Distance measuring sensor and production system of distance measuring sensor

Abstract

According to the distance measuring sensor and the production system of the distance measuring sensor provided by the embodiment of the invention, the movable receiving lens base comprising the signal receiving lens is arranged on the shell of the distance measuring sensor, and the signal receiving lens is used for refracting the laser reflection signal to the light sensing surface of the signal sensing processing chip; photosensitive information is generated based on the reflected laser signal, and the upper computer generates mirror base adjustment data by sending the photosensitive information to the upper computer, so that automatic receiving and transmitting alignment of the distance measuring sensor can be realized, an echo light spot can be adjusted to a proper position of a photosensitive surface, and the adjustment direction of the movable receiving mirror base can be determined based on the photosensitive information without blind adjustment. In the calibration process, only the posture of the movable receiving mirror base needs to be adjusted, the position of the whole receiving circuit board does not need to be moved, the calibration efficiency is high, and therefore the production speed can be increased, and the cost of the whole machine can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to ranging technology, radar detection technology, and in particular a ranging sensor and a ranging sensor manufacturing system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, long-range, high-frequency laser ranging sensors typically employ a discrete component architecture. The signal transmitting end uses an edge-emitting laser (EEL), while the signal receiving and processing end typically uses an avalanche photodiode (APD) as the photosensitive element, combined with trans-impedance amplifiers (TIAs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to receive and process the reflected signals.

[0003] During the production stage, ranging sensors require laser transmission and reception calibration to ensure that the laser emitted by the laser is reflected back to the center area of ​​the photosensitive element after being reflected from the object's surface. Current calibration methods typically employ blind calibration, which involves continuously adjusting the position of the receiving circuit board and observing changes in the echo signal strength. The ideal position is determined when the echo signal strength is at its maximum. However, this blind calibration method is time-consuming, and adjusting the circuit board is difficult and inefficient, resulting in high overall costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] This disclosure provides a ranging sensor and a ranging sensor production system, which can realize automated transmission and reception alignment of the ranging sensor and improve the production efficiency of the device.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure provides a ranging sensor, comprising:

[0006] The system comprises a housing, a motherboard, and a movable receiving lens mount disposed on the housing; wherein the motherboard includes at least a laser emitter, a signal sensing and processing chip, and a connector, and the movable receiving lens mount includes at least a signal receiving lens.

[0007] The laser emitter is used to emit laser signals in the working state;

[0008] The signal receiving lens is used to refract the laser reflection signal corresponding to the laser signal onto the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip;

[0009] The signal sensing and processing chip is used to determine photosensitive information and distance measurement value based on the reflected laser signal, and send the photosensitive information to the host computer through the connector, so that the host computer can determine the mirror mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information;

[0010] The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel region in the photosensitive surface, and the lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted of the movable receiving lens mount.

[0011] Optionally, the signal sensing and processing chip includes a driving unit, a timing unit, and a counting unit;

[0012] The driving unit is used to drive the laser emitter to emit the laser signal;

[0013] The timing unit is used to determine the laser flight time and generate the distance measurement value. The laser flight time refers to the time required from the emission of the laser signal to the receipt of the reflected laser signal by the photosensitive surface.

[0014] The counting unit is used to collect the number of photons received by each pixel area in the photosensitive surface and generate the photosensitive information.

[0015] Optionally, the housing is further provided with a signal emitting lens, which is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter.

[0016] Optionally, the housing is further provided with a movable transmitting mirror mount, and the movable transmitting mirror mount is provided with at least a signal transmitting lens;

[0017] The signal emitting lens is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter;

[0018] The mirror mount adjustment data also includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted for the movable launching mirror mount.

[0019] Optionally, the motherboard also includes a controller and a driver, the controller being connected to the signal sensing and processing chip, and the driver being connected to both the signal sensing and processing chip and the laser emitter.

[0020] The controller is used to initialize the signal sensing and processing chip when powered on, so that the signal sensing and processing chip enters the working state.

[0021] When in operation, the signal sensing and processing chip sends a drive signal to the driver, and the driver drives the laser emitter to emit the laser signal based on the drive signal.

[0022] Optionally, the motherboard also includes a power management module, which is connected to an external power source via the connector.

[0023] The power management module includes:

[0024] A controller power supply unit is electrically connected to the controller.

[0025] A driver power supply unit is electrically connected to the driver.

[0026] A laser emission power supply unit is electrically connected to the power supply circuit of the laser emitter;

[0027] The signal processing power supply unit is electrically connected to the signal sensing and processing chip.

[0028] Optionally, the movable receiving mirror mount is further provided with a filter, which is used to transmit the laser band corresponding to the laser signal and block the visible light band.

[0029] In another aspect of this disclosure, a manufacturing system for a ranging sensor is provided. The manufacturing system includes a host computer, a robotic arm, and a ranging sensor as described above. The ranging sensor includes a housing, a motherboard, and a movable receiving lens mount disposed on the housing. The motherboard is provided with at least one signal sensing and processing chip.

[0030] The host computer is used to receive the photosensitive information sent by the ranging sensor and determine the lens mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information. The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel area in the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip. The lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted of the movable receiving lens mount.

[0031] The robotic arm is used to receive the mirror mount adjustment data sent by the host computer, and adjust the posture of the movable receiving mirror mount on the housing based on the mirror mount adjustment data.

[0032] Optionally, the host computer includes a display, which is used to display a heat map corresponding to the photosensitive information, and the heat map is used to characterize the shape and position of the light spot on the photosensitive surface.

[0033] Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, by setting a movable receiving lens mount including a signal receiving lens on the housing of the ranging sensor, the signal receiving lens refracts the laser reflection signal onto the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip, and generates photosensitive information based on the reflected laser signal. By sending the photosensitive information to the host computer, the host computer generates lens mount adjustment data, which can realize the automated transmission and reception alignment of the ranging sensor, adjust the echo spot to the appropriate position on the photosensitive surface, and determine the adjustment direction of the movable receiving lens mount based on the photosensitive information. Blind adjustment is not required, the time consumption is short, and during the calibration process, only the posture of the movable receiving lens mount needs to be adjusted, without moving the position of the entire receiving circuit board, resulting in high calibration efficiency, thereby improving production speed and reducing the overall cost of the machine.

[0034] The technical solutions of this disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0036] This disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ranging sensor provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ranging sensor provided for another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ranging sensor provided for another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a motherboard provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a ranging sensor provided for another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a manufacturing system for a ranging sensor provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0043] Figure 7 A heat map provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0044] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0045] Housing-1; Mainboard-2; Movable receiving lens mount-3; Signal receiving lens-4; Signal transmitting lens-5; Movable transmitting lens mount-6; Filter-7; Host computer-601; Robotic arm-602; Distance sensor-603;

[0046] Laser emitter-21; Signal sensing and processing chip-22; Connector-23; Controller-24; Driver-25; Power management module-26; Power supply circuit-27;

[0047] Controller power supply unit-2601; Driver power supply unit-2602; Laser emission power supply unit-2603; Signal processing power supply unit-2604. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the embodiments of this disclosure are only used to distinguish different steps, devices, or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meaning, nor do they indicate a necessary logical order between them.

[0050] It should also be understood that in the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" can refer to two or more, and "at least one" can refer to one, two or more.

[0051] It should also be understood that any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of this disclosure can generally be understood as one or more unless explicitly defined or given contrary guidance in the context.

[0052] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this disclosure is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this disclosure generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0053] It should also be understood that the description of the various embodiments in this disclosure emphasizes the differences between the various embodiments, and the similarities or similarities can be referred to each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail.

[0054] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.

[0055] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0056] Technologies and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0057] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0058] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of a ranging sensor provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the ranging sensor includes a housing 1, a main board 2, and a movable receiving lens mount 3 mounted on the housing 1. The main board 2 contains at least a laser emitter 21, a signal sensing and processing chip 22, and a connector 23, while the movable receiving lens mount 3 contains at least a signal receiving lens 4.

[0059] The laser emitter 21 is used to emit laser signals in the working state. In the working mode, the laser emitter 21 emits laser signals in a preset direction at a preset frequency. The laser emitter 21 can be a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge-emitting semiconductor laser (EEL), or a similar laser. Optionally, the laser emitter 21 in this embodiment uses a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). VCSELs emit light from the vertical cavity surface, and the beam is a circularly symmetrical beam with a small divergence angle. The optical lens structure is simple, and the emission module has low cost.

[0060] The signal receiving lens 4 is used to refract the laser reflection signal corresponding to the laser signal onto the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22. The signal receiving lens 4 is fixedly mounted in the movable receiving lens mount 3 and moves with the movable receiving lens mount 3. The signal receiving lens 4 can refract the laser reflection signal, thereby reducing the signal receiving field of view, reducing the background light reaching the photosensitive surface, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the laser reflection signal received by the photosensitive surface, and improving the anti-interference capability against ambient light. Simultaneously, by setting the signal receiving lens 4, the position of the laser reflection signal beam on the photosensitive surface can be adjusted by adjusting the position and / or angle of the signal receiving lens 4, which is more convenient and faster than adjusting the position of the signal receiving circuit. Optionally, the movable receiving lens mount 3 is made of an opaque material to block external stray light from entering the cavity of the movable receiving lens mount 3.

[0061] The signal sensing and processing chip 22 is used to determine photosensitive information and distance measurement values ​​based on the reflected laser signal, and sends the photosensitive information to the host computer via connector 23, so that the host computer can determine the lens mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information. The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel area in the photosensitive surface, and the lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted for the movable receiving lens mount 3. The distance measurement value is used to characterize the distance between the ranging sensor and the signal reflecting surface, which is the surface of the object that reflects the laser signal.

[0062] Optionally, the signal sensing and processing chip 22 can be an avalanche photodiode detector (APD) chip, a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) chip, or a similar chip. This embodiment uses a single-photon avalanche diode system-on-chip (SPAD-SoC) as an example for illustration. The photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22 is divided into multiple pixel regions. Photosensitive information is generated by collecting the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel region. The pixel region with the highest signal intensity indicates the position of the reflected laser beam on the photosensitive surface. The host computer can determine the spot position of the reflected laser beam on the photosensitive surface based on the pixel region with the highest signal intensity, and generate mirror mount adjustment data based on the spot position offset. By adjusting at least one of the angle and position of the movable receiving mirror mount 3, the reflected laser beam can reach the center of the photosensitive surface.

[0063] Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, by setting a movable receiving lens mount including a signal receiving lens on the housing of the ranging sensor, the signal receiving lens refracts the laser reflection signal onto the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip, and generates photosensitive information based on the reflected laser signal. By sending the photosensitive information to the host computer, the host computer generates lens mount adjustment data, which can realize the automated transmission and reception alignment of the ranging sensor, adjust the echo spot to the appropriate position on the photosensitive surface, and determine the adjustment direction of the movable receiving lens mount based on the photosensitive information. Blind adjustment is not required, the time consumption is short, and during the calibration process, only the posture of the movable receiving lens mount needs to be adjusted, without moving the position of the entire receiving circuit board, resulting in high calibration efficiency, thereby improving production speed and reducing the overall cost of the machine.

[0064] In one possible implementation, the signal sensing and processing chip includes a driving unit, a timing unit, and a counting unit. The driving unit drives the laser emitter to emit a laser signal; the timing unit determines the laser flight time and generates a distance measurement value, whereby the laser flight time refers to the time required from the emission of the laser signal to the reception of the reflected laser signal by the photosensitive surface; and the counting unit collects the number of photons received by each pixel area in the photosensitive surface to generate photosensitive information.

[0065] In a schematic illustration, a SPAD-SoC is used as the signal sensing and processing chip. The SPAD-SoC integrates the driving unit, timing unit, and counting unit onto a single chip, achieving integrated sensing, storage, and computing functionality. This significantly reduces device size, weight, power consumption, and cost, while substantially improving device performance. When the signal sensing and processing chip is working, the driving unit first drives the laser emitter to emit a laser signal through a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) port. When the corresponding reflected laser signal returns to the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip, it triggers the timing unit to determine the laser flight duration and generate a distance measurement value. For example, the laser flight duration is determined using a time-to-digital converter (TDC), and the distance measurement value is calculated and stored based on a time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) and a digital signal processor (DSP). The photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip consists of multiple pixel regions. The counting unit counts the number of photons received in each pixel region, using the number of photons as the intensity of the reflected laser signal in the corresponding pixel region to obtain the photosensitive information.

[0066] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 2As shown, a signal emitting lens 5 is also provided on the housing 1. This signal emitting lens 5 is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter 21. The signal emitting lens 5 can refract the laser signal and collimate the divergent laser signal. Compared with the direct emission of laser signals with a large divergence angle, it can concentrate the laser signal emitted into the target detection space into a smaller spot area, so that most of the laser signal can reach the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22 through reflection from the signal reflecting surface, thereby increasing the echo energy and improving the accuracy of the distance measurement value.

[0067] In another possible implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, a movable emitting mirror mount 6 is also provided on the housing 1, and at least one signal emitting lens 5 is provided in the movable emitting mirror mount 6. The signal emitting lens 5 is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter 21. The adjustment data of the mirror mount also includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted of the movable emitting mirror mount 6. By setting the movable emitting mirror mount 6, the signal emitting lens 5 moves with the movable emitting mirror mount 6. It is possible to adjust the position and angle of the signal emitting lens 5 by adjusting the movable emitting mirror mount 6, thereby adjusting the emission angle of the laser signal, and thus achieving the effect of adjusting the angle of the laser reflection signal. Therefore, the movable emitting mirror mount 6 and the movable receiving mirror mount 3 can be combined to adjust the transmission and reception of the laser signal, improving the adjustable range of the laser signal transmission and reception angle. Optionally, the movable emitting mirror mount 6 is made of an opaque material to block external stray light from entering the cavity of the movable emitting mirror mount 6.

[0068] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the motherboard 2 also includes a controller 24 and a driver 25. The controller 24 is connected to the signal sensing and processing chip 22, and the driver 25 is connected to both the signal sensing and processing chip 22 and the laser emitter 21.

[0069] The controller 24 is used to initialize the signal sensing and processing chip 22 upon power-up, enabling the chip to enter its operational state. The controller 24 can be a microcontroller unit (MCU), system-on-chip (SOC), microprocessor unit (MPU), or similar device; this embodiment uses an MCU as an example. When the signal sensing and processing chip 22 does not have an internal control unit, after generating photosensitive information, it can send this information to the controller 24, which then transmits it to the host computer via connector 23.

[0070] The signal sensing and processing chip 22, when in operation, sends a drive signal to the driver 25, which in turn drives the laser emitter 21 to emit a laser signal based on the drive signal. The driver 25 can be a semiconductor laser tube driver, a fiber laser driver, a VCSEL laser driver, etc.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the motherboard 2 is also provided with a power management module 26. The power management module 26 is connected to an external power source through a connector 23, and is able to receive power from the external power source and be responsible for powering the various devices in the motherboard 2.

[0072] The power management module 26 may specifically include: a controller power supply unit 2601, electrically connected to the controller 24, for supplying power to the controller 24; a driver power supply unit 2602, electrically connected to the driver 25, for supplying power to the driver 25; a laser emission power supply unit 2603, electrically connected to the power supply circuit 27 of the laser emitter 21, for supplying power to the laser emitter 21 through the power supply circuit 27, wherein the power supply circuit 27 may be a high-voltage circuit; and a signal processing power supply unit 2604, electrically connected to the signal sensing and processing chip 22, for supplying power to the signal sensing and processing chip 22.

[0073] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the movable receiving mirror mount 3 is also equipped with a filter 7. The filter 7 is used to transmit the laser band corresponding to the laser signal and block the visible light band, thereby reducing the interference of other visible light bands in the target detection space, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the laser reflection signal, and thus improving the accuracy of ranging.

[0074] This disclosure also provides a laser ranging device, which includes the ranging sensor provided in the above embodiments. Optionally, the laser ranging device can be a lidar, infrared radar, or other similar device, and can be applied to electronic devices such as robotic vacuum cleaners, smartphones, drones, and smart cars to achieve functions such as detection ranging and point cloud generation.

[0075] This disclosure also provides a manufacturing system for a ranging sensor. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the production system includes a host computer 601, a robotic arm 602, and a ranging sensor 603 provided in any of the above embodiments. The ranging sensor includes a housing 1, a main board 2, and a movable receiving lens mount 3 disposed on the housing 1. The main board 2 contains at least one signal sensing and processing chip 22.

[0076] In one possible implementation, the host computer 601 receives photosensitive information sent by the ranging sensor 603 and determines lens mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information. The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel area in the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22, and the lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted for the movable receiving lens mount 3. The robotic arm 602 receives the lens mount adjustment data sent by the host computer 601 and adjusts the posture of the movable receiving lens mount 3 on the housing 1 based on the lens mount adjustment data.

[0077] Optionally, the housing 1 is further provided with a movable transmitting mirror mount 6, which is provided with at least a signal transmitting lens 5. The mirror mount adjustment data also includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted for the movable transmitting mirror mount 6. The robotic arm 602 is used to receive the mirror mount adjustment data sent by the host computer 601 and adjust the posture of the movable receiving mirror mount 3 and the movable transmitting mirror mount 6 on the housing 1 based on the mirror mount adjustment data.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the host computer 601 includes a display, which is used to display a heat map corresponding to the photosensitive information. The heat map is used to characterize the shape and position of the light spot on the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22.

[0079] Indicative, Figure 7 A heatmap is shown. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22 contains a 5*5 pixel area. The number in each pixel area represents the number of photons within it, i.e., the intensity of the reflected laser signal. Different ranges of reflected laser signal intensity correspond to different colors. Figure 7 In the heatmap shown, darker areas represent areas with a higher number of photons, i.e., areas where the light spot is located. Therefore, the shape and position of the light spot formed on the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip 22 by the reflected laser signal can be observed through the heatmap. It can be used to determine whether the movable receiving mirror 3 needs to be adjusted and the corresponding adjustment method.

[0080] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0081] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or corresponding parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of the various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the specific details required for its implementation.

[0082] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0083] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0084] The apparatus and device of this disclosure may be implemented in many ways. For example, the apparatus and device of this disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware.

[0085] It should also be noted that in the apparatus and equipment disclosed herein, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. Such disassembly and / or recombination should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0086] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0087] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, adjustments, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A ranging sensor, characterized by, include: The system comprises a housing, a motherboard, and a movable receiving lens mount disposed on the housing; wherein the motherboard includes at least a laser emitter, a signal sensing and processing chip, and a connector, and the movable receiving lens mount includes at least a signal receiving lens. The laser emitter is used to emit laser signals in the working state; The signal receiving lens is used to refract the laser reflection signal corresponding to the laser signal onto the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip; The signal sensing and processing chip is used to determine photosensitive information and distance measurement value based on the laser reflection signal, and send the photosensitive information to the host computer through the connector, so that the host computer can determine the mirror mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information; The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel region in the photosensitive surface, and the lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted of the movable receiving lens mount.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal sensing and processing chip includes a driving unit, a timing unit, and a counting unit; The driving unit is used to drive the laser emitter to emit the laser signal; The timing unit is used to determine the laser flight time and generate the distance measurement value. The laser flight time refers to the time required from the emission of the laser signal to the receipt of the laser reflection signal by the photosensitive surface. The counting unit is used to collect the number of photons received by each pixel area in the photosensitive surface and generate the photosensitive information.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a signal emitting lens, which is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a movable transmitting mirror mount, and the movable transmitting mirror mount is provided with at least a signal transmitting lens; The signal emitting lens is used to collimate the laser signal emitted by the laser emitter; The mirror mount adjustment data also includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted for the movable launching mirror mount.

5. The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The motherboard also includes a controller and a driver. The controller is connected to the signal sensing and processing chip, and the driver is connected to both the signal sensing and processing chip and the laser emitter. The controller is used to initialize the signal sensing and processing chip when powered on, so that the signal sensing and processing chip enters the working state. When in operation, the signal sensing and processing chip sends a drive signal to the driver, and the driver drives the laser emitter to emit the laser signal based on the drive signal.

6. The sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The motherboard also includes a power management module, which is connected to an external power source via the connector. The power management module includes: A controller power supply unit is electrically connected to the controller. A driver power supply unit is electrically connected to the driver. A laser emission power supply unit is electrically connected to the power supply circuit of the laser emitter; The signal processing power supply unit is electrically connected to the signal sensing and processing chip.

7. The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The movable receiving mirror mount is also equipped with a filter, which is used to transmit the laser band corresponding to the laser signal and block the visible light band.

8. A manufacturing system for a ranging sensor, characterized in that, The system includes a host computer, a robotic arm, and a ranging sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ranging sensor includes a housing, a motherboard, and a movable receiving lens mount disposed on the housing, and the motherboard is provided with at least a signal sensing and processing chip. The host computer is used to receive the photosensitive information sent by the ranging sensor and determine the lens mount adjustment data based on the photosensitive information. The photosensitive information includes the laser reflection signal intensity of each pixel area in the photosensitive surface of the signal sensing and processing chip. The lens mount adjustment data includes at least one of the angle to be adjusted and the distance to be adjusted of the movable receiving lens mount. The robotic arm is used to receive the mirror mount adjustment data sent by the host computer, and adjust the posture of the movable receiving mirror mount on the housing based on the mirror mount adjustment data.

9. The production system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The host computer includes a display, which is used to display a heat map corresponding to the photosensitive information. The heat map is used to characterize the shape and position of the light spot on the photosensitive surface.

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