A multi-laser driver circuit, a laser radar, and a movable platform

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of multi-laser driver circuit, laser radar and movable platform, driver circuit includes the boost circuit of being provided with boost switch and at least two laser light emitting circuits, each laser light emitting circuit is correspondingly provided with at least one laser;The input end of each laser light emitting circuit is connected with the output end of the boost circuit in parallel, and the input end of each laser light emitting circuit is provided with a conducting switch.The multi-laser driver circuit of the utility model is connected with the boost circuit in parallel by multiple laser light emitting circuits, and is provided with a conducting switch, and then the excitation of different laser can be realized by controlling the on-off of the conducting switch corresponding to each laser light emitting circuit, a single boost circuit is used to drive multiple laser to emit light, so as to improve the detection range of overall laser radar, and the volume of overall laser radar can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of laser technology, and in particular to a multi-laser driving circuit, a lidar, and a mobile platform. Background Technology

[0002] LiDAR has been widely used in various aspects of existing technologies, such as autonomous driving. For LiDAR, the emission power of the laser affects its detection range. Therefore, combining multiple lasers to increase emission power is the most common approach.

[0003] In existing technologies, solutions combining multiple lasers are basically achieved by simply replicating a single-channel drive circuit to drive multiple lasers. However, this approach leads to higher overall costs for the lidar and requires a larger PCB area, especially for power inductors, which are typically very large and bulky. Extensive use of these components results in a very large board area, indirectly increasing the size of the lidar. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model provides a multi-laser driving circuit, a lidar, and a mobile platform to solve the problems of excessive cost or excessive size increase when increasing the detection range of lidar in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a multi-laser driving circuit is provided, including a boost circuit with a boost switch and at least two laser emitting circuits, each laser emitting circuit having at least one laser.

[0006] The input terminals of each laser emission circuit are connected in parallel to the output terminal of the boost circuit, and each laser emission circuit has an on / off switch at its input terminal.

[0007] This utility model's multi-laser driving circuit connects multiple laser emission circuits in parallel with a boost circuit and includes an on / off switch. By controlling the on / off state of the corresponding on / off switch of each laser emission circuit, different lasers can be excited. This allows multiple lasers to be driven by a single boost circuit, thereby increasing the overall detection range of the lidar and effectively reducing overall cost and controlling the overall size of the lidar.

[0008] In some embodiments, the boost circuit includes an input power supply, an inductor, and a boost switch. One end of the input power supply is grounded, and the other end is connected in sequence to the inductor and the boost switch. The other end of the boost switch is grounded, and the output terminal of the boost circuit is located between the inductor and the boost switch.

[0009] Therefore, by using this configuration, the diodes used in the existing laser emission circuit can be replaced by the switching circuits. When the boost switch is closed, all the switching circuits are open, allowing the input power supply to charge the inductor. After the boost switch is opened, the switching circuit corresponding to the laser that needs to emit light is closed, thereby boosting the output of the corresponding laser emission circuit. This allows the overall drive circuit to excite different lasers, achieve the boost effect of the boost circuit, and eliminate the need for diodes. Furthermore, by controlling the closing time of the boost switch, the emission duration, brightness, and laser power of the subsequent laser can be controlled, further reducing the number of components in the overall circuit, reducing the size and cost of the lidar, and better controlling the detection range of the laser and lidar.

[0010] In some implementations, the inductor is configured as a power inductor.

[0011] In some implementations, a filter capacitor is connected to the grounded end of the input power supply.

[0012] Therefore, this configuration enables filtering and noise reduction of the input power supply, as well as voltage stabilization, thereby improving the stability of the laser operation.

[0013] In some embodiments, the laser emission circuit includes an energy storage capacitor, a laser, and a laser switch. One end of the energy storage capacitor is grounded, and the other end is connected in sequence to the laser and the laser switch. The other end of the laser switch is grounded, and the output terminal of the boost circuit is connected between the energy storage capacitor and the laser.

[0014] Therefore, this setup allows for energy storage using a storage capacitor. When the laser switch is closed, a circuit is formed, enabling the stored energy to excite the laser to emit light. Furthermore, since the storage capacitor itself can store energy to power the laser, multiple lasers can be activated simultaneously by alternately switching on different laser emission circuits within a short period.

[0015] In some implementations, the closing and conducting times of the boost switch are different before the conducting switches corresponding to at least two laser light-emitting circuits are closed.

[0016] Therefore, by setting it up in this way, the duration, brightness, and power of the laser emitted by each laser emission circuit can be controlled by adjusting the closing and conducting time of the boost switch.

[0017] In some implementations, the boost switch and the on switch are configured to be controlled by the same controller.

[0018] Therefore, with this configuration, a single controller can be used to simultaneously control the opening of the boost switch and the closing of the conduction switch, or simultaneously control the closing of the boost switch and the opening of the conduction switch, thereby simplifying the operation process of the overall multi-laser drive circuit.

[0019] In some implementations, the boost switch and the on switch are configured to be controlled by different controllers.

[0020] Therefore, by setting it up in this way, the opening and closing of the boost switch can be controlled according to the actual usage to achieve energy storage, so that the opening and closing of the conduction switch can be controlled when the laser needs to be excited, so as to better adapt to various different usage scenarios.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a lidar is provided, which is provided with the multi-laser driving circuit described in the first aspect above.

[0022] The lidar of this invention, by incorporating the aforementioned multi-laser driving circuit, can effectively reduce the overall size of the structure, while also effectively increasing the detection range of the lidar and reducing costs.

[0023] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a mobile platform is provided, characterized in that it is equipped with the lidar described in the second aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a multi-laser driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is an overall circuit diagram of a multi-laser driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 The circuit diagram shows the boost circuit of the multi-laser driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 The circuit diagram of the laser emission circuit of the multi-laser driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a multi-laser driving circuit control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Boost circuit; 11. Input power supply; 12. Inductor; 13. Boost switch; 14. Filter capacitor; 15. Output terminal; 2. Laser emission circuit; 21. Energy storage capacitor; 22. Laser; 23. Laser switch; 24. Input terminal; 3. On switch. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0032] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the use of terms such as "center," "middle," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" to indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings is solely for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Features defined with "first" and "second" are used to distinguish feature names and do not have special meanings. Furthermore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] It should also be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising" or "including" include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. The terminology used herein is generally that commonly used by those skilled in the art; in case of any discrepancy with commonly used terminology, the terminology used herein shall prevail.

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0037] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The schematic diagram illustrates the overall composition of a multi-laser driving circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the overall composition of the multi-laser driving circuit of this utility model includes a boost circuit 1 and at least two laser emission circuits 2. The boost circuit 1 is equipped with a boost switch 13. Each laser emission circuit 2 is equipped with at least one laser 22, and each laser emission circuit 2 is also equipped with a laser switch 23 for controlling the laser 22 in its circuit. The input terminals 24 of each laser emission circuit 2 are connected in parallel and connected to the output terminal 15 of the boost circuit 1. Each input terminal 24 of the laser emission circuit 2 is equipped with an on / off switch 3 to control whether each laser emission circuit 2 is connected to the boost circuit 1.

[0039] The specific configuration of boost circuit 1 can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown. Figure 3 The composition of the boost circuit 1 in a multi-laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of this utility model is schematically shown. (Refer to...) Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the boost circuit 1 includes an input power supply 11, an inductor 12, and a boost switch 13. One end of the input power supply 11 is grounded, and the other end is connected sequentially to the inductor 12 and the boost switch 13. The other end of the boost switch 13 is grounded, and the output terminal 15 of the boost circuit 1 is located between the inductor 12 and the boost switch 13. Specifically, the inductor 12 can be a power inductor. Additionally, a filter capacitor 14 can be connected to the grounded end of the input power supply 11 to filter and reduce noise, stabilize the voltage, and improve the stability of the laser 22. The specific values ​​of the input power supply 11, inductor 12, and filter capacitor 14 can be designed according to actual conditions, and this invention does not impose any limitations on this.

[0040] When the boost switch 13 of the boost circuit 1 is closed and the corresponding on switches 3 of each laser light-emitting circuit 2 are open, the other end of the input power supply 11 is connected to ground, and the input voltage is applied across the inductor 12, allowing current to flow through it. Electrical energy is converted into magnetic energy and stored to charge the inductor 12. When the boost switch 13 is open and at least one of the corresponding on switches 3 of the laser light-emitting circuit 2 is closed, the inductor 12 generates a back electromotive force (EMF) due to a sudden change in current, according to Lenz's law. This back EMF is superimposed in the same direction as the voltage input to the input power supply 11 to form a boost voltage, which supplies power to the laser light-emitting circuit 2 through the closed on switch 3.

[0041] The specific settings of laser light-emitting circuit 2 can be as follows: Figure 4 As shown. Figure 4 The diagram schematically illustrates the composition of the laser emission circuit 2 in a multi-laser driving circuit according to an embodiment of this invention. (Refer to...) Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the laser emission circuit 2 includes an energy storage capacitor 21, a laser 22, and a laser switch 23. One end of the energy storage capacitor 21 is grounded, and the other end is connected sequentially to the laser 22 and the laser switch 23. The other end of the laser switch 23 is grounded. The output terminal 15 of the boost circuit 1 is connected between the energy storage capacitor 21 and the laser 22. The specific value of the energy storage capacitor 21 can be designed according to actual conditions, and this invention does not impose any limitations on it.

[0042] When the voltage output of boost circuit 1 supplies power to the current laser emission circuit 2 (i.e., the corresponding on switch 3 of the current laser emission circuit 2 is closed, and laser switch 23 is set to off), the voltage output of boost circuit 1 charges energy storage capacitor 21, allowing energy storage capacitor 21 to store electrical energy and thus charge laser 22. When laser switch 23 is closed, energy storage capacitor 21 supplies power to laser 22, enabling laser 22 to operate.

[0043] It is understandable that, unlike the conventional laser emission circuit 2 in the prior art, the laser emission circuit 2 of this invention does not use diodes, but instead uses a switching switch 3 to replace them. Using a traditional diode solution, all lasers 22 can only be lit at once, and the lighting duration of each laser 22 is consistent. However, due to potential design parameter differences among the lasers 22, it is generally difficult to achieve consistent power for each laser 22, resulting in uncontrollable emission power for each laser 22 in the overall product. This invention uses a switching switch 3 instead of diodes, thereby controlling the conduction of each laser emission circuit 2 to independently control the lighting of multiple lasers 22. Simultaneously, the longer the boost switch 13 is on, the more charge is collected in the inductor 12, allowing for greater control over the emission duration and brightness of the laser 22, resulting in stronger laser power. Thus, the combined control of the boost switch 13 and the switching switch 3 ensures consistent power for each laser 22, thereby improving the overall point cloud acquisition effect of the lidar. Furthermore, in some possible implementations, the multi-laser driving circuit of this invention can be configured such that the closing and conduction times of the boost switch 13 are different before the closing of the conduction switches 3 corresponding to at least two laser light-emitting circuits 2, so as to adjust the power of each laser 22 and make the power of each laser 22 consistent.

[0044] Furthermore, in practical operation, controllers can be set up to control each switch. For example, a controller can be set up to simultaneously control the boost switch 13 and the on switch 3, so as to simultaneously control the opening of the boost switch 13 and the closing of the on switch 3, or simultaneously control the closing of the boost switch 13 and the opening of the on switch 3, thereby simplifying the operation process of the overall multi-laser drive circuit. Alternatively, different controllers can be set up for the boost switch 13 and the on switch 3 respectively, so as to control the opening and closing of the boost switch 13 to store energy according to the actual situation, and to control the opening and closing of the on switch 3 only when the laser needs to be excited, thus better adapting to various different application scenarios. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a single controller can be set to control the opening / closing of the boost switch 13, the on switch 3, and the laser switch 23, or multiple controllers can be set up to control the opening / closing of the boost switch 13, the on switch 3, and the laser switch 23 respectively.

[0045] This utility model's multi-laser driving circuit connects multiple laser emission circuits 2 in parallel with a boost circuit 1, and includes an on / off switch 3. By controlling the on / off state of the on / off switch 3 corresponding to each laser emission circuit 2, different lasers 22 can be excited. This allows multiple lasers 22 to be driven by a single boost circuit 1, and the laser power of different lasers 22 can be controlled by varying the duration of the closed boost switch 13 in conjunction with the on / off switch 3. This improves the overall detection range of the lidar, and the detection distance can be controlled by adjusting the emission power. Furthermore, it effectively reduces the overall cost and controls the overall size of the lidar.

[0046] Figure 5 The diagram schematically illustrates a multi-laser driving circuit control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. This control method is applicable to multi-laser driving circuits in any of the embodiments described above. (Refer to...) Figure 5 As shown, the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0047] Step S11: Disconnect the on switch 3 connected to the input terminal 24 of each laser light emission circuit 2, close the boost switch 13 of the boost circuit 1, and disconnect the boost switch 13 after a preset time;

[0048] Step S12: Close the switch 3 corresponding to the laser emitting circuit 2 where the laser 22 to be activated is located;

[0049] Step S13: Close the laser switch 23 of the laser emitting circuit 2 where the laser 22 to be activated is located.

[0050] Step S11 is used to charge inductor 12. By disconnecting the on / off switches 3 of the input terminals 24 of each laser emission circuit 2 and closing the boost switch 13 of the boost circuit 1, the voltage input from the power supply 11 is applied to both ends of inductor 12, allowing current to flow through inductor 12. Electrical energy is converted into magnetic energy and stored to charge inductor 12. After a preset charging time, the inductor 12 stores the required energy, and the boost switch 13 can be disconnected. The preset time is determined based on the laser power of the laser 22 to be activated. Specifically, the longer the boost switch 13 is closed, the larger the current in inductor 12 becomes, resulting in more energy received by inductor 12. Consequently, more energy is transferred from inductor 12 to energy storage capacitor 21, leading to a higher voltage in energy storage capacitor 21, a larger laser current, and a higher laser emission power. The specific calculation formulas can be designed by referring to the existing formulas on the relationship between inductor current and charging time, the energy transfer relationship between inductor current and capacitor voltage, and the relevant formulas on the laser power of the laser. This part will not be explained in detail here.

[0051] Step S12 is the step of charging the energy storage capacitor 21 in the corresponding laser light emission circuit 2. When the conduction switch 3 in the laser light emission circuit 2 is closed, the voltage output by the boost circuit 1 will charge the energy storage capacitor 21, so that the energy storage capacitor 21 stores electrical energy and can charge the laser 22.

[0052] Step S13 is the step of controlling the laser 22 to emit light. When the laser switch 23 is closed, the energy storage capacitor 21 will supply power to the laser 22, making the laser 22 work.

[0053] Repeating steps S11 to S13 above will enable the emission of light from each laser 22 in the overall multi-laser drive circuit according to the control of laser 22.

[0054] This invention also provides a lidar, which incorporates a multi-laser driving circuit and / or a multi-laser driving circuit control method as described in any of the embodiments above. Specifically, the lidar includes a plurality of lasers 22, each laser 22 being correspondingly disposed in a different laser emitting circuit 2 within the multi-laser driving circuit described in any of the embodiments above. This allows for control of the laser power of each laser 22 by controlling the closing time of the boost switch 13, and for exciting different lasers 22 by controlling the on / off state of the corresponding on / off switches 3 of each laser emitting circuit 2, thereby enhancing the overall detection range of the lidar. Furthermore, since this multi-laser driving circuit only requires one boost circuit 1, the overall cost and size of the lidar can be reduced.

[0055] This utility model also provides a mobile platform, wherein the mobile platform is equipped with a lidar according to any of the above embodiments, so as to effectively improve the detection range of the corresponding mobile platform.

[0056] It should be noted that the mobile platform described in this embodiment of the present invention can be, for example, a mobile robot, model aircraft, drone, robotic arm, car, ship, etc. It should also be pointed out that the structure of the mobile platform is not limited to this; this embodiment is merely illustrative.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-laser driving circuit, characterized in that, It includes a boost circuit (1) with a boost switch (13) and at least two laser light-emitting circuits (2), each laser light-emitting circuit (2) having at least one laser (22); The input terminals (24) of each laser light-emitting circuit (2) are connected in parallel to the output terminal (15) of the boost circuit (1), and each input terminal (24) of the laser light-emitting circuit (2) is provided with a switch (3).

2. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost circuit (1) includes an input power supply (11), an inductor (12) and a boost switch (13). One end of the input power supply (11) is grounded, and the other end is connected to the inductor (12) and the boost switch (13) in sequence. The other end of the boost switch (13) is grounded. The output terminal (15) of the boost circuit (1) is located between the inductor (12) and the boost switch (13).

3. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inductor (12) is configured as a power inductor.

4. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, A filter capacitor (14) is connected to the ground end of the input power supply (11).

5. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the boost switch (13) is closed, the closing and conduction times of the conduction switches (3) corresponding to at least two laser light-emitting circuits (2) are different.

6. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost switch (13) and the conduction switch (3) are configured to use the same controller to control their opening and closing.

7. The multi-laser driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost switch (13) and the conduction switch (3) are configured to be controlled by different controllers.

8. The multi-laser driving circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The laser light-emitting circuit (2) includes an energy storage capacitor (21), a laser (22) and a laser switch (23). One end of the energy storage capacitor (21) is grounded, and the other end is connected to the laser (22) and the laser switch (23) in sequence. The other end of the laser switch (23) is grounded. The output terminal (15) of the boost circuit (1) is connected between the energy storage capacitor (21) and the laser (22).

9. A lidar, characterized in that, The circuit is equipped with a multi-laser driving circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A mobile platform, characterized in that, The device is equipped with the lidar described in claim 9.

Images