Laser distance measuring sensor based on dToF

Abstract

The utility model discloses a laser ranging sensor based on dToF, which comprises a shell, a microcontroller and a dToF module, the microcontroller and the dToF module are arranged in the shell, the microcontroller and the dToF module are connected through a control circuit, the shell is provided with a through hole, the dToF module is provided with a laser transmitter and a laser receiver, and the laser transmitter and the laser receiver are connected with the microcontroller. The laser transmitter and the laser receiver are arranged at the through hole to transmit and receive laser pulses towards an object to be measured, and the microcontroller is in signal connection with the dToF module. According to the invention, the pulse-type laser ranging method is adopted to directly measure the time from emission to reception of the laser pulse, so as to determine the distance between the object and the sensor. The precision of the method does not change remarkably along with distance change in a measurable range, the anti-interference capability is high, the influence on illumination, color and surface reflection properties is small, and stable measurement results can be provided under various environmental conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of distance measuring sensors, and in particular to a dToF-based laser distance measuring sensor. Background Art

[0002] Laser ranging sensors are widely used in various fields due to their high precision, high speed, and high reliability. The mainstream design solutions for laser ranging sensors currently available on the market include triangulation laser ranging and phase-shift laser ranging. Triangulation laser ranging is a ranging method based on the principle of optical triangulation. For objects of different colors, the light intensity received by the sensor will vary due to their different reflection and scattering characteristics, thus affecting measurement accuracy. Phase-shift laser ranging calculates distance by using the phase difference between the intensity of the emitted modulated light and the received light reflected from the target. It is an indirect time-of-flight ranging method. The measurement accuracy of this method decreases as the measured distance increases, and it is easily affected by factors such as multipath interference in complex environments. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a dToF-based laser ranging sensor, aiming to solve the above technical problems.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the utility model proposes a dToF-based laser ranging sensor including a housing, a microcontroller and a dToF module arranged in the housing, the microcontroller and the dToF module are connected through a control circuit, the housing is provided with a through hole, the dToF module has a laser emitter and a laser receiver, the laser emitter and the laser receiver are arranged at the through hole to emit and receive laser pulses toward the object to be measured, and the microcontroller is signal-connected to the dToF module.

[0005] In one embodiment, a control button is provided on the housing, and the control button is connected to the microcontroller through the control circuit.

[0006] In one embodiment, a display screen is provided on the housing, and the display screen is connected to the microcontroller via the control circuit.

[0007] In one embodiment, the control circuit includes a key response circuit connected to the control key and the microcontroller.

[0008] In one embodiment, the control circuit includes a module communication circuit, which is connected between the microcontroller and the dToF module.

[0009] In one embodiment, the control circuit further includes a display screen control circuit, and the display screen control circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the display screen.

[0010] In one embodiment, the control circuit further includes a light-emitting control circuit, and the light-emitting control circuit is connected between the microcontroller and a signal indicator light provided on the housing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the through hole includes a first hole and a second hole that are independent of each other, the transmitting end of the laser transmitter is located at the first hole, and the receiving end of the laser receiver is located at the second hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, a sink is provided at the through hole, and a cover plate that can be covered on the through hole is provided in the sink.

[0013] In one embodiment, a wire hole is provided on the shell, and a protective cover is provided in the wire hole.

[0014] In the technical solution of the present invention, the dToF-based laser ranging sensor includes a housing, a microcontroller and a dToF module arranged in the housing, the microcontroller and the dToF module are connected by a control circuit, the housing is provided with a through hole, the dToF module has a laser emitter and a laser receiver, the laser emitter and the laser receiver are arranged at the through hole to emit and receive laser pulses toward the object to be measured, and the microcontroller is connected to the dToF module signal. Therefore, in the present technical solution, a pulsed laser ranging method is used to directly measure the time from the emission to the reception of the laser pulse to determine the distance between the object and the sensor. The accuracy of this method does not change significantly with the change of distance within the measurable range, and it has strong anti-interference ability, is less affected by light, color and surface reflection properties, and can provide stable measurement results under various environmental conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dToF-based laser ranging sensor from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a module of a laser ranging sensor according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a microcontroller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Explanation of the accompanying figures: 10. Housing; 11. Through hole; 111. First hole; 112. Second hole; 113. Sink; 12. Operation button; 13. Display screen; 14. Cover; 15. Wire hole; 16. Protective cover; 21. Laser transmitter; 22. Laser receiver.

[0021] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0024] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this utility model are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this utility model, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0025] Moreover, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0026] The utility model provides a dToF-based laser ranging sensor.

[0027] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the dToF-based laser ranging sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 10, a microcontroller and a dToF module arranged in the housing 10, the microcontroller and the dToF module are connected through a control circuit, the housing 10 is provided with a through hole 11, the dToF module has a laser emitter 21 and a laser receiver 22, the laser emitter 21 and the laser receiver 22 are arranged at the through hole 11 to emit and receive laser pulses toward the object to be measured, and the microcontroller is connected to the dToF module signal.

[0028] In this embodiment, a pulsed laser ranging method is used to directly measure the time between the emission and reception of a laser pulse to determine the distance between an object and the sensor. This method's accuracy does not significantly vary with distance within the measurable range. It also exhibits strong anti-interference capabilities and is minimally affected by lighting, color, and surface reflectivity, providing stable measurement results under a wide range of environmental conditions.

[0029] The housing 10 is provided with a control button 12 , a display screen 13 and an indicator light. The control button 12 is connected to the microcontroller via the control circuit, and the display screen 13 is connected to the microcontroller via the control circuit.

[0030] The control circuit also includes a light control circuit, a key response circuit, a display screen 13 control circuit, a module communication circuit, and a signal output circuit. The above circuits are all connected to the microcontroller. Based on the above circuits, the distance sensor realizes a single-point mode photoelectric switch and a step mode photoelectric switch that can be set with one button, as well as a real-time distance measurement function.

[0031] The key response circuit is connected to the control button 12 and the microcontroller. The module communication circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the dToF module. The display screen 13 control circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the display screen 13. The light control circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the signal indicator light provided on the housing 10.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 3In this application, the microcontroller communicates with the dToF module through the control circuit. The microcontroller sends a start measurement command to the dToF module. The laser transmitter 21 of the dToF module sends a laser pulse to the measurement target in front. After the laser pulse encounters the measurement target, the laser pulse is reflected to the laser receiver 22 of the dToF module. The microcontroller reads the measurement distance result from the dToF module, and outputs high and low level signals and indicator light status to the outside through the output circuit according to the set function, and displays the status of the current measurement result in real time on the display screen 13 through the display control circuit.

[0033] Among them, please refer to Figure 4 The microcontroller used is the PY32F040C1xT from Puran Semiconductor. The PY32F040 series chip is a This high-performance 32-bit microcontroller features an M0+ core, operating at a maximum frequency of 72MHz. It includes built-in high-speed memory (up to 64KB of flash memory and 8KB of SRAM), and features a wide range of enhanced peripherals and I / O pins. It provides standard communication interfaces: I2C, SPI, and USART.

[0034] The following is a detailed introduction to each sub-circuit in the control circuit:

[0035] (1) The communication interface between the microcontroller and the dToF module uses the USART interface, and the communication protocol adopts the Modbus RTU protocol. Pin 42 of the microcontroller is used as the TX (transmit data) pin to send measurement commands to the dToF module. Pin 43 of the microcontroller is used as the RX (receive data) pin to receive the measurement distance results from the dToF module.

[0036] (2) Pin 31 of the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal to control the laser emission module to send red laser pulses.

[0037] (3) The communication interface between the microcontroller and the display screen 13 uses an I2C interface. Pin 15 of the microcontroller serves as the SCL (clock signal) line, and pin 16 serves as the SDA (data signal) line, which are used to control the display screen 13 to display the measurement results and various functional parameters in real time.

[0038] (4) Pins 13 and 14 of the microcontroller monitor external interrupt signals at the same time and can respond to short or long presses of external buttons in real time to set various function parameters.

[0039] (5) Pins 29 and 32 of the microcontroller are used as digital signal output pins, where pin 29 is used to output PNP signals and pin 30 is used to output NPN signals.

[0040] The dToF module uses the DTS6012M model product of Shenzhen Arctic Core Microelectronics Co., Ltd. The connector has 6 pins, supports I2C interface and USART interface, contains a laser transmitter 21 and a receiver, and the package size is 21mm×15mm×7.87mm.

[0041] The distance measuring sensor of the present application has two signal output modes, namely NPN signal output and PNP signal output.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 2 The through hole 11 includes a first hole 111 and a second hole 112, which are independent of each other. The emitting end of the laser emitter 21 is located at the first hole 111, and the receiving end of the laser receiver 22 is located at the second hole 112. In this embodiment, placing the laser receiver 22 and the laser emitter 21 in two independent holes can effectively avoid the formation of errors and improve accuracy.

[0043] Furthermore, a recessed groove 113 is provided in the through-hole 11, within which a cover plate 14 is positioned to cover the through-hole 11. In this embodiment, when the laser ranging sensor is not in use, the cover plate 14 can be placed over the recessed groove 113 to seal the through-hole 11, improving sealing performance and protecting the laser receiver 22 and laser transmitter 21. The cover plate 14 can be secured to the recessed groove 113 by an interference fit or a snap-on connection for improved stability. A handle can also be installed on the outside of the cover plate 14 to facilitate user handling.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the housing is provided with a wire hole 15 , and a protective cover 16 is provided in the wire hole 15 . The connecting wire between the laser ranging sensor and the outside can pass through the wire hole 15 and be protected by the protective cover 16 .

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made based on the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dToF-based laser ranging sensor, characterized in that: The dToF-based laser ranging sensor comprises a housing (10), a microcontroller and a dToF module arranged in the housing (10); the microcontroller and the dToF module are connected via a control circuit; the housing (10) is provided with a through hole (11); the dToF module comprises a laser emitter (21) and a laser receiver (22); the laser emitter (21) and the laser receiver (22) are arranged at the through hole (11) to emit and receive laser pulses toward an object to be measured; and the microcontroller is signal-connected to the dToF module.

2. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A control button (12) is provided on the housing (10), and the control button (12) is connected to the microcontroller via the control circuit.

3. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: A display screen (13) is provided on the housing (10), and the display screen (13) is connected to the microcontroller via the control circuit.

4. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control circuit includes a key response circuit connected to the control key (12) and the microcontroller.

5. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control circuit includes a module communication circuit, which is connected between the microcontroller and the dToF module.

6. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control circuit further comprises a display screen (13) control circuit, and the display screen (13) control circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the display screen (13).

7. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control circuit further comprises a light emitting control circuit, which is connected between the microcontroller and a signal indicator light arranged on the housing (10).

8. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole (11) comprises a first hole (111) and a second hole (112) that are independent of each other; the emitting end of the laser emitter (21) is located at the first hole (111); and the receiving end of the laser receiver (22) is located at the second hole (112).

9. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sink (113) is provided at the through hole (11), and a cover plate (14) that can be covered on the through hole (11) is provided in the sink (113).

10. The dToF-based laser ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A wire hole (15) is provided on the housing (10), and a protective cover (16) is provided in the wire hole (15).

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