060] In order to enable the light reflector assembly 41 to convert light, it is necessary to perform a matte treatment on the non-mirror area, that is, the area other than the first reflective surface 413 and the second reflective surface 412. Specifically, the matte treatment method may include coating the non-mirror area with a matte coating; or selecting a material that has no light-conducting property or has poor light-conducting property when manufacturing the light reflector assembly 41; or coating the surface of the light reflector with an opaque material; or coating the surface of the light reflector with a coating and adjusting the viscosity of the coating so that the coating forms an uneven surface during the coating process, thereby increasing its surface roughness and reducing the light-conducting performance of the material surface; or selecting sandpaper, a grinding wheel or other grinding tools to grind the surface of the light reflector assembly 41 to make the surface of the light reflector assembly 41 rough, thereby reducing the light-conducting performance of the non-mirror area.

[0061] like Figure 3 、 Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in other embodiments of the present invention, in order to improve the space utilization inside the laser radar system 100, the first lens group 12 can be disposed in the light reflector 41. Specifically, the first lens group 12 is disposed in the light transmission channel 411.

[0062] Although not shown in the figures, in other embodiments of the present invention, the first reflector also includes a snap-fit ​​structure, which is arranged on at least one side of the inner wall of the light transmission channel 411. The first lens group 12 can be connected to the snap-fit ​​structure to install the first lens group 12 in the light transmission channel 411.

[0063] In other embodiments of the present invention, the second reflector may also be configured in the form of a triangular prism or a trapezoidal prism, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the light transmission channel 411 passes through the second reflective element, the first reflective element (not shown) is disposed in the light transmission channel 411 , and the first reflective surface faces the light transmission channel 411 .

[0064] like Figure 7As shown, in some further embodiments of the present invention, the light transmission channel 411 can be configured with a wide entrance and narrow exit. That is, along the direction of light propagation, the inner diameter of the light transmission channel 411 at the light entrance is larger than the inner diameter at the light exit. The larger inner diameter at the light entrance accommodates the first lens group 12, further reducing the device size. The inner diameter then gradually decreases along the direction of light propagation to provide light blocking. Specifically, the reduced inner diameter acts as a stop for the first lens group 12, preventing stray light from entering.

[0065] The receiving module 2 includes a second lens group 21 and a sensing chip 23 . The light received by the light reflecting assembly 4 is reflected to the second lens group 21 by the second reflecting surface 412 , and is received by the sensing chip 23 via the second lens group 21 .

[0066] In other embodiments of the present invention, the receiving module 2 further includes a third reflector 22, which is disposed between the second lens group 21 and the light reflecting assembly 41 to convert the light received by the light reflecting assembly 41 into light perpendicular thereto and thereby reach the second lens group 21. The addition of the third reflector 22 allows the position of the sensing chip 23 to be adjusted.

[0067] It should be noted that the “vertical” mentioned in the present invention may be vertical in an absolute sense, or may be relatively vertical or approximately vertical.

[0068] In this embodiment, the lenses in the first lens group 12 , the second lens group 21 and the third lens group 42 are all configured as spherical mirrors. Specifically, the spherical mirrors are further configured as biconvex mirrors.

[0069] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention, by symmetrically arranging the receiving module 2 and the transmitting module 1 on either side of the light-reflecting assembly 4, allows the receiving module 2 and the transmitting module 1 to share the mirrors within the light-reflecting assembly 4, thereby enabling the LiDAR system 100 to fully utilize its internal space. Furthermore, by adding two reflective surfaces to the light-reflecting assembly 4 and performing light conversion by reflection, this effectively solves the problem of existing coaxial radar systems using a beam splitter for light conversion, resulting in significant energy loss during the transmission process between the receiving and transmitting paths, thereby causing low light conversion efficiency and reducing the accuracy of the radar system's detection results.

[0070] Furthermore, the light reflector 41 of the present invention has a relatively simple structure and low manufacturing cost. Compared with the existing radar system that uses a spectrometer for light conversion, it effectively reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the radar system and is conducive to large-scale production in factories.

[0071] Furthermore, by arranging the lens group in the transmitting module 1 inside the light reflector 1, the internal space of the radar system can be fully utilized, thereby effectively improving the space utilization rate of the radar system.

[0072] Thus far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the above-mentioned multiple embodiments. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art may split and combine the technical solutions of the above-mentioned various embodiments, and may also make equivalent changes or replacements to the relevant technical features. Any changes, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the technical concept and / or technical principles of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser radar system, characterized in that: include: A transmitting module, used for generating a transmitting optical signal; The light reflecting assembly includes a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface, wherein the first reflecting surface is used to reflect the transmitted light signal to the rotating mirror, and the second reflecting surface is used to reflect the received signal received from the rotating mirror to the receiving module; a rotating mirror for transmitting the signal reflected by the first reflecting surface to the environment and reflecting the corresponding received signal to the second reflecting surface of the light reflecting assembly; The receiving module is used to receive the receiving signal reflected by the second reflecting surface.

2. The laser radar system according to claim 1, characterized in that The light reflecting assembly includes a light reflector, a third lens group and a first reflector, wherein the third lens group is arranged between the light reflector and the first reflector; There is a preset angle between the outgoing light path and the incident light path of the first reflector.

3. The laser radar system according to claim 1, wherein: The second reflecting surface and the first reflecting surface are perpendicular to each other.

4. The laser radar system according to claim 2, characterized in that The light reflector includes a first reflecting member and a second reflecting member, the first reflecting surface is set on the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting surface is set on the second reflecting member; the first reflecting member is set on the second reflecting member, and a light transmission channel is opened on the second reflecting member, so that the emitted light signal can reach the first reflecting surface through the light transmission channel.

5. The laser radar system according to claim 4, characterized in that The first reflective element and the second reflective element are both configured as prisms with inclined surfaces, the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are respectively configured on the inclined surfaces corresponding to the prisms, and the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are configured opposite to each other.

6. The laser radar system according to claim 5, characterized in that The prism of the first reflector is configured as a triangular prism or a trapezoidal prism; The prism of the second reflector is configured as a triangular prism.

7. The laser radar system according to claim 4, characterized in that The cross section of the light conducting channel is configured to be square or circular.

8. The laser radar system according to claim 4, characterized in that A first lens group is further provided between the emission module and the light reflection component, and the first lens group is provided in the light conduction channel.

9. The laser radar system according to claim 8, characterized in that Along the light propagation direction, the inner diameter of the light conducting channel at the light entrance is larger than the inner diameter at the light exit.

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