Control method, lider, and terminal device

Abstract

In order to improve the flexibility of detection in the sensing field, a control method, a lidar and a terminal device are provided. The method includes: a control device controls a receiving optical system to receive a first echo signal reflected by a target object (501); and controls a detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using a first pixel configuration, where in the first pixel configuration, different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, or the detector has different pixel configurations in different periods (502). In this way, the detector can convert the echo signals received in different regions or in different periods into differentiated electrical signals based on the different pixel configurations, so that the pixel density in the generated point cloud data can also be flexibly adjusted based on the actual pixel configuration scheme. This effectively improves the flexibility of detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0001] This application relates to the field of detection technology, particularly to the field of laser detection, and provides a control method, a lidar, and a terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] A lidar (light detection and ranging) is an optical measurement device. The operating principle of a lidar is to transmit a laser signal to an object, receive the echo signal reflected by the object, and compare the echo signal with the laser signal to obtain relevant parameters such as the distance and speed of the object. A lidar can form a high-precision image by accurately scanning the surrounding objects. This helps to quickly identify and determine the surrounding objects. Currently, lidars are widely used in scenarios such as intelligent vehicles, smart transportation, 3D urban mapping, and atmospheric environment monitoring.

[0003] However, currently, the detection method of a lidar is usually set based on the hardware configuration of the lidar. When the hardware configuration of the lidar is better, the pixel density of the image detected by the lidar is higher. When the hardware configuration of the lidar is not better, the pixel density of the image detected by the lidar is lower. The current detection method cannot well meet the requirements of users and is not sufficient to improve the flexibility of detection.

[0004] Considering this point, this application provides a control method to improve the flexibility of detection.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a control method, a lidar, and a terminal device to improve the flexibility of detection. <00000​​According to a first aspect, the present application provides a control method. The method is applicable to a control device. The method includes: the control device controls a receiving optical system to receive a first echo signal reflected by a target object, and controls a detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using a first pixel configuration. Specifically, the first echo signal includes a reflected signal corresponding to a first detection signal. In the first pixel configuration, different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, and / or the detector has different pixel configurations over different periods. According to the control method, the detector is configured to use different pixel configurations over different regions and / or periods by using software, so that after receiving an echo signal, the detector converts the echo signals received over different regions and / or periods based on the different pixel configurations. distinction It can be converted into an electrical signal. distinction The pixel density in the point cloud data generated based on the electrical signals (i.e., the number of pixels in the image per unit area corresponding to the point cloud data) can also be flexibly adjusted based on the actual pixel configuration scheme. This improves the flexibility of detection. Furthermore, in this scheme, the detector can be configured to implement the pixel configuration by using software. Thus, the dependence of the lidar on the hardware configuration in the detection process can be reduced, and the flexibility of detection can be further improved.

[0007] It should be noted that the first echo signal may include reflected signals corresponding to all detected signals, reflected signals corresponding to only some detected signals, or further include some ambient noise signals. This is not specifically limited.

[0008] In a possible design, the first echo signal may be presented as a linear spot to implement a line scan-line receive scan mode.

[0009] In a possible design, the first echo signal may be presented as staggered spots, which are spots arranged alternately in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector. The detector is a device comprising multiple rows and columns of cells. The horizontal direction of the detector is defined by one row of cells, and the vertical direction of the detector is defined by one column of cells. When the lidar scans an object in the horizontal direction, the staggered spots are spots in at least two portions of the alternately arranged spots in the horizontal direction of the detector. When the lidar scans an object in the vertical direction, the staggered spots are spots in at least two portions of the alternately arranged spots in the vertical direction of the detector. When the lidar scans an object in the oblique direction, the staggered spots are spots in at least two portions of the alternately arranged spots in the direction corresponding to the oblique direction of the detector, i.e., spots arranged alternately in both the horizontal and vertical directions of the detector. The regions used to generate adjacent pixels and where cells are positioned on the detector may be arranged alternately by using staggered spots, thereby reducing crosstalk between regions where adjacent pixel cells are positioned, improving the degree of isolation between regions where adjacent pixel cells are positioned, and further improving point cloud quality.

[0010] In a possible design, the different regions of the detector may be different sub-regions on the detector where the first echo signal is focused, and the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the pixel configuration corresponding to the different regions may be different. The total number of cells used to generate pixels on the detector is fixed. When the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the pixel configuration corresponding to the different regions is different, the number of pixels that can be generated in the different regions corresponding to a fixed number of cells is also different, and thus the pixel density of the two regions on the presented point cloud data is different, with the region with higher pixel density corresponding to higher angular resolution. In this pixel configuration scheme, pixels high densityThe process is performed on specific regions of the final point cloud data, allowing for flexible improvement of the angular resolution in those regions.

[0011] In a possible design, the different regions in the detector may correspond to the central field of view and the non-central field of view of the lidar. The central field of view is a region within a preset angular range in front of the lidar. In this design, the central and non-central field of view correspond to different pixel configurations, thereby allowing for different pixel densities in the central and non-central field of view on the point cloud data, and enabling flexible adjustment of the angular resolution of the central and non-central field of view detected by the lidar.

[0012] In a possible design, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view may be less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view. The number of cells corresponding to one pixel is the number of pixels used to generate one pixel. The total number of cells used to generate pixels on the detector is fixed. When the number of cells corresponding to one pixel is larger, a fixed number of pixels are used to generate fewer pixels, thereby resulting in a lower pixel density on the point cloud data. When the number of cells corresponding to one pixel is smaller, a fixed number of pixels are used to generate more pixels, thereby resulting in a higher pixel density on the point cloud data. Thus, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view, so that the central field of view in the ultimately presented point cloud data has a higher pixel density than the non-central field of view, and the central field of view has a higher angular resolution than the non-central field of view. This reduces unnecessary power consumption of the lidar while maintaining the required detection accuracy in the central field of view.

[0013] In a possible design, the different regions of the detector may be the region in the detector where the target object is presented and the region other than the region where the target object is presented. Before the control device controls the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using a first pixel configuration, the method further includes: controlling the detector to convert the second echo signal into an electrical signal by using a second pixel configuration, where the second echo signal includes a reflected signal corresponding to a second detection signal. In the region in the detector where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration, and in the region in the detector other than the region where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is equal to the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration. Thus, the region in the final presented point cloud data corresponding to the target object may have a higher angular resolution than the region corresponding to the non-target object. This helps reduce unnecessary power consumption of the lidar while ensuring that the target object can be accurately detected.

[0014] In a possible design, the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponding to pixel configuration 1 and the second period corresponding to pixel configuration 2, the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2 is the same, and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 are staggered in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector, with the staggering distance being shorter than the cell distance corresponding to one pixel. When the first echo signal is presented as a horizontal linear spot on the detector, the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the horizontal direction of the detector. When the first echo signal is presented as a vertical linear spot on the detector, the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the vertical direction of the detector. When the first echo signal is presented as an oblique linear spot on the detector, the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the oblique direction of the detector, i.e., staggered in both the horizontal and oblique directions. Thus, a misalignment relationship may also exist between pixels generated in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2. This misalignment may allow a pixel generated in one pixel configuration to be inserted between any two adjacent pixels generated in another pixel configuration, thereby increasing the number of pixels included in the point cloud data. Even if the lidar cannot improve its angular resolution based on its hardware configuration, it can be seen that the lidar's overall angular resolution can be further improved by using software to configure staggered cells.

[0015] In a possible design, the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponding to pixel configuration 1 and the second period corresponding to pixel configuration 2, the cells in operation are the same in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2, and the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 1 is greater than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 2. Thus, the pixel density in the point cloud data generated based on pixel configuration 2 is higher than the pixel density in the point cloud data generated based on pixel configuration 2, thereby flexibly improving the angular resolution detected over time.

[0016] In a possible design, the different periods may correspond to any one of the following periods: periods corresponding to different first echo signals returned through detection of the same region of the target object, periods corresponding to first echo signals returned through detection of different regions of the target object, or periods corresponding to first echo signals returned through different detections of the entire target object. Thus, the pixel configuration can be flexibly adjusted within appropriate periods based on actual requirements, thereby increasing the number of scenarios to which the control method can be applied.

[0017] In a possible design, the control unit may further receive an upgrade command, where the upgrade command includes a third pixel configuration. The control unit controls the detector to convert a third echo signal into an electrical signal by using the third pixel configuration, where the third echo signal includes a reflected signal corresponding to a third detection signal. Thus, the pixel configuration of the detector is updated by upgrading the software. This is easy to implement without improving the lidar hardware and allows for matching the user's pixel configuration requirements for different scenarios as much as possible, thereby helping to improve the flexibility of lidar detection.

[0018] In possible designs, upgrade commands may be transmitted using a master computer, or pixel configurations may be updated wirelessly (over-the-air, OTA), thereby implementing unified management and control of the lidar's upgraded pixel configurations.

[0019] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a control device comprising at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to provide data or code instructions to at least one processor, and the at least one processor is configured to implement any design according to the first aspect by using logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0020] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a chip including a processor and an interface. The processor is configured to read instructions via the interface in order to perform a method according to any design of the first aspect.

[0021] According to a fourth aspect, the present application provides a lidar including a control device, a receiving optical system, and a detector. The control device is configured to perform a control method according to any design of the first aspect, the receiving optical system is configured to receive an echo signal, and the detector is configured to convert the echo signal into an electrical signal.

[0022] In possible designs, the lidar may further include a transmitter and a transmitting optical system. The transmitter is configured to emit a detection signal under the control of a control device, and the transmitting optical system is configured to transmit the detection signal.

[0023] In a possible design, the detector may have a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector array.

[0024] In a possible design, the lidar may further include a scanning mechanism, where the scanning mechanism may include a multi-faceted rotating mirror, a vibrating mirror, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) vinegar a deflecting mirror, or one or more of a prism.

[0025] In a possible design, the lidar may further include a processing module, where the processing module is configured to process the electrical signal so as to obtain point cloud data.

[0026] In a possible design, the processing module may further determine a target feature based on the point cloud data.

[0027] In a possible design, the control device and the processing module are integrated into a system on chip (SoC).

[0028] According to a fifth aspect, the present application provides a terminal device including a lidar according to any design of the fourth aspect. For example, some examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, smart home devices (such as televisions, robotic vacuum cleaners, smart desk lamps, speaker systems, intelligent lighting systems, electric appliance control systems, home background music systems, home theater systems, intercom systems, or video surveillance systems), intelligent transportation devices (such as vehicles, ships, unmanned aerial vehicles, trains, freight cars, or trucks), intelligent manufacturing devices (such as robots, industrial devices, intelligent logistics, or smart factories), and intelligent terminals (mobile phones, computers, tablet computers, palmtop computers, desktop computers, headsets, speakers, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, virtual reality devices, or augmented reality devices, etc.).

[0029] According to the sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, a method according to any design of the first aspect is executed.

[0030] According to the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is executed on a processor, a method according to any design of the first aspect is implemented.

[0031] For the beneficial effects of the second aspect to the seventh aspect, please refer to the technical effects that can be achieved in the corresponding design in the first aspect. Here, the details will not be described again.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0032] [Figure 1] It is an example of a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] [Figure 2] It is an example of a schematic diagram of the internal architecture of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] [Figure 3] It is an example of a schematic diagram of the pixel configuration of a detector according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] [Figure 4] It is an example of a schematic diagram of the partitioning of the field of view of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] [Figure 5] It is an example of a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] [Figure 6] It is an example of a schematic diagram of the pixel configuration method of a detector according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] [Figure 7] This is an example of a schematic diagram of another pixel configuration method for the detector according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0039] [Figure 8] This is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration of the detector according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0040] [Figure 9] This is an example of a schematic diagram showing the adjustment period for the pixel configuration according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0041] [Figure 10] This is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration method for the detector according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0042] [Figure 11] This is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration method for the detector according to the embodiment of the present application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] The control methods disclosed herein may be applied to terminal devices having detection capabilities, and in particular to terminal devices having laser detection capabilities. The terminal devices may be, but are not limited to, intelligent devices having laser detection capabilities, including, smart home devices such as televisions, robotic vacuum cleaners, smart desk lamps, speaker systems, intelligent lighting systems, electrical appliance control systems, home background music systems, home theater systems, intercom systems, or video surveillance systems; intelligent transport devices such as vehicles, ships, unmanned aerial vehicles, trains, freight cars, or trucks; and intelligent manufacturing devices such as robots, industrial devices, intelligent logistics, or smart factories. Alternatively, the terminal devices may be computer devices having laser detection capabilities, such as desktop computers, personal computers, or servers. It should be further understood that the terminal devices may also be portable electronic devices having laser detection capabilities, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, palmtop computers, headsets, speakers, wearable devices (such as smartwatches), in-vehicle devices, virtual reality devices, or augmented reality devices. Examples of portable electronic devices include, but are not limited to, portable electronic devices using iOS®, Android®, Microsoft®, Harmony®, or other operating systems. Alternatively, a portable electronic device may be, for example, a laptop computer having a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch panel).

[0044] In specific application scenarios, control methods can be applied to a lidar. Figure 1 is an example schematic diagram of an application scenario for a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application. In this example, the lidar 100 is installed in a vehicle and is therefore also referred to as an on-board lidar. In addition to the on-board lidar, lidars further include shipboard lidars installed in ships and aircraftboard lidars installed in machines. In possible examples, as shown in Figure 1, the lidar 100 may be specifically installed at the head position of the vehicle. While the vehicle is in motion, the lidar 100 may transmit a laser signal. The laser signal is irradiated onto an object and then reflected by an object in front of the vehicle, and the reflected echo signal may be received by the lidar 100. The lidar 100 then detects information about obstacles in front of the vehicle based on the echo signal, for example, the size and distance of the obstacles, and thereby uses the information about the obstacles to implement vehicle driving functions, including, for example, autonomous driving or driver assistance.

[0045] It should be noted that the lidar 100 may be a mechanical lidar, a liquid lidar, a pure solid lidar, or a hybrid solid lidar (also referred to as a semi-solid lidar), or may be any other type of lidar. This is not specifically limited to the embodiments of the present application.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal architecture of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, in this example, the lidar 100 may include a control device 110, a transmitting module 120, a scanning mechanism 130, a receiving module 140, and a processing module 150. The transmitting module 120 includes a laser 121 and a transmitting optical system 122, and the receiving module 140 includes a receiving optical system 141 and a detector 142. In the lidar 100, the control device 110 may have signal control capabilities and may be connected to other components, including, for example, the transmitting module 120, the scanning mechanism 130, the receiving module 140, and the processing module 150, via a controller area network (CAN) bus or by other means. The laser 121 is a device capable of transmitting a laser, and the type of laser 121 may be any one of a semiconductor laser, a gas laser, an optical fiber laser, a solid-state laser, a dye laser, a diode laser, or an excimer laser. The transmitting optical system 122 and the receiving optical system 141 are systems that include optical elements. The optical elements include, but are not limited to, lenses, optical filters, polarizers, reflectors, beam splitters, prisms, window sheets, and scattering sheets. The scanning mechanism 130 may have one or more of the following: a polyhedron rotating mirror, a vibrating mirror, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror, or a prism. The detector 142 may include, but is not limited to, an avalanche photodiode (APD), a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a photodiode (positive intrinsic-negative, PIN), and a silicon photo multiplier (SiPM). The processing module 150 may have signal processing capabilities and may be connected to the detector 142 via a CAN bus or by other means.

[0047] It should be noted that the control device 110 and the processing module 150 may be integrated into a single component for implementation, or they may be implemented separately in multiple components. For example, the control device 110 and the processing module 150 may be integrated into a single component for implementation. Specifically, the above component may be an integrated circuit chip, and may be, for example, a general-purpose processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on a chip (SoC), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), another programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or another integrated chip. The above-mentioned devices may include a central processor unit (CPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU), and may further include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, an image signal processor (ISP), a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or similar. This is not specifically limited.

[0048] In implementation, the control device 110 can control the laser 121 to transmit a detection signal (e.g., a pulsed laser), control the transmitting optical system 122 to transmit the detection signal from the laser 121, and further control the scanning mechanism 130 to scan and traverse the detection area using the detection signal. Note that the scanning mechanism 130 is not an essential component, and the traversal function that can be implemented by the scanning mechanism 130 can also be essentially implemented by using the internal array design of the transmitting module 120 and the receiving module 130, and the array control device. Furthermore, the detection signal is reflected by the object after the object in the detection area has been scanned. The reflected echo signal is received by the receiving optical system 141 and transmitted to the detector 142 under the control of the control device 110. The detector 142 then converts the optical echo signal into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the processing module 150, which generates point cloud data by analyzing the electrical signal under the control of the control device 110. The above point cloud data can be used to obtain target information such as the distance, orientation, height, velocity, attitude, and even shape of an object, and then, in combination with other sensor information from the vehicle, can be used to plan autonomous driving or driver assistance for the vehicle.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the transmitting optical system 122 and the receiving optical system 141 can scan an object in a line scan-line receive scan mode. See, for example, Figure 2. The detection signal transmitted by the laser 121 after being transmitted by the transmitting optical system 122 is displayed as a linear spot on the YOX plane. After being adjusted by the scanning mechanism 130, the linear spot scans a linear region on the object corresponding to the vertical field of view FOV 1 (i.e., the shaded region on the object shown in Figure 2) each time. In addition, the control device 110 can control the laser 121 to repeatedly transmit multiple detection signals in the form of pulsed lasers to detect the same linear region on the object, the number of detection signals can be set to a value between, for example, 10 and 500. After scanning the linear region using multiple detection signals, the scanning mechanism 130 controls the multiple detection signals transmitted later by the transmitting optical system 122 to move to the next linear region in the positive X-axis direction shown in the figure until a region corresponding to the entire horizontal field of view FOV 2 has been scanned, and determines that the detection region has been traversed. Accordingly, the linear spot emitted by the transmitting optical system 122 after being reflected by the object remains a linear spot. The linear spot is transmitted back to the receiving optical system 141 using the scanning mechanism 130, where it is transmitted and focused onto the photosensitive surface of the detector 142. The detector 142 converts the signal received on the photosensitive surface into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the processing module 150. The processing module 150 then generates point cloud data corresponding to each linear region and then generates image frames based on the point cloud data of each linear region.

[0050] It should be understood that the spot adjusted by the scanning mechanism 130 shown in Figure 2 is a linear spot parallel to the Y-axis. This is merely a possible design. The format of spot presentation is not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, in some other designs, the linear spot adjusted by the scanning mechanism 130 may alternatively be parallel to the X-axis. In addition, the linear spot is used to scan a linear region on the object corresponding to the horizontal field of view FOV 2 each time, and moves in the positive or negative direction of the Y-axis as shown in the figure until the region corresponding to the entire vertical field of view FOV 1 is scanned. Alternatively, in some other designs, the linear spot adjusted by the scanning mechanism 130 may be an oblique linear spot with an angle with respect to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, and may move in the positive or negative direction of the X-axis, the positive or negative direction of the Y-axis, or another direction on the XOY plane as shown in the figure until the region corresponding to the entire vertical field of view FOV 1 and the entire horizontal field of view FOV 2 is scanned. Alternatively, in some other designs, several optical lenses may be placed in special positions in the transmitting optical system 122, thereby converting the pulsed laser emitted by the laser 121 into alternating spots (see the embodiments below for the presented form; details are not described here) or spots of other special shapes under the action of these optical lenses to suit a wider range of detection scenarios.

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the specific attached drawings. Before describing the specific embodiments, some terms used below will be explained by example.

[0052] (1) Detector cell and pixel configuration

[0053] In this embodiment of the present application, the detector may be an array structure comprising multiple rows and columns of cells. A cell is the smallest unit in the detector capable of receiving an echo signal. The direction defined by one row of cells is referred to as the horizontal direction of the detector, and the direction defined by one column of cells is referred to as the vertical direction of the detector. In the process of using the detector, the state of each cell may be active or inactive. When a cell is active, it can convert the received echo signal into an electrical signal. When a cell is inactive, it does not convert the echo signal into an electrical signal, regardless of whether an echo signal is present on the cell. Generally, the echo signals that can be received by a single cell are limited, and a scheme to generate pixels based on echo signals received by a single cell results in a low signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, in practical operation, the detector typically generates pixels by combining multiple rows and columns of cells. In other words, the detector combines multiple echo signals received by multiple rows and columns of cells into a single electrical signal, transmits this electrical signal to a processing module, and the processing module generates a single pixel in the point cloud data.

[0054] Furthermore, the pixel configuration of the detector may include cells within the detector that are in operation, and for cells in operation, the detector generates pixels in a manner that combines cells in several rows and several columns. For example, Figure 3 is an example of a schematic diagram of the pixel configuration of a detector according to an embodiment of the present application. In this example, the detector is an array structure containing 549 rows and 7 columns of cells, where each grid in the array structure corresponds to one cell, and the control device controls 3 × 547 cells located in the elongated strip region shown in the figure to be in operation, and controls other pixels located outside the rectangular box shown in the figure to be inoperable.

[0055] Figure 3(A) is a schematic diagram of pixel generation corresponding to the 3x3 pixel configuration used by the detector. As shown in Figure 3(A), in the 3x3 pixel configuration, one pixel corresponds to each 3x3 cell in the detector. Specifically, the detector combines the echo signals received for each of the nine cells in a 3x3 grid into a single electrical signal and transmits this electrical signal to a processing module, which then generates one pixel in the point cloud data. In this case, the processing module generates 192 pixels for each linear region shown in the figure within the detector.

[0056] Figure 3(B) is a schematic diagram of pixel generation corresponding to the 3x6 pixel configuration used by the detector. As shown in Figure 3(B), in the 3x6 pixel configuration, one pixel corresponds to each of the 3x6 cells in the detector. Specifically, the detector combines the echo signals received from each of the 3x6 cells into a single electrical signal and transmits this electrical signal to a processing module, which then generates one pixel in the point cloud data. In this case, the processing module generates 96 pixels for each linear region shown in the figure within the detector.

[0057] (2) Different pixel configurations

[0058] In this embodiment of the present application, the pixel configuration of the detector includes cells within the detector in an operational state, and for the cells in an operational state, the detector generates pixels in a manner that combines cells in several rows and several columns. Therefore, if the detector uses a different pixel configuration, it may mean that the cells in the detector in an operational state are different, and / or, for the cells in an operational state, the detector generates pixels in a different manner that combines cells. For a specific implementation of the contents of this part, please refer to the following embodiments. Details are not described herein.

[0059] (3) Number of cells corresponding to one pixel

[0060] In this embodiment of the present application, the number of cells corresponding to one pixel is the total number of cells in multiple rows and columns used to generate one pixel based on the pixel configuration of the detector. For example, when a 3x3 pixel configuration is used, one pixel is generated using echo signals received by 9 cells in 3 rows and 3 columns, and therefore the number of cells corresponding to one pixel is considered to be 9. When a 3x6 pixel configuration is used, one pixel is generated using echo signals received by 18 pixels in 6 rows and 3 columns, and therefore the number of cells corresponding to one pixel is considered to be 18.

[0061] In some other examples, the number of cells corresponding to a single pixel can alternatively be the number of cells in multiple rows and columns used to generate a single pixel based on the detector's pixel configuration. For example, when a 3x3 pixel configuration is used, the number of cells corresponding to a single pixel can alternatively be considered to be 3, and when a 3x6 pixel configuration is used, the number of cells corresponding to a single pixel can be considered to be 6.

[0062] (4) Cell distance corresponding to one pixel

[0063] In this embodiment of the present application, the cell distance corresponding to a single pixel is the height of multiple rows of cells (also referred to as the total side length of multiple rows of cells) within the multiple rows and columns of cells used to generate a single pixel based on the pixel configuration of the detector. For example, assuming that the height of a single cell is 1 μm and a 3 × 3 pixel configuration is used, the cell distance corresponding to a single pixel is the height of 3 rows of cells, i.e., 3 μm; when a 3 × 6 pixel configuration is used, the cell distance corresponding to a single pixel is the height of 6 rows of cells, i.e., 6 μm.

[0064] (5) Cell area corresponding to one pixel

[0065] In this embodiment of the present application, a cell region corresponding to a single pixel is a region containing multiple rows and columns of cells used to generate a single pixel based on the pixel configuration of the detector. For example, when a 3x3 pixel configuration is used, the cell region corresponding to a single pixel is a region containing nine cells in a 3x3 grid, e.g., each square region shown in (A) in Figure 3; when a 3x6 pixel configuration is used, the cell region corresponding to a single pixel is a region containing eighteen cells in a 6x3 grid, e.g., each rectangular region shown in (B) in Figure 3.

[0066] (6) Different regions of the detector

[0067] In this embodiment of the present application, throughout the entire detection process, the scanning mechanism focuses the echo signal onto several of the same cells of the detector each time. For example, when the vertical linear spot shown in Figure 2 is used to scan an object, the echo signal is focused each time onto a cell in a long strip region shown in Figure 3(A) or Figure 3(B). The long strip region may be pre-configured based on the internal component settings of the lidar. For ease of understanding, in the following embodiments of the present application, the region on the detector containing the cell to which the echo signal is focused is referred to as the detector's focal region. Based on this, different regions of the detector may be different sub-regions within the detector's focal region. For example, the upper and lower halves of the long strip region shown in Figure 3(A) or Figure 3(B) belong to different regions of the detector.

[0068] (7) Different periods

[0069] In this embodiment of the present application, for each detection region (linear region shown in Figure 2) on a target object, the control device may control the laser in the transmitting module to emit multiple detection signals in the form of pulsed lasers. For example, suppose the number of detection signals is 6, the scanning device scans the target object horizontally at a speed of 1° / ms in the direction shown in Figure 2, and the horizontal field of view of the lidar is 20°. In this case, in the first detection, the control device controls the laser to emit 6 laser detection signals repeatedly within 1 ms, thereby detecting a linear region within a range of 1° from the left edge of the entire field of view of the lidar shown in the figure. In the second detection, the control device further controls the laser to emit 6 other laser detection signals repeatedly within 1 ms, thereby detecting the next linear region within a range of 1° to 2° from the left of the entire field of view of the lidar shown in the figure. After 20 detections have been performed, the control device may determine that the scanning mechanism has completed one complete scan and then control the processing module to generate an image frame based on the point cloud data acquired through the 20 detections, thereby repeating the above process to generate the next image frame.

[0070] Based on the foregoing, in this embodiment of the present application, the different periods may be any two different periods in the overall lidar detection process. For example, the different periods may be periods in any one of the following cases:

[0071] Case 1: Different periods are periods corresponding to different echo signals returned through the detection of the same region of an object. For example, suppose six detection signals are used to detect the same region of an object, and six echo signals are received in the detector's focal region of the same region accordingly, and the periods during which any two or any two portions of the six echo signals are focused on the detector's focal region are considered different periods. For example, the period during which the first three echo signals are focused on the detector's focal region is the first period, and the period during which the last three echo signals are focused on the detector's focal region is the second period, and the first and second periods are considered different periods.

[0072] Case 2: Different periods are the periods corresponding to the echo signals returned through the detection of different regions of an object. For example, suppose six detection signals are used to detect the same region of an object, and six corresponding echo signals are received in the detector's focal region for all regions, and the periods during which the six echo signals received for different regions are focused on the detector's focal region are considered different periods. For example, the period during which the six echo signals received through the detection of one region are focused on the detector's focal region is the first period, and the period during which the six echo signals received through the detection of another region are focused on the detector's focal region is the second period, and the first and second periods are different periods.

[0073] Case 3: Different periods are periods corresponding to echo signals returned through different detections of the entire object. For example, suppose 120 detection signals are used each time to detect the entire object (e.g., 6 detection signals are used each time to detect one region, with a total of 20 regions of the object detected in the entire field of view), and 120 corresponding echo signals are received in the detector's focal region for each detection, and the 120 echo signals received in each detection are then used to generate an image frame. In this case, the period during which the 120 echo signals received through one detection of the entire object are focused on the detector's focal region is the first period, and the period during which the 120 echo signals received through another detection of the entire object are focused on the detector's focal region is the second period, and the first and second periods are different periods.

[0074] It should be understood that the above-mentioned different periods may be alternatively configured by those skilled in the art based on actual requirements. For example, a period corresponding to a portion of the echo signals returned via detection of an object's region may be used as the first period, and a period corresponding to other echo signals returned via detection of an object's region and a period corresponding to echo signals returned via detection of another region of the object may be used as the second period. Many possible cases of different periods still exist. Examples are not listed one by one in the embodiments of this application.

[0075] (8) Lider's field of view

[0076] Conventional lidars use the same pixel configuration across the entire detector. However, in this embodiment of the present application, a user may pay more attention to the central region than to the non-central region while using the lidar (for example, in an application scenario for an in-vehicle lidar, a user tends to pay more attention to the road region on the right in front of the lidar, and less attention to the sky, the road surface, or even the other left and right lanes, for example, if there is a plastic bag on the road surface, a bird overhead, or a vehicle in the opposite lane to the left, it will have little effect on the vehicle in the current lane, and the vehicle will not need to slow down to yield). Therefore, based on the user's level of attention to different regions, the field of view of the lidar is further partitioned in this embodiment of the present application. For example, Figure 4 is an example of a schematic diagram of partitioning the field of view of a lidar according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4(A) is a schematic diagram of partitioning the vertical field of view of the lidar, and Figure 4(B) is a schematic diagram of partitioning the horizontal field of view of the lidar. As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the vertical field of view of the lidar may be partitioned into a central field of view, an upper field of view above the central field of view, and a lower field of view below the central field of view, and the horizontal field of view may be partitioned into a central field of view, a left field of view to the left of the central field of view, and a right field of view to the right of the central field of view. The central field of view is predetermined by those skilled in the art based on user requirements and may specifically be an area within a predetermined angular range in front of the lidar. For example, the area that a user pays attention to in an application scenario of an in-vehicle lidar may be analyzed, and the predetermined angular range may be defined as an angular range of 30° to 40° in the upper, lower, left, and right directions from directly in front of the lidar.

[0077] Currently, for multiple detection signals transmitted to each region of an object by the transmitting module, the control unit controls the detector to use the same pixel configuration, for example, by using a 3x3 pixel configuration for all cells in the entire focal region as shown in (A) in Figure 3, or by using a 3x6 pixel configuration for all cells in the entire focal region as shown in (B) in Figure 3. However, in some cases, the user pays different attention to different fields of view of the lidar. For example, the user may pay more attention to the central field of view shown in Figure 4 and less attention to the non-central field of view. Specifically, the central field of view of the lidar may have high angular resolution, while the vertical and horizontal fields of view may have low angular resolution. Expectations However, conventional control devices set the same pixel configuration for all field areas, so that the central field area and other field areas have the same angular resolution. If the angular resolution is set to an excessively small value, the detection accuracy of the central field area is affected, and if the angular resolution is set to an excessively large value, the power consumption of the lidar increases. It is clear that conventional control methods cannot meet this actual user requirement, do not contribute to improving detection flexibility, and cannot reduce the power consumption of the lidar while guaranteeing the required detection accuracy. In addition, once the hardware configuration of the lidar is fixed, the angular resolution of the lidar is also fixed. For example, based on conventional control methods, the lidar can only generate point cloud data in a 3x3 pixel combination scheme at most as shown in (A) in Figure 3, and the angular resolution of the lidar cannot be further improved. However, in some cases, the user can obtain a higher angular resolution. child and I hope In this case, conventional control methods are no longer applicable.

[0078] Taking this into consideration, the present invention provides a control method that adjusts the pixel configuration of the detector using a software adjustment method based on actual requirements, thereby flexibly improving or further improving the angular resolution of the lidar for several regions, and reducing the power consumption of the lidar as much as possible while ensuring the required detection accuracy.

[0079] It should be noted that the control method of the present invention may be applied to a lidar, or to another device, or to a chip other than a lidar, for example, to another intelligent terminal having detection capabilities other than a lidar, or to a component of another intelligent terminal. The above components include, but are not limited to, controllers, chips, or other sensors such as cameras, and other components. Alternatively, the control method of the present invention may be applied to the aforementioned driving scenarios, or to other imaging systems other than the aforementioned driving scenarios, for example, a 3D building modeling system, a terrain mapping system, or a rendezvous-docking system. In addition, with the evolution of system architectures and the emergence of new scenarios, the control method provided herein is also applicable to similar technical challenges. This is not specifically limited herein.

[0080] In the following, a specific implementation of the control method in this application will be described based on the lidar shown in Figure 2, with reference to a specific embodiment. It is clear that the embodiments described are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them.

[0081] It should be noted that the terms “system” and “network” may be used interchangeably in embodiments of this application. In addition, “multiple” means two or more. The term “and / or” describes a correspondence between related objects and may indicate three relationships. For example, A and / or B may indicate the following cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, or only B exists. A and B may be singular or plural. “One or more of the following items (parts)” or similar expressions indicate any combination of these items, including a single item (part) or any combination of multiple items (parts). For example, one or more items (parts) of a, b or c may indicate a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b and c, where a, b and c may be singular or plural.

[0082] Unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" as used in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish between multiple objects, but not to limit the priority or importance of the multiple objects. For example, the first pixel configuration, second pixel configuration and third pixel configuration are used merely to distinguish between different pixel configurations and do not indicate different priorities or importance of these pixel configurations.

[0083] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of an example of a control method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes the following steps.

[0084] Step 501: The control unit controls the receiving optics to receive the first echo signal reflected by the target object.

[0085] In step 503 described above, the first echo signal may include reflected signals corresponding to the first detection signal. The first echo signal may include reflected signals corresponding to all detection signals, or only reflected signals corresponding to some detection signals, or may further include some ambient noise signals. For example, in the process of detecting the entire field of view by a lidar, the first echo signal may include reflected signals corresponding to all detection signals used to detect the entire field of view, or reflected signals corresponding to all detection signals used to detect the area of ​​a target object, or reflected signals corresponding to some detection signals used to detect the area of ​​a target object, or may further include noise signals generated as a result of the reflected signals being reflected or refracted by components in the lidar, or may include other ambient noise signals, etc. This is not specifically limited.

[0086] For example, the first echo signal may be presented as a spot of any shape. For instance, the first echo signal may be presented as a linear spot, as shown in Figure 2. In another example, the first echo signal may be presented as staggered spots. Staggered spots are spots that are staggered in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector. Staggered spots include at least two subspots. When the lidar scans a target object in the horizontal direction, at least two subspots are staggered at a certain distance from each other in the horizontal direction of the detector. As shown in (B) in Figure 6, when the lidar scans a target object in the vertical direction, at least two subspots are staggered at a certain distance from each other in the vertical direction of the detector. When the lidar scans a target object in an oblique direction, at least two subspots are staggered at a certain distance from each other in the direction corresponding to the oblique direction on the detector, i.e., staggered in both the horizontal and vertical directions of the detector. In yet another example, the first echo signal may be presented as a spot of a different shape, such as a trapezoidal spot, a circular spot, or a spot of a special shape. This is not specifically limited in this application.

[0087] Step 502: The control device controls the detector to convert a first echo signal into an electrical signal by using a first pixel configuration, wherein different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, and / or the detector has different pixel configurations over different periods.

[0088] In an optional implementation, the first pixel configuration may be described in the lidar's software version program, which is pre-configured in the lidar before it is delivered from the factory. When a user needs to update the configuration to a different pixel configuration, the user can submit a request to the lidar's research and development team, and after the team compiles the new software version program, the user can upgrade the lidar's software version to obtain the different pixel configuration. For example, the user can send an upgrade command to a master computer, and after receiving the upgrade command, the master computer delivers the new software version program to the control unit in the lidar. Alternatively, in another example, the pixel configuration may be updated via OTA (On-Demand Access). For example, the user can dynamically request a new software version program using their mobile phone or another client, and after obtaining the new software version program, install it on the lidar. Alternatively, the lidar may have communication capabilities, such as the ability to send and receive short messages, and the user can directly control the lidar to dynamically request a new software version program. A new software version program may include an upgraded third pixel configuration. After obtaining the third pixel configuration by analyzing the new software version program, the control unit controls the detector to convert the third echo signal into an electrical signal by using the third pixel configuration. Specifically, the third echo signal may include a reflected signal corresponding to the third detected signal. For example, in a possible application scenario, the third echo signal may be all or part of the echo signals received by the detector within a specific period, thereby allowing the lidar to process the echo signals within that period by using a different pixel configuration.The specific period may, for example, be held in an upgrade instruction and delivered synchronously to the control unit, or it may be a pre-agreed or pre-configured period, for example, a period within 5 milliseconds after the upgrade instruction is received, or a period corresponding to the detection of a region of the target object, or it may be all echo signals received during the period from the time the detector receives an upgrade instruction including a third pixel configuration until the time the detector receives the next upgrade instruction. This is not specifically limited. In another example, in another possible scenario, the third echo signal may alternatively be all or some of the echo signals other than the first echo signal among all the echo signals received by the detector in the current detection, thereby allowing the lidar to process different echo signals in a single detection by using different pixel configurations. It should be understood that many more possible application scenarios exist. Examples are not listed one by one in the embodiments of this application. In this implementation, the pixel configuration of the detector is updated in software form. This is easy to implement without improving the hardware of the lidar and can match the user's pixel configuration requirements for different scenarios as much as possible, thereby helping to improve the flexibility of lidar detection.

[0089] In this embodiment of the present application, since the detector uses different pixel configurations in different regions and / or different time periods, after receiving the first echo signal, the detector, based on the different pixel configurations, interprets the first echo signal received in different regions or different time periods. distinction Converted into an electrical signal, distinction The electrical signal can be transmitted to the processing module. In this way, the processing module distinctionAfter generating point cloud data based on the generated electrical signals, the pixel density in the point cloud data (i.e., the number of pixels per unit area on the image corresponding to the point cloud data) can be flexibly adjusted based on the actual pixel configuration. Furthermore, in the aforementioned method, the detector can be configured to implement the pixel configuration using software. Thus, the dependency of the lidar on the hardware configuration in the detection process can be reduced, and the flexibility of detection can be further improved.

[0090] Below, we will separately describe two embodiments: one in which different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, and another in which the detector has different pixel configurations over different time periods.

[0091] Different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations.

[0092] For example, the control device can control the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the pixel configuration corresponding to different regions of the detector so that they are different. In this way, the total number of cells used to generate pixels on the detector is fixed. When the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the pixel configuration corresponding to different regions is different, the number of pixels that can be generated in the different regions corresponding to a fixed number of cells is also different, and as a result the pixel density in the point cloud data generated based on the first echo signal received in the different regions is different, and regions with higher pixel density have more pixels in the same size range. Therefore, regions with higher pixel density also correspond to higher angular resolution. In this pixel configuration scheme, pixels high density It can be seen that the process is performed on specific regions of the final point cloud data to improve the angular resolution of those regions and effectively enhance detection flexibility.

[0093] The following describes several possible application scenarios for this pixel configuration method.

[0094] In possible application scenarios, different regions of the detector may correspond to the central field of view (the central field of view shown in Figure 4) and to non-central field of view regions in the detector's focal region (including, but not limited to, the upper, lower, left, or right field of view regions shown in Figure 4). Furthermore, for example, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view may be configured to be less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view regions, thereby resulting in the central field of view having a higher pixel density and higher angular resolution in the central field of view region in the ultimately presented point cloud data. This reduces unnecessary power consumption of the lidar while maintaining the required detection accuracy in the central field of view region.

[0095] For example, Figure 6 is an example of a schematic diagram of a pixel configuration of a detector according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6(A) shows a pixel configuration of a detector in which the first echo signal is presented as a linear spot. Figure 6(B) shows a pixel configuration of a detector in which the first echo signal is presented as staggered spots. For example, staggered spots can be implemented by placing an optical collimator in the transmitting optical system. As shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), it is assumed that the presentation direction of both the linear spot and the staggered spot is perpendicular, and for region a corresponding to the central field of view region in the focal region of the detector, the control device can control the detector to use a 3x3 pixel configuration, that is, the detector combines the first echo signals on nine cells arranged in 3 rows and 3 columns within region a into a single electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the processing module. In this way, the processing module generates a single pixel based on the first echo signals on nine cells arranged in 3 rows and 3 columns. Accordingly, for the upper field of view b1 above the central field of view and the lower field of view b2 below the central field of view, both within the detector's focal region, the control device can control the detector to use a 3x6 pixel configuration. That is, the detector combines the first echo signals from 18 pixels in 6 rows and 3 columns within regions b1 and b2 into a single electrical signal and transmits this electrical signal to the processing module. In this way, the processing module generates a single pixel based on the first echo signals from 18 pixels in 6 rows and 3 columns. In the final presentation of the point cloud data, it can be seen that the pixels in the central field of view are twice as dense as those in the non-central field of view. In other words, the angular resolution accuracy corresponding to the central field of view is twice as high as that of the non-central field of view. In addition, compared to linear spots, staggered spots can be used to further reduce crosstalk between adjacent pixel cell regions by staggering the cell regions of adjacent pixels on the detector, thereby improving the isolation between adjacent pixel cell regions and further improving point cloud quality.

[0096] It should be noted that when the control solution in this embodiment of the present application is applied to the aforementioned application scenario, information about the most common user requirements in the art for the lidar's area of ​​interest can be collected first. The central field of view and non-central field of view are defined based on the above requirement information, then different pixel configurations are set for the defined central and non-central field of view based on the aforementioned solution, and then a software version is compiled based on the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view and the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view, after which the software version is encapsulated within the lidar for delivery. In addition, the lidar's product description may further include information such as the definition of the central field of view, the definition of the non-central field of view, the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view, the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view, the pixel density corresponding to the central field of view on the point cloud data, and the pixel density corresponding to the non-central field of view on the point cloud data. Thus, before using the lidar, the user can also read the lidar's product description and learn about relevant information regarding the application of the lidar.

[0097] In addition, the aforementioned application scenario simply involves point clouds within the central field of view. high density This is illustrated by using an example. In actual operation, the control device may further configure the different pixel configurations shown above for any two different sub-regions in the detector's focal region, based on actual requirements. For example, Figure 7 is an example of a schematic diagram of another pixel configuration scheme for the detector according to an embodiment of the present application. In this example, the control device configures a 3x3 pixel configuration for the upper and lower regions in the detector's focal region, as shown in Figure 7(A), and a 3x6 pixel configuration for the central region in the detector's focal region, thereby enabling the upper and lower field of view regions to high density It can be transformed; as shown in Figure 7(B). A 3x3 pixel configuration is set for the upper half of the detector's focal area, and a 3x6 pixel configuration is set for the lower half of the detector's focal area, thereby the upper half of the field of view high densityIt is possible to make it possible to set up a 3x3 pixel configuration for any several small regions in the focal region of the detector and a 3x6 pixel configuration for other regions, thereby making it possible to make high density It can be transformed. Many possible cases exist. In this application, examples are not listed one by one.

[0098] In another possible application scenario, the different regions of the detector may be the region where the target object is presented within the detector's focal region, and the region outside the region where the target object is presented. Furthermore, for example, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region where the target object is presented to the detector may be configured to be less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region outside the region where the target object is presented. The target object may be an object that the user pays more attention to. For example, when crossing an intersection, the user pays more attention to the position of pedestrians or vehicles on the intersection in order to avoid affecting pedestrians or vehicles in the process of crossing the intersection. In this case, the target object may be set to pedestrians or vehicles. In the implementation, before controlling the detector to use the first pixel configuration, the control device may further control the detector to first convert the second echo signal into an electrical signal by using a second pixel configuration. The second echo signal includes a reflected signal corresponding to the second detection signal. Specifically, the second echo signal may include a reflected signal corresponding to the detection signal emitted by scanning at least twice before the first echo signal is received. Next, after processing the electrical signal to generate point cloud data corresponding to at least two frames of images, the processing module analyzes the target object's movement rules based on the target object's position on the point cloud data corresponding to at least two frames of images, then predicts the position where the target object will appear in the next scan based on the movement rules, and controls the detector to convert the first echo signal returned in the next scan into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration.In the first pixel configuration, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region where the target object is presented on the detector is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region where the target object is presented on the detector in the second pixel configuration. Conversely, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region other than the region where the target object is presented on the detector in the first pixel configuration may be equal to the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the region other than the region where the target object is presented on the detector in the second pixel configuration. Thus, the region corresponding to the target object in the final presented point cloud data may have a higher pixel density than the region corresponding to the non-target object, and therefore, the region corresponding to the target object has a higher angular resolution than the region where the non-target object is located. This ensures that the target object can be accurately detected and reduces unnecessary power consumption of the lidar.

[0099] For example, Figure 8 is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration of the detector according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, when the entire object has been detected K times and the entire object has been detected (K+1) times (where K is a positive integer), the control device controls the detector to perform detection by using a 3×6 pixel configuration (i.e., a second pixel configuration). In this way, after the corresponding K-th frame image and the corresponding (K+1)-th frame image are generated, the control device predicts the position L3 of the pedestrian in the (K+2)-th frame image generated in the (K+2)-th scan based on the pedestrian's position L1 in the K-th frame image generated in the K-th scan and the pedestrian's position L2 in the (K+1)-th frame image generated in the (K+2)-th scan, and then uses a 3×3 pixel configuration for region d corresponding to the detector's position L3, while still using a 3×6 pixel configuration (i.e., a first pixel configuration) for other regions other than region d. Thus, in region d, the detector combines the first echo signals of nine cells in a 3x3 grid into a single electrical signal and transmits this signal to the processing module, which then generates one pixel corresponding to the nine cells in a 3x3 grid. In another region other than region d, the detector combines the first echo signals of 18 pixels in a 6x3 grid into a single electrical signal and transmits this signal to the processing module, which then generates one pixel corresponding to the 18 pixels in a 6x3 grid. In the final point cloud presentation, it can be seen that the pixels in the region corresponding to the target object have twice the density of pixels in the other region. In other words, the angular resolution accuracy of the region corresponding to the target object is twice as high as that of the other region.

[0100] In the aforementioned pixel configuration method, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the region of the detector is controlled to be less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to another region. As a result, the pixel density in the point cloud data generated for the above region may be higher than the pixel density in the point cloud data generated based on another region. In this pixel configuration method, pixels high density It can be seen that the optimization process is performed on specific regions of the final point cloud data, improving the angular resolution of those regions and reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0101] The detector has different pixel configurations over different periods.

[0102] For example, the control device controlling the detector to use different pixel configurations over different periods may involve: configuring a pixel configuration for one period and temporarily switching to a different pixel configuration for another period. For example, Figure 9 is an example of a schematic diagram of the adjustment period for a pixel configuration according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, assume that the control device detects the same region of an object by controlling the transmitting optical system to transmit six detection signals each time, and detects N regions (where N is a positive integer) by traversing the entire field of view. In this case, the focal region of the detector receives six first echo signals for each region and 6N first echo signals for the entire object. In one example, based on Case 1 in the above-mentioned explanation of terms (7), the control device may control the detector to collect any one or more first echo signals in the six first echo signals received for each region using one pixel configuration, and to collect another one or more first echo signals in the six first echo signals received for the same region using another pixel configuration, for example, setting one pixel configuration at time T1 shown in Figure 9 and switching to another pixel configuration at time T2 shown in Figure 9. In another example, based on Case 2 in the above-mentioned explanation of terms (7), the control device may control the detector to collect the six first echo signals received for a certain region using one pixel configuration, and to collect the six first echo signals received for a different region using another pixel configuration, for example, setting one pixel configuration at time T1 shown in Figure 9 and switching to another pixel configuration at time T3 shown in Figure 9.In yet another example, based on Case 3 in the above-mentioned explanation of terms (7), the control device may control the detector to collect 6N first echo signals received through one detection of the entire object by using one pixel configuration, and to collect 6N first echo signals received through another detection of the entire object by using another pixel configuration, for example, setting one pixel configuration at time T1 shown in Figure 9, and switching to another pixel configuration at time T4 shown in Figure 9, thereby using one pixel configuration throughout the process of generating the image of the Ith frame, and using another pixel configuration throughout the process of generating the image of the (I+1)th frame, where I is a positive integer.

[0103] Furthermore, for example, the control device may control the detector's focal area to use different pixel configurations over different periods. Different pixel configurations may mean that the cells in operation are not exactly the same, or that the detector uses different cell combination schemes over different periods (i.e., the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the different pixel configurations is different). Two different pixel configuration schemes are described separately in detail below.

[0104] [Control different cells to be operational over different time periods]

[0105] In this embodiment of the present application, the control device can control the detector to use the same pixel combination scheme over different periods, but the cells in the operating state of the detector's focal region over different periods are not exactly the same. Not exactly the same can mean completely different, partially the same and partially different, or completely different. This is not specifically limited. For example, there are a first period and a second period in different periods. The control device uses pixel configuration 1 for the detector's focal region in the first period and pixel configuration 2 for the detector's focal region in the second period. The number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 1 is the same as that in pixel configuration 2. However, the cell regions where the cells in the operating state of pixel configuration 1 are located and the cell regions where the cells in the operating state of pixel configuration 2 are located are staggered in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector, and the staggering distance is shorter than the cell distance corresponding to one pixel. When the first echo signal is presented as a horizontal linear spot on the detector, the regions containing the cells in the operating state of pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing the cells in the operating state of pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the horizontal direction of the detector. When the first echo signal is presented as a vertical linear spot on the detector, the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the vertical direction of the detector. When the first echo signal is presented as an oblique linear spot on the detector, the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing active cells in pixel configuration 2 may be staggered in the oblique direction of the detector, i.e., they may be staggered in both the horizontal and oblique directions. Thus, a misalignment relationship may also exist between pixels generated based on pixel configuration 1 and pixels generated based on pixel configuration 2. This misalignment allows a pixel generated based on one pixel configuration to be inserted between any two adjacent pixels generated based on another pixel configuration, thereby effectively improving the overall angular resolution of the region.

[0106] For example, the first echo signal is assumed to be presented as a vertical linear spot and the detector is assumed to use a 6x6 pixel configuration, and Figure 10 is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration of the detector according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 10(A) shows the presentation format of pixel configuration 1 used by the detector in the first period, and Figure 10(B) shows the presentation format of pixel configuration 2 used by the detector in the second period. Case 1 in the above explanation of terms (7) is used as an example. The first period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the first three first echo signals in six first echo signals returned through detection of the same region of the object, and the second period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the last three first echo signals in six first echo signals. In this case, in the vertical linear region where the six first echo signals are focused on the detector, the control device controls the cell in box 1 to be operational in the manner shown in Figure 10(A) in the first period, and controls the cell in box 2 to be operational in the manner shown in Figure 10(B) in the second period. Thus, compared to the cells in box 1 shown in (A) in Figure 10, the cells in box 2 shown in (B) in Figure 10 are staggered in the vertical direction of the detector by a cell distance corresponding to half a pixel (i.e., the height of three cells). In this way, the control unit controls the processing module to separately generate 12 pixels for the first three first echo signals received by the cells in box 1 and the last three first echo signals received by the cells in box 2, and the 12 pixels generated in box 2 accordingly are inserted just between any two adjacent pixels generated in box 1 accordingly. In this way, the final point cloud data generated by the lidar via object region detection contains 24 pixels, and therefore the vertical angular resolution of the point cloud data generated via region detection can be doubled.

[0107] It should be noted that the scenario described above is illustrated by using only examples where different pixel configurations were used over two time periods. In actual operation, three or more different pixel configurations may be used over three or more time periods, and at least two of the positional misalignment relationships described above will exist between those three or more pixel configurations. For example, assuming that six first echo signals are received in the same vertical linear region, the control device may: configure pixel configuration 1 shown in (A) in Figure 10 for the detector during the period when the first two first echo signals are received; configure pixel configuration 3 for the detector during the period when the middle two first echo signals are received, where the region where the working cells are located in pixel configuration 3 is staggered vertically across the detector by a cell distance corresponding to 1 / 3 of a pixel compared to the region where the working cells are located in pixel configuration 1 (for example, staggered by the height of two cells when a 6x6 pixel configuration is used); configure pixel configuration 4 for the detector during the period when the last two first echo signals are received, where the region where the working cells are located in pixel configuration 4 is further staggered vertically across the detector by a cell distance corresponding to 1 / 3 of a pixel compared to the region where the working cells are located in pixel configuration 3. Thus, each pixel can be generated comprehensively based on the detection results of two first echo signals, thereby effectively improving the accuracy of each pixel on the point cloud. A pixel generated based on the middle two first echo signals can be inserted at a 1 / 3 position of any two pixels generated based on the first two first echo signals through two misplacements, while a pixel generated based on the last two first echo signals is inserted at a 2 / 3 position of any two pixels generated based on the first two first echo signals. In other words, the pixel density can be doubled, thereby doubling the vertical angular resolution of the point cloud data generated through the detection of object regions.

[0108] In the aforementioned staggered pixel configuration scheme, even if the lidar's hardware configuration is fixed and the lidar's angular resolution cannot be further improved due to hardware dependence, the misalignment relationship can still be established between cells in operation on the detector at different time periods by using software, thereby further improving the lidar's angular resolution. For example, when the lidar's hardware configuration limits point cloud generation to a maximum of 3x3 pixel configurations, this means the lidar can generate up to 12 pixels, as shown in Figure 10. Based on the aforementioned staggered pixel configuration scheme, more pixels can be inserted into the point cloud data by inserting pixels in an alternating arrangement, thereby further improving the lidar's angular resolution without being limited by hardware.

[0109] In Figure 10, it should be understood that the improvement of the vertical angular resolution of a region is simply illustrated by using an example where the first echo signal is presented as a vertical linear spot. This pixel configuration may also be applicable to scenarios where the first echo signal is presented as a non-vertical linear spot. For example, when the first echo signal is presented as a horizontal linear spot, in this pixel configuration, the regions containing the active cells are staggered in the horizontal direction of the detector, which can improve the horizontal angular resolution of the region. When the first echo signal is presented as an oblique linear spot, in the pixel configuration, the regions containing the active cells are staggered in the horizontal and vertical directions of the detector, which can improve both the vertical and horizontal angular resolution of the region. See Figure 10 for related implementations. Details will not be explained again here.

[0110] In addition, the above description only illustrates possible examples of staggered pixel configurations by using different time periods as shown in Case 1 of the Terminology Explanation (7). In other examples, staggered pixel configurations can alternatively be configured in the same manner using different time periods in Case 2 or Case 3 of the Terminology Explanation (7). For example, when staggered pixel configurations are configured in different time periods corresponding to the first echo signals received through detection of different regions in Case 2 of the Terminology Explanation (7), a misalignment relationship may exist between pixels in different image regions in the final generated image. When staggered pixel configurations are configured in different time periods corresponding to the first echo signals received through different detections of the entire object in Case 3 of the Terminology Explanation (7), a misalignment relationship may exist between pixels in different final generated images. For specific implementation processes, please refer to the above description. Details are not described in this embodiment of the present application.

[0111] [Use different cell combination methods for different time periods]

[0112] In this embodiment of the present application, the control device can be controlled such that all cells in the detector's focal region are operational, but the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in the pixel configuration used in different periods is different. For example, there are two different periods, a first period and a second period. The control device uses pixel configuration 1 for the detector's focal region in the first period and pixel configuration 2 for the detector's focal region in the second period. The cells operational in pixel configuration 1 are the same as the cells operational in pixel configuration 2, but the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 1 is greater than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 2. Thus, the number of pixels in the point cloud data generated based on pixel configuration 2 is also greater than the number of pixels in the point cloud data generated based on pixel configuration 1. In this way, the angular resolution for detecting objects can be improved over time, based on actual requirements.

[0113] For example, the first echo signal is assumed to be presented as a vertical linear spot, and Figure 11 is an example of a schematic diagram of yet another pixel configuration of the detector according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 11(A) shows the presentation format of pixel configuration 1 used by the detector in the first period, and Figure 11(B) shows the presentation format of pixel configuration 2 used by the detector in the second period.

[0114] Based on Case 1 in the explanation of terms above (7), the first period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the first three echo signals in the six first echo signals returned through the detection of the same region of the object, and the second period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the last three first echo signals in the six first echo signals. For a vertically linear region where the six first echo signals are focused on the detector, the control unit uses the 3x3 pixel combination scheme shown in (A) in Figure 11 for the first period and the 3x6 pixel combination scheme shown in (B) in Figure 11 for the second period. In this way, the control unit controls the processing module to generate 12 pixels for the first three first echo signals and 6 pixels for the last three first echo signals. In addition, the 6 pixels generated for the last three first echo signals are inserted between any two pixels generated for the first three first echo signals, thereby generating a total of 18 pixels for the region. In this pixel configuration scheme, it can be seen that the angular resolution of the point cloud data generated through region detection may be further improved without being limited by the hardware.

[0115] Based on Case 2 in the explanation of terms above (7), the first period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the six first echo signals returned through the detection of an object region, and the second period is assumed to be the period corresponding to the six first echo signals returned through the detection of another region of the object. For a vertical linear region where 12 first echo signals are focused on the detector, the control device uses a 3x3 pixel combination scheme in the manner shown in (A) of Figure 11 during the first period, and a 3x6 pixel combination scheme in the manner shown in (B) of Figure 11 during the second period. In this way, the control device controls the processing module to generate point cloud data for the region, where the point cloud data contains 12 pixels, and the point cloud data generated for another region contains 6 pixels. It can be seen that the angular resolution for detecting a specific region of an object can be improved with this pixel configuration.

[0116] Based on Case 3 in the explanation of terms (7) above, the first period is assumed to be the period corresponding to 6N first echo signals returned through one detection of the entire object, and the second period is assumed to be the period corresponding to 6N first echo signals returned through another detection of the entire object. For a vertical linear region where 12N first echo signals are focused on the detector, the control device uses a 3x3 pixel combination scheme as shown in (A) of Figure 11 during the first period, and a 3x6 pixel combination scheme as shown in (B) of Figure 11 during the second period. In this way, the control device controls the processing module to generate an image through one detection, where the image contains 12N pixels evenly, and the image generated through another detection contains 6N pixels evenly. It can be seen that the angular resolution for detecting the entire object at once can be improved with this pixel configuration.

[0117] In the aforementioned pixel configuration scheme, it can be seen that the lidar can further flexibly adapt to more scenarios and flexibly improve angular resolution by switching the pixel configuration at specific intervals based on actual requirements. For example, the lidar can further improve its angular resolution without being limited by hardware, or the lidar can have higher angular resolution when detecting the region of an object, or the lidar can have higher angular resolution when detecting an object at once.

[0118] It should be noted that the pixel configurations shown above may be used in combination or alternatives. For example, when different pixel configurations are configured for different time periods, a different pixel configuration configured for one time period may be further applied to different sub-regions in the detector's focal region. Alternatively, when different pixel configurations are configured for different time periods, in one embodiment, different cells may be configured to be operational in two time periods; in another embodiment, different pixel combination schemes may be further used in two time periods, and so on. Many possible combination schemes exist. Examples are not listed one by one in the embodiments of this application.

[0119] It should be understood that the control method provided herein can be further extended to any information system having requirements for angular resolution. It should be understood that all technical solutions for improving angular resolution by using the control solutions provided herein are covered by the scope of this application. Examples are not listed individually in this application.

[0120] According to the control solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a control device comprising at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to provide data or code instructions to at least one processor, and the at least one processor is configured to implement the method performed by the aforementioned control device by using logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0121] According to the control solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a lidar comprising a control device, a receiving optical system, and a detector. The control device is configured to perform a control method performed by any of the control devices in the embodiments described above, the receiving optical system is configured to receive an echo signal, and the detector is configured to convert the echo signal into an electrical signal.

[0122] In possible designs, the lidar may further include a transmitter and a transmitting optical system. The transmitter is configured to emit a detection signal under the control of a control device, and the transmitting optical system is configured to transmit the detection signal.

[0123] In possible designs, the detector includes a SPAD detector array.

[0124] In a possible design, the lidar may further include a scanning mechanism, which comprises one or more of a multi-faceted rotating mirror, a vibrating mirror, a MEMS scanning mirror, or a prism.

[0125] In a possible design, the lidar may further include a processing module configured to process the electrical signals in order to acquire point cloud data.

[0126] In a possible design, the processing module may further determine target features based on the point cloud data.

[0127] In a feasible design, the control device and the processing module may be integrated into a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0128] According to the control solutions provided in embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides terminal devices including the lids described above. Examples of some terminal devices include, but are not limited to, smart home devices (e.g., televisions, robotic vacuum cleaners, smart desk lamps, speaker systems, intelligent lighting systems, electrical appliance control systems, home background music systems, home theater systems, intercom systems, or video surveillance systems), intelligent transport devices (e.g., vehicles, ships, unmanned aerial vehicles, trains, freight cars, or trucks), intelligent manufacturing devices (e.g., robots, industrial devices, intelligent logistics, or smart factories), and intelligent terminals (such as mobile phones, computers, tablet computers, palmtop computers, desktop computers, headsets, speakers, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, virtual reality devices, or augmented reality devices).

[0129] According to the control solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method executed by the control device described above is performed.

[0130] According to the control solution provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is executed on a processor, the method executed by the control device described above is implemented.

[0131] As used herein, terms such as “component,” “module,” and “system” refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or running software. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated in the diagram, both computing devices and applications running on computing devices may be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may reside in one computer and / or be distributed across two or more computers. In addition, these components may run from various computer-readable media that store various data structures. For example, components may communicate with each other by using local and / or remote processes and on signals, for example, one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component across a network such as the Internet, in a local system, a distributed system, and / or by using signals to interact with other systems).

[0132] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described with reference to the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware or by a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed by hardware or software will depend on the specific application and the design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered to exceed the scope of this application.

[0133] For the purpose of providing a simple and concise explanation, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the detailed operating processes of the aforementioned systems, devices, and units can be described by referring to the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the methods described above. Further details will not be described here.

[0134] It should be understood that in some embodiments provided herein, the disclosed systems, apparatus, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the described embodiments of the apparatus are merely examples. For example, the division into multiple units is merely a logical functional division, and other divisions may be used in actual implementations. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not performed. In addition, the indicated or described interconnections, direct connections, or communication connections may be implemented through some interfaces. Indirect connections or communication connections between apparatus or units may be implemented electronically, mechanically, or in other forms.

[0135] Units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and components shown as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one location, or may be distributed across multiple network units. Some or all units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solution in the embodiment.

[0136] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically independently, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0137] When a function is implemented in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, the function may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or a portion of the technical solution, may be implemented in the form of a software product. A computer software product is stored in a storage medium and contains several instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in the embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, removable hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0138] The foregoing description is merely a specific implementation of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection. Any modifications or substitutions that are readily conceivable to a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical scope disclosed herein shall be included in the scope of protection. Accordingly, the scope of protection shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims. [Other possible items] [Item 1] A control method, The steps include controlling the receiving optical system to receive a first echo signal reflected by a target object; and A step of controlling the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration. Equipped with, here A method wherein, in the first pixel configuration, different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, and / or the detector has different pixel configurations over different periods of time. [Item 2] The method according to item 1, wherein the first echo signal is presented as a linear spot or alternating spots, the alternating spots being spots arranged alternately in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector. [Item 3] The method according to item 1 or 2, wherein the different regions of the detector are regions corresponding to the central field of view region and non-central field of view region of the lidar in the detector, and the central field of view region is a region within a preset angular range in front of the lidar. [Item 4] The method according to item 3, wherein the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view region is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view region. [Item 5] The distinct regions of the detector are the region in the detector where the target object is presented, and the region other than the region where the target object is presented; Prior to the step of controlling the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration, the method further: The step of controlling the detector to convert the second echo signal into an electrical signal by using a second pixel configuration. Equipped with, here The method according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein in the region of the detector where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration, and in the region of the detector other than the region where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is equal to the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration. [Item 6] The method according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponding to pixel configuration 1 and the second period corresponding to pixel configuration 2, the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2 is the same, the regions containing cells in the working state in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing cells in the working state in pixel configuration 2 are staggered in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector, and the staggering distance is shorter than the cell distance corresponding to one pixel. [Item 7] The method according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponds to pixel configuration 1, the second period corresponds to pixel configuration 2, the cells in the operating state are the same in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2, and the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 1 is greater than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 2. [Item 8] The different regions of the detector are different subregions on the detector in the region where the first echo signal is focused; or The aforementioned different periods are the following periods, namely: The period corresponding to the different first echo signals returned through the detection of the same region of the target object; The period corresponding to the first echo signal returned through the detection of different regions of the target object; or The period corresponding to the first echo signal returned through different detections of the entire target object. The method described in any one of items 1 through 7, which is one of the following. [Item 9] The aforementioned method further: The step of receiving an upgrade command, wherein the upgrade command includes a third pixel configuration; and A step of controlling the detector to convert the third echo signal into an electrical signal by using the third pixel configuration. The method according to any one of items 1 to 8, comprising: [Item 10] A lidar comprising a control device, a receiving optical system and a detector, wherein The control device is configured to perform the control method described in any one of items 1 to 9; The receiving optical system is configured to receive echo signals; The detector is a lidar configured to convert the echo signal into an electrical signal. [Item 11] Further comprising a transmitter and a transmitting optical system, The transmitter is configured to emit a detection signal under the control of the control device; The transmitting optical system is configured to transmit the detection signal, as described in item 10, for the lidar. [Item 12] The detector is a lidar according to item 10 or 11, having a single-photon avalanche diode SPAD detector array. [Item 13] The lider further includes a scanning mechanism, which comprises a multi-faceted rotating mirror, a vibrating mirror, and a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS). vinegar A rider as described in any one of items 10 to 12, having one or more cannula mirrors or prisms. [Item 14] A lider according to any one of items 10 to 13, further comprising a processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to process the electrical signals in order to acquire point cloud data. [Item 15] The processing module is further configured to determine target features based on the point cloud data, as described in item 14. [Item 16] The Writer described in item 14 or 15, wherein the control device and the processing module are integrated into a system-on-chip (SOC). [Item 17] A terminal device comprising a writer as described in any one of items 10 to 16. [Item 18] A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method described in any one of items 1 to 9 is performed. [Item 19] A computer program product wherein, when the computer program product is executed on a processor, the method described in any one of items 1 to 9 is implemented.

Claims

1. A control method, The steps include controlling the receiving optical system to receive a first echo signal reflected by a target object; and A step of controlling the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration. Equipped with, In the first pixel configuration, different regions of the detector have different pixel configurations, and / or the detector has different pixel configurations over different periods of time. The first echo signal is presented as staggered spots, the staggered spots being spots arranged alternately in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector, in a method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternating spots are formed by an optical lens arranged in a transmitting optical system converting a detection signal emitted by a transmitter into the alternating spots.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different regions of the detector include a region corresponding to the central field of view region and a region corresponding to the non-central field of view region of the lidar in the detector, and the offset amount of the staggered spots from the reference spot in the central field of view increases as they move away from the reference spot toward the boundary of the non-central field of view region opposite to the boundary between the non-central field of view region and the central field of view region.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different regions of the detector are regions corresponding to the central field of view region and non-central field of view region of the lidar in the detector, and the central field of view region is a region within a preset angular range in front of the lidar.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration corresponding to the central field of view region is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration corresponding to the non-central field of view region.

6. The distinct regions of the detector are the region in the detector where the target object is presented, and the region other than the region where the target object is presented; Prior to the step of controlling the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration, the method further: The step of controlling the detector to convert the second echo signal into an electrical signal by using a second pixel configuration. Equipped with, The method according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the detector where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration, and in the region of the detector other than the region where the target object is presented, the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the first pixel configuration is equal to the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in the second pixel configuration.

7. The second echo signal includes a reflected signal returned through at least two scans prior to the reception of the first echo signal. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of controlling the detector to convert a second echo signal into an electrical signal by using a second pixel configuration includes processing the electrical signal converted from the second echo signal to generate point cloud data corresponding to images of at least two frames, analyzing the movement rules of the target object based on the position of the target object on the point cloud data corresponding to the images of at least two frames, and predicting the position in which the target object will appear in the next scan based on the movement rules.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein in the subsequent scan, the step of controlling the detector to convert the first echo signal into an electrical signal by using the first pixel configuration is performed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponding to pixel configuration 1 and the second period corresponding to pixel configuration 2, the number of cells corresponding to all pixels in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2 is the same, and the regions containing cells in the operating state in pixel configuration 1 and the regions containing cells in the operating state in pixel configuration 2 are arranged alternately in the horizontal and / or vertical directions of the detector, the distance between alternations is shorter than the distance between cells corresponding to one pixel.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different periods include a first period and a second period, the first period corresponds to pixel configuration 1, the second period corresponds to pixel configuration 2, the cells in the operating state in pixel configuration 1 and pixel configuration 2 are the same, and the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 1 is less than the number of cells corresponding to each pixel in pixel configuration 2.

11. The different regions of the detector are different subregions on the detector in the region where the first echo signal is focused; or The aforementioned different periods are the following periods, namely: Multiple periods corresponding to different first echo signals returned through the detection of the same region of the target object; Multiple periods corresponding to the first echo signal returned through the detection of different regions of the target object; or Multiple periods corresponding to the first echo signal returned through different detections of the entire target object The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is any one of the following.

12. The aforementioned method further: The step of receiving an upgrade command, wherein the upgrade command includes a third pixel configuration; and A step of controlling the detector to convert the third echo signal into an electrical signal by using the third pixel configuration. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the upgrade command is transmitted from a master computer in response to a request from a user for a different pixel configuration, or is transmitted via OTA or short message.

14. A lidar comprising a control device, a receiving optical system and a detector, The control device is configured to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 13; The receiving optical system is configured to receive echo signals; The detector is a lidar configured to convert the echo signal into an electrical signal.

15. Further comprising a transmitter and a transmitting optical system, The transmitter is configured to emit a detection signal under the control of the control device; The lidar according to claim 14, wherein the transmitting optical system is configured to transmit the detection signal.

16. The lidar according to claim 14, wherein the detector has a single-photon avalanche diode SPAD detector array.

17. The lidar according to claim 14, further comprising a scanning mechanism, the scanning mechanism comprising one or more of a multifaceted rotating mirror, a vibrating mirror, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror, or a prism.

18. The lidar according to claim 14, further comprising a processing module, wherein the processing module is configured to process the electrical signals in order to acquire point cloud data.

19. The lider according to claim 18, wherein the processing module is further configured to determine target features based on the point cloud data.

20. The lider according to claim 18, wherein the control device and the processing module are integrated into a system-on-chip SOC.

21. A terminal device comprising a writer according to any one of claims 14 to 20.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is performed.

23. A computer program for causing a processor to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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