Light emitting device, light source array, detection device, laser radar, and terminal

Abstract

A light emitting device, a light source array, a detection device, a laser radar, and a terminal, applied to the technical field of detection. The light emitting device comprises multiple rows and multiple columns of light emitting chips; in one direction, light emitting areas of the multiple columns of light emitting chips are sequentially arranged, and a gap is formed between every two adjacent columns of light emitting chips; and in the other direction, the multiple rows of light emitting chips are sequentially arranged, and edges of light emitting areas of every two adjacent rows of light emitting chips are connected or partially overlapped. The present application further correspondingly provides a light source array comprising the light emitting device, a detection device, a laser radar, and a terminal. According to the present application, no gap is formed between the light emitting areas of N rows of light emitting chips in a second direction; therefore, no gap is formed between the light beams emitted by the light emitting device in the second direction, and thus the continuous emitting field of view is achieved, and the problem of a blind spot of the visual field existing in the light beams of a multi-laser emitting end is solved. The present application can further achieve continuous and blind spot-free detection of objects in the field of view, and improve the detection performance.

Description

Light emitting device, light source array, detection device, laser radar and terminal

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 27, 2023, with application number 202311834371.5 and application name “Light emitting device, light source array, detection device, laser radar and terminal”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of detection technology, and in particular to a light emitting device, a light source array, a detection device, a laser radar and a terminal. Background Art

[0003] Lidar is a sensor that combines laser technology with photoelectric conversion. Its basic operating principle is: a transmitter emits detection light into a detection area, and a receiver receives the return light (or echo) from the detection area. This return light provides information about the targets in the detection area. This information helps the device quickly identify and make decisions about surrounding objects, and is widely used in fields such as smart cars, intelligent transportation, and surveying and mapping.

[0004] With the continuous development of intelligent equipment, people have higher and higher requirements for the detection accuracy of LiDAR. More and more LiDARs use multiple lasers mounted in sequence to form the transmitter, in order to increase the transmission power and thus improve the detection accuracy of LiDAR. However, because lasers are usually individually packaged, there is a shell of a certain thickness outside the light-emitting surface. This shell creates a certain distance between the lasers. When the transmitter emits detection light, the area corresponding to the gap between the lasers becomes a blind spot in the detection field of view, affecting the device's perception coverage. Especially when LiDAR is used in vehicles, the blind spot in the field of view affects the perception of obstacles, which further affects driving comfort and safety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a light-emitting device, a light source array, a detection device, a laser radar, and a terminal. These devices enable close or overlapping arrangement of the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chip, resulting in a continuous emission field of view and resolving the issue of blind spots between light beams. When the light-emitting device is used in a detection device, this application can enhance the detection performance of the detection device and contribute to the increased intelligence of the equipment used by the detection device.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a light emitting device comprising N rows and K columns of light emitting chips, where N and K are both integers and N ≥ 2 and K ≥ 2. Along a first direction, the light emitting areas of the K columns of light emitting chips are arranged sequentially, with a gap between adjacent columns of light emitting chips. Along a second direction, the N rows of light emitting chips are arranged sequentially, with edges of the light emitting areas of adjacent rows of light emitting chips touching or partially overlapping. The first direction is different from the second direction.

[0007] In the present application, the edges of the light-emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips are connected or the light-emitting areas partially overlap, so that there is no gap in the light-emitting areas of the N rows of light-emitting chips along the second direction. The light beam emitted by the light-emitting device has no gaps in the second direction, achieving a continuous emission field of view and solving the problem of blind spots between light beams. When the light beam emitted by the light-emitting device is used to detect object space, the present application can achieve continuous and blind-spot-free detection of objects within the field of view, improve the detection performance of the detection device, significantly improve the accuracy of the detection results, and help improve the intelligence level of the equipment used by the detection device.

[0008] In some schemes, the light emitting device can be applied to a scanning detection device, which scans the light beam along the first direction (that is, the scanning direction is the first direction), thereby realizing field of view splicing in the first direction, so that the emission field of view is continuous and seamless in the first direction and the second direction. Light beam scanning can significantly increase the emission field of view and improve detection performance.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, N rows of light emitting chips are configured to emit N linear light spots, where the edges of the N linear light spots are connected or overlapped in the angular space in the second direction. In this manner, the light beams emitted by the light emitting device are linear beams, which are longer in the second direction. This results in a wider field of view for the light emitting device in the second direction, and the line beams are easier to scan, thereby increasing the range of the field of view obtained by stitching the fields of view after scanning.

[0010] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the light-emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips partially overlap, and along the second direction, the overlapping areas of the light-emitting areas of any two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips have the same length. In this manner, the length of the overlapping areas of the light beams is uniform.

[0011] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, along the second direction, the overlapping regions of the light-emitting areas of at least two light-emitting chip groups have different lengths, and one light-emitting chip group includes two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips. In this manner, the lengths of the overlapping regions of the light beams can be uneven, thereby facilitating flexible design of the energy density distribution of the light beams.

[0012] For example, by designing the overlapping areas of the light-emitting chip's light-emitting regions, the overlap of the beams in the region of interest (ROI) is larger, while the overlap in non-ROI areas is smaller. This improves the beam energy density in the ROI area without significantly reducing the field of view of the beam.

[0013] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, among N rows of light emitting chips, adjacent rows of light emitting chips have different emission timings for emitting light beams. In the present application, since the light emitting chips in two adjacent rows are closely spaced, crosstalk is easily generated. The above implementation uses emission timings to differentiate the emission timings of light emitting chips in different rows, thereby reducing crosstalk between partitions and improving detection performance.

[0014] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the light emitting area of ​​each light emitting chip includes two sub-areas, and the two sub-areas emit light beams at different timings, which can reduce crosstalk between different sub-areas in the light emitting chip and improve detection performance.

[0015] In another possible embodiment of the first aspect, the two sub-areas include a first sub-area and a second sub-area arranged along the second direction, the first sub-area and the second sub-area are respectively facing the two ends of the second direction, the first sub-area of ​​the light-emitting area of ​​the N rows of light-emitting chips is used to emit a first light beam in a first time period, and the first sub-area of ​​the light-emitting area of ​​the N rows of light-emitting chips is used to emit a first light beam in a second time period, and the first time period is different from the second time period.

[0016] In another possible embodiment of the first aspect, N rows of light-emitting chips include 2×N sub-areas, 2×A sub-areas correspond to at most 2×N emission sequences, and in each emission sequence, at least one sub-area emits light, and two sub-areas belonging to the same light-emitting area do not emit light beams in the same sequence.

[0017] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, along the second direction, the (3×i+1)th sub-area emits light in the first time period, the (3×i+2)th sub-area emits light in the second time period, and the (3×i+3)th sub-area emits light in the third time period, and i is Integer between .

[0018] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the two sub-regions of the light-emitting region of each light-emitting chip are cathode-isolated or anode-isolated. In the above implementation, the same light-emitting chip shares a common anode or cathode. Because the performance of the same chip in voltage, current, and resistance varies less, it is easier to maintain consistent performance during use. Therefore, by dividing the chip into two sub-regions and implementing time-sharing light emission in each sub-region, reliability and consistency are improved.

[0019] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, K=2, and the driving regions of the K rows of light emitting chips are located on both sides of the light emitting regions of the K rows of light emitting chips. The driving regions of the light emitting chips are used to drive the light emitting regions of the light emitting chips to emit light beams. In this way, in the light emitting device, the driving regions are located on both sides and the light emitting region is located in the middle. This can reduce the mounting gap in the first direction, facilitating field of view stitching and point cloud stitching in the first direction.

[0020] In another possible embodiment of the first aspect, the light-emitting area of ​​the light-emitting chip includes multiple light-emitting points arranged in rows and columns, with adjacent columns of light-emitting points interleaved with each other. Thus, the staggered arrangement of the light-emitting points reduces the gaps between the light-emitting points and increases the energy density of the light beam.

[0021] Optionally, the length of the overlapping region between the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips is the length of (Q+0.5) light emitting points, where Q is an integer and Q≥0.

[0022] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, the light emitting chip includes one or more of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge emitting laser (EEL), a photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL), or a horizontal cavity surface emitting laser (HCSEL).

[0023] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, each column of the K columns of light emitting chips includes L light emitting chips, and along the first direction, centers of the L light emitting chips in each column of the K columns of light emitting chips coincide.

[0024] In another possible implementation of the first aspect, there is a gap between the centers of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips in the N rows of light emitting chips along the first direction, and a gap between the centers of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips in the N rows of light emitting chips along the second direction.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present application provides a light source array, comprising the light emitting device described in any one of the first aspects. The light source array may comprise one or more light emitting devices, which are set to M for ease of description, where M is an integer and M ≥ 1.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, M≥2, and the M light emitting devices are arranged sequentially along the first direction.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, there are at least two light emitting devices with different powers.

[0028] In a third aspect, the present application provides a detection device comprising a transmitting module and a receiving module, wherein the transmitting module comprises the light transmitting device described in any one of the first aspects, or comprises the light source array described in any one of the second aspects. The transmitting module is configured to transmit detection light, and the receiving module is configured to receive an echo of the detection light.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, M≥2, and the M light emitting devices are arranged sequentially along the first direction.

[0030] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, M≥2, the receiving module includes P array detectors, and the P array detectors are respectively used to receive echoes of detection lights emitted by one or more light emitting devices, P is a positive number and P≥2.

[0031] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, each of the P array detectors includes multiple photosensitive areas, and each photosensitive area of ​​the multiple photosensitive areas corresponds to a light-emitting area of ​​a light-emitting chip in a light-emitting device.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a laser radar, comprising the detection device described in the third aspect.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a terminal comprising the light emitting device described in any one of the first aspects, or the light source array described in any one of the second aspects, or the detection device described in the third aspect, or the lidar described in the fourth aspect. Optionally, the terminal comprises an intelligent terminal or vehicle such as a vehicle, robot, drone, or ship. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments.

[0035] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a light spot of a light beam emitted by a light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a field of view provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of regional stitching of a point cloud provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the length of the overlapping region of the light emitting chip provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a transmission timing provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a cathode-isolated light-emitting area provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an anode-isolated light-emitting area provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a transmission timing of multiple sub-areas shown in FIG7 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another transmission timing of multiple sub-areas shown in FIG7 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another transmission timing of multiple sub-areas shown in FIG7 provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting point of a light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG21 is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG22 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG23 is a schematic structural diagram of a detector provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] The following is an explanation of some of the terms used in this application. It should be noted that these explanations are for the purpose of facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0059] A region of interest (ROI) is an area in a detection area that needs to be processed or focused on, represented by a box, circle, ellipse, or irregular polygon. The ROI generally includes the detection target.

[0060] The light spot refers to the bright spot formed by the light beam, and also refers to the energy density (or intensity, power) distribution of the light beam in the angular space.

[0061] A point cloud is an aggregation or collection of points. These points (also called target points or data points) are typically used to indicate characteristics of an object. For example, a point indicates one or more of the following: position (e.g., one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional coordinates), distance, angle, reflection intensity, color information, etc.

[0062] The above explanations of terms may be applied hereinafter.

[0063] A detection device uses signals as a detection medium. It transmits signals to a detection area (i.e., the object space) and receives the signal's echo, thereby detecting the detection area. This can be done, for example, by measuring distance, speed, or azimuth. The detection device is equipped with a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits signals, and the receiver receives signals. The signals here include light, such as lasers.

[0064] In some solutions, the transmitter includes multiple lasers mounted sequentially to increase the power of the beam. However, due to the laser housing, gaps exist between the beams emitted by the sequentially mounted lasers. These gaps can easily create blind spots in the field of view, affecting the perception results.

[0065] In light of this, the present application provides a light-emitting device, a light source array, a detection device, a lidar, and a terminal. These devices enable close or overlapping arrangement of the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chips, resulting in a continuous emission field of view and resolving the issue of blind spots between light beams. When the light-emitting device is used in a detection device, the present application can enhance the detection performance of the detection device and contribute to the increased intelligence of the equipment used by the detection device.

[0066] The light emitting device provided by this application is first introduced below.

[0067] The present embodiment provides a light emitting device comprising N rows and K columns of light emitting chips, where N and K are both integers, and N ≥ 2 and K ≥ 2. With reference to FIG1 , the light emitting device 100 comprises four rows and two columns of light emitting chips 10, wherein each light emitting chip 10 comprises a light emitting region 11. Each light emitting chip 10 also comprises a housing 12 for encapsulating the circuitry and / or optical path of the light emitting chip. For example, a driving circuit is disposed within the housing 12 (the location of which may be referred to as the driving region), and the driving circuit is configured to drive the light emitting region 11 to emit light.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present application, along a first direction (the X direction as shown in FIG1 ), the light-emitting areas of K columns of light-emitting chips are arranged in sequence and there is a gap between two adjacent columns of light-emitting chips. Along a second direction (the Y direction as shown in FIG1 ), N rows of light-emitting chips are arranged in sequence, and the edges of the light-emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips are connected or partially overlapped. The first direction is different from the second direction, and the first direction can be optionally perpendicular to the second direction. In conjunction with FIG1 , in the Y direction, the light-emitting areas of the first row of light-emitting chips are connected or partially overlapped with the edges of the light-emitting areas of the second row of light-emitting chips, the light-emitting areas of the second row of light-emitting chips are connected or partially overlapped with the edges of the light-emitting areas of the third row of light-emitting chips, and so on for the remaining rows, so as to achieve seamless gaps between the light-emitting areas in the Y direction.

[0069] As shown in Figure 2, this application provides a schematic diagram of a light spot of a light beam emitted by a light emitting device. N rows of light emitting chips emit N linear light spots, and the edges of the N linear light spots in the angular space in the second direction are connected, as shown in Figure 2(a). Alternatively, the angular space of the N linear light spots in the second direction overlaps, as shown in Figure 2(b). Of course, this application is also applicable to a combination of the two, that is, the edges of the light emitting areas of some adjacent rows of light emitting chips are connected, and the light emitting areas of some adjacent rows of light emitting chips overlap.

[0070] Optionally, the N line spots may have the same or different sizes and shapes. For example, in FIG2( b ), along the second direction (ie, the Y direction), the length of the spot 202 is greater than the length of the spot 201 .

[0071] In conjunction with Figure 2, the light beam emitted by the light emitting device is a line beam obtained by splicing N light spots. The line beam is longer in the second direction, so that the field of view in the second direction is wider, and the line beam is easy to scan, which can increase the range of the field of view obtained by splicing the field of view after scanning. In some embodiments, the light emitting device 100 is applied to a scanning detection device. The scanning detection device scans the light beam along the first direction (that is, the scanning direction is the first direction), thereby achieving field of view splicing in the first direction, so that the emission field of view is continuous and seamless in both the first and second directions. The beam scanning can significantly increase the emission field of view and improve the detection performance. As shown in Figure 3, a schematic diagram of a field of view provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a region splicing of a point cloud provided in an embodiment of the present application. In conjunction with Figures 3 and 4, the scanning direction is along the short side direction of the line beam, which corresponds to the first direction of the light emitting device, that is, the X direction. As shown in Figure 4, when the receiving end of the detection device receives echoes in sequence along the scanning direction, for example, receiving echoes at multiple scanning angles, the regions of the point cloud obtained are spliced ​​in sequence along the first direction to obtain a detection result for the entire field of view. The number of scanning angles shown in Figure 4 is for reference only.

[0072] In one possible embodiment, the edges of the light-emitting areas of each row of light-emitting chips are closely spaced in the first direction, for example, less than the first distance, to further reduce the alignment during point cloud stitching and improve the quality of point cloud stitching. In some embodiments, the first distance is twice the distance between the outer edge of the light-emitting chip and the light-emitting area along the first direction. In other words, along the first direction, the outer edges of two adjacent rows of light-emitting units are closely adjacent, so that the distance between the light-emitting areas of the two adjacent rows of light-emitting units in the first direction is twice the distance between the outer edges and the outer edges of the light-emitting area. In other embodiments, due to circuit design or crosstalk prevention considerations, the light-emitting chips cannot be closely adjacent, but the spacing between them will not be too far apart. Exemplarily, the first distance is less than three times the distance between the outer edge of the light-emitting chip and the light-emitting area in the first direction. Further, the first distance is less than 2.5 times the distance between the outer edge of the light-emitting chip and the light-emitting area in the first direction. In another exemplary embodiment, the first distance is less than the length of the light-emitting area along the first direction.

[0073] In one possible implementation, a light-emitting chip includes a single light-emitting region. That is, each light-emitting region is epitaxially grown on a single light-emitting chip. Compared to packaging multiple light-emitting regions into a single light-emitting chip, having a single light-emitting region per light-emitting chip reduces the thermal load on the individual light-emitting chips and improves their reliability.

[0074] As mentioned above, the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chips overlap in the second direction. In some implementations, this overlap is uniform. In other implementations, this overlap is non-uniform. Uniformity means that the length of the overlapping area between any two adjacent rows is consistent, while non-uniformity means that the length of the overlapping area can be inconsistent. The following provides examples of each approach.

[0075] As a solution for achieving uniform overlap, the length of the overlapping regions of the light-emitting areas of any two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips along the second direction is the same. Referring to Figure 5(a), the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chips in rows 1 through 4 are represented as light-emitting areas 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, respectively. Along the Y direction, the lengths of the overlapping regions of the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chips in rows 1 through 4 are represented as d1, d2, and d3, respectively, where d1, d2, and d3 are the same.

[0076] As an implementation scheme for non-uniform overlap, along the second direction, the overlapping lengths of the light-emitting areas of at least two light-emitting chip groups are different. A light-emitting chip group includes two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips. Referring to FIG5(b), the light-emitting areas of the light-emitting chips in rows 1 to 4 are represented as light-emitting area 11a, light-emitting area 11b, light-emitting area 11c, light-emitting area 11d, and light-emitting area 11e, respectively. Along the Y direction, the lengths of the overlapping areas of the light-emitting areas of rows 1 to 4 are represented as d1, d2, d3, and d4, respectively. The light-emitting chips in rows 1 and 2 can be considered as one light-emitting chip group, with the overlapping length of their light-emitting areas being d1. The light-emitting chips in rows 2 and 3 can be considered as another light-emitting chip group, with the overlapping length of their light-emitting areas being d2, where d1 and d2 are different. Of course, in the case of non-uniform overlap, the overlapping lengths of some light-emitting chip groups may be the same, for example, d2 and d3 may be the same.

[0077] In the aforementioned scheme, the overlap of the light-emitting areas is uneven, which facilitates the flexible design of the energy density distribution of the light beam. As a possible example, by designing the overlapping area of ​​the light-emitting area of ​​the light-emitting chip, the overlapping area of ​​the light beam in the region of interest (ROI) is larger. Please refer to (b) of Figure 5. Both d2 and d3 are larger than d1 and d4. In this way, the energy density of the central part of the emitted field of view along the second direction is higher. Since the value of the perception result of the central part of the field of view is higher, it is usually designed as the ROI area. Therefore, the design of the overlapping area can improve the energy density of the light beam in the ROI area, thereby correspondingly improving the detection accuracy of the ROI. Furthermore, in the non-ROI area, the overlapping area of ​​the light beam is relatively small to ensure that the field of view of the light beam is not significantly reduced.

[0078] In one possible embodiment, within N rows of light-emitting chips, adjacent rows of light-emitting chips emit light beams at different timings. Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of an emission timing provided by an embodiment of the present application. In this example, the light-emitting chips in the first row emit light beams between time periods t0 and t1, while the light-emitting chips in the second row emit light beams between time periods t2 and t3. As can be seen from Figure 1, since the light-emitting chips in the first row and the light-emitting chips in the second row are relatively close, setting them to operate at different timings can reduce crosstalk between them.

[0079] Optionally, two non-adjacent rows of light emitting chips can be in working state at the same time. Combined with Figure 6, the emission timing of the light emitting chip in the third row is the same as that of the light emitting chip in the first row, and the emission timing of the light emitting chip in the fourth row is the same as that of the light emitting chip in the second row. This can ensure detection efficiency while reducing crosstalk.

[0080] In one possible embodiment, some or all of the light emitting chips include multiple sub-areas, where the number of sub-areas can be 2 or more. Please refer to Figure 7, which is a structural schematic diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light emitting area of ​​each light emitting chip in the light emitting device includes two sub-areas, which can be referred to as the first sub-area and the second sub-area for easy distinction. The light emitting area of ​​the light emitting chip in the first row includes the first sub-area 111a and the second sub-area 112a, the light emitting area of ​​the light emitting chip in the second row includes the first sub-area 111b and the second sub-area 112b, the light emitting area of ​​the light emitting chip in the third row includes the first sub-area 111c and the second sub-area 112c, and the light emitting area of ​​the light emitting chip in the fourth row includes the first sub-area 111d and the second sub-area 112d. For the convenience of description below, the sub-areas are numbered in the vertical direction (i.e., the negative direction of the Y axis) as sub-areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

[0081] In one possible embodiment, the two sub-regions belong to the same light-emitting region, and the two sub-regions are not completely separated in hardware, but rather share some materials. Isolation between the two sub-regions can be achieved at the cathode or anode. As an illustration of cathode isolation, see Figure 8 . The light-emitting region of a light-emitting chip includes a cathode and an anode, with multiple layers of optical or conductive materials disposed between the cathode and the anode. For example, a light-emitting element in a light-emitting chip, such as a VCSEL, can be positioned between the cathode and the anode using a P-type Bragg reflector (P-DBR), an oxide layer, a multi-quantum well (MQW), a passivation layer, an N-type Bragg reflector (N-DBR), a substrate, and the like. For isolation, an isolation band can be provided at the cathode of the light-emitting region; in this case, the two sub-regions of the light-emitting region share the anode. As an illustration of anode isolation, see Figure 9 . The light-emitting region can be isolated using an isolation band at the anode; in this case, the two sub-regions of the light-emitting region share the cathode.

[0082] In another possible design, different sub-areas within a single light-emitting area can independently control their emission. On the one hand, operating at a sub-area granularity can reduce the operating current of each light-emitting area, improving reliability. On the other hand, emitting light at a sub-area granularity allows for more refined interleaving of fields of view, improving point cloud stitching.

[0083] In one possible implementation, the emission timings of adjacent sub-regions in the multiple sub-regions of the light-emitting area of ​​a light-emitting chip are different. Taking two sub-regions as an example, if the light-emitting area of ​​each light-emitting chip includes two sub-regions, the emission timings of the light beams emitted by the two sub-regions are different. Several possible designs are listed below:

[0084] Design 1: The two sub-areas include a first sub-area and a second sub-area arranged along a first direction, with the first sub-area and the second sub-area facing opposite ends of the first direction, respectively. The first sub-area of ​​the light-emitting area of ​​the N rows of light-emitting chips is configured to emit a first light beam in a first time period, and the first sub-area of ​​the light-emitting area of ​​the N rows of light-emitting chips is configured to emit a first light beam in a second time period, with the first time period being different from the second time period. In conjunction with Figure 7 , the sub-areas in each light-emitting area facing the positive direction of the second direction are first sub-areas, i.e., sub-areas 1, 3, 5, and 7 are first sub-areas, while the sub-areas facing the negative direction of the second direction are second sub-areas, i.e., sub-areas 2, 4, 5, and 8. Please refer to Figure 10 , which is a schematic diagram of the emission timing of the multiple sub-areas shown in Figure 7 , provided by an embodiment of the present application. Sub-areas 1, 3, 5, and 7 emit light beams between time periods t0 and t1, while sub-areas 2, 4, 5, and 8 emit light beams between time periods t2 and t3. This allows for more precise control of the granularity of time-sharing light emission, improving detection accuracy while reducing crosstalk between light-emitting sub-areas.

[0085] Design 2: N rows of light-emitting chips include 2×N sub-areas. 2×A sub-areas correspond to at most 2×N emission sequences. In each emission sequence, at least one sub-area emits light, and two sub-areas belonging to the same light-emitting area do not emit light beams in the same sequence.

[0086] For example, along the second direction, the (3×i+1)th sub-area emits light in the first time period, the (3×i+2)th sub-area emits light in the second time period, and the (3×i+3)th sub-area emits light in the third time period. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the emission timing of multiple sub-areas shown in Figure 7, provided in another embodiment of the present application. Sub-areas 1, 4, and 7 emit light beams between time periods t0 and t1, while sub-areas 2, 5, and 8 emit light beams between time periods t2 and t3, and sub-areas 3 and 6 emit light beams between time periods t4 and t5. This allows for more precise control of the granularity of time-sharing light emission, improving detection accuracy while reducing crosstalk between light-emitting sub-areas.

[0087] For example, along the second direction, the (4×i+1)th sub-area emits light in the first time period, the (4×i+2)th sub-area emits light in the second time period, the (4×i+3)th sub-area emits light in the third time period, and the (4×i+4)th sub-area emits light in the third time period. As shown in Figure 12, which is another schematic diagram of the emission timing of multiple sub-areas shown in Figure 7 provided by an embodiment of the present application, sub-areas 1 and 5 emit light beams between time periods t0 and t1, while sub-areas 2 and 6 emit light beams between time periods t2 and t3, and sub-areas 3 and 7 emit light beams between time periods t4 and t5, and sub-areas 4 and 8 emit light beams between time periods t6 and t7. In this way, the granularity of time-sharing light emission can be more finely controlled, thereby improving detection accuracy while reducing crosstalk between light-emitting sub-areas.

[0088] Of course, the present application is also applicable to the case of setting more emission time sequences. For example, 8 emission time sequences can be set for 8 sub-areas, and one light beam is emitted from one sub-area in each time period.

[0089] In one possible embodiment, the light emitting device includes two columns of light emitting chips, i.e., K = 2. The driving regions of the two columns of light emitting chips are located on both sides of the light emitting regions of the two columns of light emitting chips. The driving regions of the light emitting chips are used to drive the light emitting regions of the light emitting chips to emit light beams. Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic structural diagram of another light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Each light emitting chip also includes a driving region 13. For two columns of light emitting chips, the driving regions of the two columns of light emitting chips are located on both sides, and the light emitting regions are located in the middle, in order to reduce the mounting gap in the first direction, which is beneficial for field of view stitching and point cloud stitching in the first direction.

[0090] In one possible embodiment, the light-emitting area of ​​the light-emitting chip includes multiple light-emitting points (or light-emitting holes). Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting points of a light-emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application. In combination with Figures 1, 13, and 14, each light-emitting area includes multiple light-emitting points (i.e., the black ovals shown in Figure 14), and the multiple light-emitting points are arranged in rows and columns, and the light-emitting points in adjacent columns are staggered. Staggering the light-emitting holes can reduce the gaps between the light-emitting points and increase the energy density of the emitted light beam.

[0091] Alternatively, multiple light-emitting points in the same light-emitting area can work together, for example, driven simultaneously by a single driver chip to emit light, thereby increasing the light output. Furthermore, in the case where a light-emitting area includes multiple sub-areas, multiple light-emitting points in a sub-area can work together and be driven simultaneously by a single driver chip.

[0092] Optionally, the length of the overlapping region between the light-emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light-emitting chips is the length of (Q+0.5) light-emitting points, where Q is an integer and Q≥0. This allows the centers of the light-emitting points in the overlapping region of the light beams to interweave along the second direction, further increasing the energy density of the overlapping region.

[0093] In one possible embodiment, the light emitting chip includes one or more of a VCSEL, an EEL, a PCSEL, or an HCSEL. For example, the light emitting chip includes multiple VCSELs, and one VCSEL can serve as a light emitting point as shown in FIG14 . In another example, the light emitting chip includes multiple VCSELs and multiple PCSELs.

[0094] In one possible implementation, each of K columns of light emitting chips includes L light emitting chips, and along a first direction, the centers of the L light emitting chips in each of the K columns of light emitting chips overlap, where L is an integer and L ≥ 1. For example, with reference to FIG1 , each of two columns of light emitting chips includes four light emitting chips. In the X direction, the centers of the four light emitting chips in the first column overlap, and the centers of the four light emitting chips in the second column also overlap.

[0095] In one possible implementation, each column of K columns of light-emitting chips includes L light-emitting chips, and along the first direction, the centers of the L light-emitting chips in each column of the K columns of light-emitting chips are spaced apart. For example, with reference to FIG15 , the light-emitting device includes 8 rows and 2 columns of light-emitting chips, and each of the 2 columns of light-emitting chips includes 4 light-emitting chips. In the X direction, the centers of the 4 light-emitting chips in the first column are spaced apart, and the centers of the 4 light-emitting chips in the second column are also spaced apart. Along the X direction, the driving areas of the 2 columns of light-emitting chips are still located on both sides of the light-emitting area.

[0096] It should be understood that some embodiments of this application illustrate the use of two columns as an example. In some embodiments, the number of columns of light-emitting chips may be greater. As shown in Figure 16 , the light-emitting device may include six rows and three columns of light-emitting chips. Furthermore, the various embodiments of this application and their possible implementations may be combined, and any such combinations will not be described individually here.

[0097] Embodiments of the present application also provide a light source array, comprising the aforementioned light emitting devices, such as the light emitting devices described in the embodiments and possible implementations thereof, such as Figures 1, 13, 15, or 16. In some embodiments, because a light emitting device includes N rows and K columns of light emitting chips, a light emitting device is also referred to as a group of light emitting chips.

[0098] In a possible implementation, the light source array may include one or more of the aforementioned light emitting devices. For ease of description, the number of light emitting devices included in the light source array is set to M herein, where M is an integer and M≥1.

[0099] In one possible embodiment, M ≥ 2, and the M light emitting devices are arranged sequentially along a first direction. Referring to Figure 17 , Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light source array includes three light emitting devices (or three groups of light emitting chips), each light emitting device including four rows of light emitting chips. The three light emitting devices are arranged along the first direction (i.e., the X direction shown in Figure 1 ).

[0100] In one possible embodiment, at least two light emitting devices have different powers. Referring to FIG17 , the transmission power of the first light emitting device is different from the power of the second light emitting device. Furthermore, the M groups of light emitting chips can each perform voltage adjustment to control the light emitting chips to output light pulses of different powers. This allows hardware redundancy to be utilized to implement high- and low-power transmission functions and improve resolution. For example, some light emitting devices emit high-power pulses for high-precision detection at long distances, while some light emitting devices emit low-power pulses for detecting objects at close range. This allows for a combination of long-range and short-range detection, improving the accuracy of detection results.

[0101] The multiple possible implementations of the light emitting devices mentioned above can also be applied to the light source array. For example, in Figure 17, the edges of the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips are connected. Furthermore, the embodiment shown in Figure 17 can also be combined with one or more of the possible implementations mentioned above. As an example of combination, in the light source array shown in Figure 17, the 1st and 3rd rows of each light emitting device emit light beams at the same time, while the 2nd and 4th rows emit light beams at another time sequence at the same time, so that the crosstalk between adjacent partitions can be reduced. For related descriptions, please refer to the possible implementations mentioned above.

[0102] The following continues to introduce several light source arrays provided in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 18, which is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light source array includes three groups of light emitting chips arranged along a first direction. Each group of light emitting chips includes four rows of light emitting chips, where the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips overlap. The overlap may be uniform or non-uniform.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 19, which is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light source array includes 2 groups of light emitting chips, and the 2 groups of light emitting chips are arranged along a first direction. Each group of light emitting chips includes 8 rows of light emitting chips, and the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips overlap, and the overlap is uniform or non-uniform.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 20, which is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light source array includes two groups of light emitting chips, arranged along a first direction. Each group of light emitting chips includes eight rows of light emitting chips, where the edges of the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips meet. Each light emitting chip includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area, which are arranged along a second direction. When emitting a light beam, the two sub-areas in each light emitting area have different emission timings. For related descriptions, please refer to the relevant descriptions of Figures 10 to 12.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 21, which is a schematic diagram of another light source array provided in an embodiment of the present application. The light source array includes two groups of light emitting chips, arranged along a first direction. Each group of light emitting chips includes eight rows of light emitting chips, wherein the light emitting areas of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips overlap, and the overlap may be uniform or non-uniform. Each light emitting chip includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area, which are arranged along a second direction. When emitting a light beam, the two sub-areas in each light emitting area have different emission timings. For related descriptions, please refer to the relevant descriptions of Figures 10 to 12.

[0107] It should be understood that Figures 17-21 above illustrate M groups of light emitting arrays with identically arranged light emitting devices. In specific implementations, the arrangement of the multiple light emitting devices included in a light source array may vary. For example, for a light source array including two light emitting devices, the arrangement of the first light emitting device is shown in Figure 13, and the arrangement of the second light emitting device is shown in Figure 15.

[0108] The present application also provides a detection device. Referring to FIG22 , the detection device 200 includes a transmitting module 21 and a receiving module 22. The transmitting module 21 is configured to transmit detection light, and the receiving module 22 is configured to receive the echo of the detection light. The transmitting module includes the aforementioned light emitting device or light source array.

[0109] In one possible embodiment, the receiving module includes a detector. Further, the detector includes one or more of the following detection units: a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), a multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC), a semiconductor avalanche photodiode (APD), or a "positive-intrinsic-negative" (PIN) diode (or a P-type semiconductor-impurity-N-type semiconductor diode). In the case where the detector includes multiple detection units, the multiple detection units can be arranged in an array to form an array detector. For example, the receiving module includes a SPAD array detector.

[0110] In one possible embodiment, the detection device 200 further includes a transmitting optical system, which includes one or more optical elements, including one or more of a lens, a superlens, a reflector, a filter, a cloud plate, a polarizer, or a wave plate. Furthermore, the transmitting optical system may be integrated into the transmitting module 21.

[0111] In one possible embodiment, the receiving module may further include a receiving optical system, including one or more optical elements such as a lens, a super lens, a reflector, a filter, a cloud light plate, a polarizer, or a wave plate. Further optionally, the receiving optical system may be integrated into the receiving module 22.

[0112] In one possible embodiment, when the detection device 200 includes multiple light emitting devices, the receiving module 21 of the detection device 200 may include P detectors, each detector being used to receive the echo of the light beam emitted by one or more light emitting devices, where P is a positive number and P≥2.

[0113] For example, the transmitting module 21 of the detection device includes a light source array as shown in FIG19 , wherein the light source array includes two light emitting devices. In this case, the receiving module 22 may include two SPAD array detectors, each SPAD array detector being used to receive the echo of the detection light emitted by a light emitting device. Optionally, the two SPADs may share a receiving optical system, or each may use a separate receiving optical system.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the detector includes multiple photosensitive areas, each of which is configured to receive an echo of a light beam emitted from a light-emitting area in a light-emitting device. Furthermore, each of the P array detectors includes one or more photosensitive areas, each corresponding to a light-emitting area of ​​a light-emitting chip in a light-emitting device.

[0115] As shown in Figure 23 (a), the detector includes multiple detection units arranged in an array, each photosensitive area includes some of the multiple detection units, and the detection units in the photosensitive area are in operation. As shown in Figure 23 (b), the light spot of the echo of the light beam emitted by the light source array can fall into the photosensitive area of ​​the detector, and each photosensitive area can receive the echo of the light beam emitted by a light-emitting area. It should be understood that the size of the photosensitive area and the number of detection units included shown in Figure 23 are only examples, and other designs may be used in specific embodiments.

[0116] In one possible embodiment, the detection device 200 also includes a scanning module. The scanning module is used to scan the detection light emitted by the transmitting module 21 to the detection area, and provide the light beam (including the echo) from the detection area to the receiving module 22. Furthermore, the scanning module includes one or more of a swing mirror, a rotating mirror (polygon), a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) galvanometer, or a metal galvanometer. In some schemes, the scanning module may include one or more reflecting surfaces, and the reflecting surface may be mounted on the main body of the scanning module in the form of a patch, or the reflecting surface of the scanning module and the main body of the scanning module may also be integrated. Optionally, the scanning mode of the scanning module may be one-dimensional scanning, two-dimensional scanning, etc.

[0117] The present application also provides a laser radar, which includes the aforementioned light emitting device, or includes the aforementioned light source array, or includes the aforementioned detection device.

[0118] An embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal, which includes the aforementioned light emitting device, or includes the aforementioned light source array, or includes the aforementioned detection device, or includes the aforementioned laser radar.

[0119] Optionally, the terminal can be an intelligent terminal or transportation tool such as a vehicle, drone, or robot, or the terminal can also be an industrial device. It should be understood that the terminals involved in this application may include intelligent terminals or transportation tools such as vehicles, robots, drones, or ships. Among them, the vehicle is a vehicle in a broad sense, which can be a transportation tool (such as a commercial vehicle, passenger car, motorcycle, flying car, train, etc.), an industrial vehicle (such as a forklift, trailer, tractor, etc.), an engineering vehicle (such as an excavator, bulldozer, crane, etc.), an agricultural equipment (such as a mower, harvester, etc.), etc. For another example, the robot can be an intelligent handling robot (automated guided vehicle, AGV), a walking conversational robot, a service robot, etc. Industrial equipment such as industrial robots, robotic arms, etc. Leisure and entertainment equipment such as virtual reality (VR) equipment, mixed reality (MR) equipment, or a 4D cinema cabin, etc.

[0120] Optionally, the detection device can be installed in a variety of possible locations, such as on the platform of the vehicle's dashboard, or on the top of the cabin, or in one or more locations such as the head, side, or rear of the vehicle.

[0121] In the description of this application, the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", "side", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting this application. It should be understood that the Z direction, Y direction, X direction, etc. mentioned in some embodiments of this application are based on the XYZ rectangular coordinate system as a reference to facilitate the description of the features in this solution, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation.

[0122] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0123] The “at least one” mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to one or more, and “plurality” refers to two or more. “At least one of the following items” or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, c can be single or multiple. “And / or” describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0124] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to define the order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first sub-area and the second sub-area are simply used to describe different sub-areas in a specific implementation and do not indicate differences in importance, structure, or materials of the sub-areas.

Claims

1. A light emitting device, characterized in that, The light emitting device includes N rows and K columns of light emitting chips, where N and K are both integers, and N≥2, K≥2. Along the first direction, the light emitting regions of the K columns of light emitting chips are arranged in sequence, and there is a gap between two adjacent columns of light emitting chips. Along the second direction, the N rows of light emitting chips are arranged in sequence, and the edges of the light emitting regions of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips are in contact or partially overlapped. Wherein, the first direction is different from the second direction.

2. The optical emission device according to claim 1, wherein, The N rows of light emitting chips are used to emit N line light spots, and the angular space edges of the N line light spots are in contact or edge-overlapped in the second direction.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The light emitting regions of two adjacent rows of light emitting chips partially overlap. Along the second direction, the lengths of the overlapping regions of the light emitting regions of any two adjacent rows of light emitting chips are the same. Alternatively, along the second direction, there are at least two sets of light emitting chips with different lengths of overlapping regions of the light emitting regions, and one set of light emitting chips includes two adjacent rows of light emitting chips.

4. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that Among the N rows of light emitting chips, the emission timings of the light beams emitted by two adjacent rows of light emitting chips are different.

5. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The light emitting region of each light emitting chip includes two sub-regions, and the emission timings of the light beams emitted by the two sub-regions are different.

6. The optical emission device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The two sub-regions include a first sub-region and a second sub-region arranged along the first direction, and the first sub-region and the second sub-region face the two ends of the first direction respectively. The first sub-regions of the light emitting regions of the N rows of light emitting chips are used to emit the first light beam in the first time period, and the first sub-regions of the light emitting regions of the N rows of light emitting chips are used to emit the first light beam in the second time period, and the first time period is different from the second time period.

7. The optical emission device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The N rows of light emitting chips include 2×N sub-regions, and the 2×A sub-regions correspond to at most 2×N emission timings. There is at least one sub-region emitting light at each emission timing, and the two sub-regions belonging to the same light emitting region do not emit light beams at the same timing.

8. The optical emission device according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the second direction, the (3×i + 1)-th sub-region emits light in the first time period, the (3×i + 2)-th sub-region emits light in the second time period, and the (3×i + 3)-th sub-region emits light in the third time period, where i takes integers between.

9. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that, The two sub-regions of the light emitting region of each light emitting chip are cathode-isolated or anode-isolated.

10. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, K = 2, and the driving regions of the K columns of light emitting chips are located on both sides of the light emitting regions of the K columns of light emitting chips. The driving regions of the light emitting chips are used to drive the light emitting regions of the light emitting chips to emit light beams.

11. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The light emitting region of the light emitting chip includes a plurality of light emitting points, and the plurality of light emitting points are arranged in rows and columns, and the adjacent two columns of light emitting points are staggered with each other.

12. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The light emitting chip includes one or more of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge emitting laser (EEL), a photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL), or a horizontal cavity surface emitting laser (HCSEL).

13. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, Each column of the K columns of light emitting chips includes L light emitting chips, where L is an integer and L≥1. Along the first direction, the centers of the L light emitting chips in each column of the K columns of light emitting chips coincide.

14. The optical emission device according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, Each column of the K columns of light emitting chips includes L light emitting chips, where L is an integer and L≥1. Along the first direction, there is a gap between the centers of the L light emitting chips in each column of the K columns of light emitting chips.

15. A light source array, characterized in that, The light source array includes M light emitting devices as described in any one of claims 1-14, where M is an integer and M≥1.

16. The light source array according to claim 15, characterized in that, M≥2, and the M light emitting devices are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

17. The light source array according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, There are at least two light emitting devices with different powers.

18. A detection device, characterized in that, The detection device includes a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module includes M light emitting devices as described in any one of claims 1-14, or includes a light source array as described in any one of claims 15-17, where M is an integer and M≥1; The transmitting module is used to emit detection light, and the receiving module is used to receive the echo of the detection light.

19. The detection device according to claim 18, characterized in that, M≥2， The receiving module includes P array detectors, and the P array detectors are respectively used to receive the echo of the detection light emitted by one or more light emitting devices. P is a positive number and P≥2.

20. The detection device according to claim 19, wherein, Each of the P array detectors includes a plurality of photosensitive regions, and each of the plurality of photosensitive regions corresponds to the light emitting region of one light emitting chip in one light emitting device.

21. A lidar, characterized in that, The lidar includes a detection device as described in any one of claims 18-20.

22. A terminal, characterized in that, The terminal includes a light emitting device as described in any one of claims 1-14, or includes a light source array as described in any one of claims 15-17, or includes a detection device as described in any one of claims 18-20, or includes a lidar as described in claim 21.

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