Transceiving apparatus, and related products

Abstract

A transceiving apparatus, a chip, a radar, a terminal device, and a vehicle end, which are applied to the technical field of LiDARs. The transceiving apparatus comprises: a first transmitting module (TX1), a first receiving module (RX1), a second receiving module (RX2), and a scanning module, wherein the first transmitting module (TX1) and the first receiving module (RX1) are located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module (RX2) is located on the other side of the scanning module; the first transmitting module (TX1) is used for transmitting a first optical signal; the scanning module is used for propagating the first optical signal to an object space; the scanning module is further used for propagating a second optical signal from the object space to the first receiving module (RX1), and / or propagating a third optical signal from the object space to the second receiving module (RX2), the second optical signal and the third optical signal each including echoes of the first optical signal; and a first field of view (FOV) corresponding to the first receiving module (RX1) is different from a second FOV corresponding to the second receiving module (RX2). By means of the transceiving apparatus, the problem of it being difficult to achieve both a large FOV performance and a high resolution performance can be solved.

Description

Transceivers and related products

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 28, 2023, with application number 202311871447.1 and application name “Transceiver and Related Products”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of laser radar technology, and in particular to a transceiver and related products. Background Art

[0003] With the development of information technology and computer vision, detection technology has made rapid progress. A wide variety of detection devices have brought great convenience to people's lives and travel. Detection devices can be thought of as the "eyes" that perceive the environment. They include visual sensors such as cameras and radar sensors such as millimeter-wave radar, lidar, and ultrasonic radar. Among them, lidar (light detection and ranging) has the advantages of high resolution, excellent detection performance, and strong concealment. It plays a vital role in the process of environmental perception. In particular, it has been widely used in the field of intelligent driving, driving the further development of intelligent driving technology.

[0004] In the line-scanning and line-receiving, line-scanning and surface-receiving, or all-solid-state LiDAR system architecture based on a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, due to the array size limitation of the SPAD, when the field of view (FoV) of the LiDAR system is designed to be large, the corresponding angular resolution is low and the ranging capability is poor; when the FoV of the LiDAR system is designed to be small, the corresponding angular resolution is high and the ranging capability is high.

[0005] In other words, the currently designed lidar system architecture cannot achieve both large FoV and high resolution performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a transceiver and related products, which can solve the problem of having both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a transceiver device, the transceiver device comprising:

[0008] A first transmitting module, a first receiving module, a second receiving module, and a scanning module;

[0009] Wherein, the first transmitting module and the first receiving module are located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module is located on the other side of the scanning module;

[0010] The first transmitting module is used to transmit a first optical signal;

[0011] The scanning module is used to propagate the first optical signal to the object space;

[0012] The scanning module is further configured to propagate a second optical signal from the object space to the first receiving module, and / or propagate a third optical signal from the object space to the second receiving module, wherein the second optical signal and the third optical signal include an echo of the first optical signal;

[0013] A first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module is different from a second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, a transceiver device is provided, which includes a transmitting module, two receiving modules and a scanning module. By combining the two receiving modules, the performance of both large FoV and high resolution can be achieved.

[0015] In the embodiment of the present application, the first transmitting module and one of the receiving modules are located on one side of the scanning module, and the other receiving module is located on the other side of the scanning module. Optionally, the first transmitting module and the first receiving module may be located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module may be located on the other side of the scanning module; or the first transmitting module and the second receiving module may be located on one side of the scanning module, and the first receiving module may be located on the other side of the scanning module. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this. Moreover, the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module are different. Therefore, by setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first field of view and the second field of view can be spliced ​​in different ways to meet the requirements of the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance, solving the problem that the currently designed laser radar system architecture is difficult to achieve both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the third optical signal are parallel to each other.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific embodiment of the relationship between the first light signal, the second light signal and the third light signal is provided, specifically, the first light signal, the second light signal and the third light signal are parallel to each other. It can be understood that the scanning module is used to propagate the first light signal emitted by the first transmitting module to the object space, and is also used to propagate a portion of the echo of the first light signal (i.e., the second light signal) to the first receiving module, and propagate a portion of the echo of the first light signal (i.e., the third light signal) to the second receiving module. By adjusting the relative positional relationship between the scanning module, the first transmitting module, the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first light signal, the second light signal and the third light signal can be made parallel to each other to ensure that the first receiving module and the second receiving module can detect the same target at the same time.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the first field of view and the second field of view have different vertical viewing angles.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first field of view and a second field of view is provided, specifically, the first field of view and the second field of view have different vertical field of view angles. Through this embodiment of the present application, the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module can be set so that the first field of view and the second field of view are spliced ​​in different ways to improve the vertical resolution of the transceiver, thereby enabling the transceiver to simultaneously achieve a large FoV and high vertical resolution.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first field of view is included in the second field of view, or the second field of view is included in the first field of view.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first field of view and a second field of view is provided, specifically, the first field of view is included in the second field of view, or the second field of view is included in the first field of view. It is understandable that when the first field of view is included in the second field of view, the area corresponding to the first field of view can be regarded as a region of interest (ROI), and by setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first field of view is included in the second field of view to improve the resolution of the ROI (i.e., the area corresponding to the first field of view), so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and ROI high resolution performance. It is understandable that when the second field of view is included in the first field of view, the area corresponding to the second field of view can be regarded as a region of interest (ROI), and by setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the second field of view is included in the first field of view to improve the resolution of the ROI (i.e., the area corresponding to the second field of view), so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and ROI high resolution performance.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first transmitting module is disposed above the first receiving module, or the first receiving module is disposed above the first transmitting module, or the first transmitting module and the first receiving module are disposed horizontally.

[0023] In the embodiments of the present application, a possible specific embodiment of the positional relationship between the first transmitting module and the first receiving module is provided. Specifically, the first transmitting module and the first receiving module can be stacked one above the other, for example, the first transmitting module is arranged above the first receiving module, or the first receiving module is arranged above the first transmitting module. The first transmitting module and the first receiving module can also be stacked one above the other, that is, the first transmitting module and the first receiving module are arranged horizontally, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the scanning module is a multi-faceted scanning mirror;

[0025] The multi-sided scanning mirror is a four-sided polygonal scanning mirror.

[0026] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a scanning module is provided. Specifically, the scanning module can be a multi-faceted scanning mirror, which is a four-sided polygonal scanning mirror. It can be understood that the angle between two adjacent faces of the four-sided polygonal scanning mirror is 90°.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the transceiver device further includes at least one of the following:

[0028] a first reflector, a second reflector;

[0029] The first reflector is used to transmit the first optical signal transmitted by the first transmitting module to the scanning module, and the first reflector is also used to transmit the second optical signal from the scanning module to the first receiving module;

[0030] The second reflector is used to transmit the third optical signal from the scanning module to the second receiving module.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific embodiment of a transceiver is provided, specifically, the transceiver further includes a first reflector and / or a second reflector. The first reflector is used to transmit the first optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module to the scanning module, the first reflector is also used to transmit the second optical signal from the scanning module to the first receiving module, and the second reflector is used to transmit the third optical signal from the scanning module to the second receiving module. It is understood that by providing the first reflector and / or the second reflector, the optical path of the transceiver can be changed, the width of the entire transceiver can be reduced, and the space resource utilization rate within the entire device can be improved.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner, a transmission timing of the first optical signal is the same as a reception timing of the second optical signal and a reception timing of the third optical signal.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific embodiment of the relationship between the emission timing of the first optical signal and the reception timing of the second optical signal and the third optical signal is provided, specifically, the emission timing of the first optical signal is the same as the reception timing of the second optical signal and the reception timing of the third optical signal. It is understandable that when the first transmitting module transmits the first optical signal, the first receiving module and the second receiving module respectively receive the second optical signal and the third optical signal at the same time. Optionally, the first receiving module and the second receiving module may be in a state of receiving the signal before the first transmitting module transmits the optical signal, or the first receiving module and the second receiving module may be in a state of receiving the signal after a period of time after the first transmitting module starts transmitting the optical signal. Optionally, the first receiving module and the second receiving module may stop receiving the signal after the first transmitting module stops transmitting the optical signal, or the first receiving module and the second receiving module may stop receiving the signal before the first transmitting module stops transmitting the optical signal. The embodiment of the present application does not limit this. Through the embodiments of the present application, the transmission timing is the same as the reception timing, which can effectively save the transmission cost of the transceiver device, thereby effectively saving the power consumption of the entire device, and is beneficial to the detection accuracy of the transceiver device.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided, specifically, the first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component. The first detector and the second detector can be the same or different, and the first receiving optical component and the second receiving optical component can be the same or different. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the first detector and the second detector are the same, the focal length of the first receiving optical component and the focal length of the second receiving optical component are different, and the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided, specifically, the first detector in the first receiving module and the second detector in the second receiving module are the same, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module and the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module are different, and the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module overlap in angular space to meet the application scenario's requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0038] It is understandable that the focal length of the first receiving optical component may be greater than the focal length of the second receiving optical component, then the FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module is smaller, the resolution is higher, and it is suitable for long-distance ranging, and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module is larger, the resolution is lower, and it is suitable for close-range ranging. The overlapping area of ​​the first field of view and the second field of view can simultaneously meet the detection requirements of large FoV and high resolution. Optionally, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, and the first field of view may be included in the second field of view, or the second field of view may be included in the first field of view, or the first field of view and the second field of view may intersect but there is no relationship of inclusion and being included, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0039] It is understandable that the focal length of the first receiving optical component may be smaller than the focal length of the second receiving optical component, then the FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module is larger, the resolution is lower, and it is suitable for short-distance ranging, and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module is smaller, the resolution is higher, and it is suitable for long-distance ranging. The overlapping area of ​​the first field of view and the second field of view can simultaneously meet the detection requirements of large FoV and high resolution. Optionally, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, and the first field of view may be included in the second field of view, or the second field of view may be included in the first field of view, or the first field of view and the second field of view may intersect but there is no relationship of inclusion and being included, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0040] In one possible embodiment, the focal length of the first receiving optical component is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component, the first detector is offset relative to the optical center of the first receiving optical component, the second detector is offset relative to the optical center of the second receiving optical component, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space.

[0041] Alternatively, the focal length of the first receiving optical component is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component, the optical axes of the first receiving module and the second receiving module are not parallel, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided, specifically, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module and the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module are the same, the first detector in the first receiving module is offset relative to the optical center of the first receiving optical component, the second detector in the second receiving module is offset relative to the optical center of the second receiving optical component, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space to meet the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0043] Alternatively, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module, and the optical axes of the first receiving module and the second receiving module are tilted in different directions, so that the optical axes of the two are not parallel, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in the angular space, so as to meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0044] It can be understood that the focal length of the first receiving optical component and the focal length of the second receiving optical component are the same, the FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module are relatively small, and the resolution is relatively high. By eccentrically setting the detector relative to the receiving optical component, or by tilting the two receiving modules in different directions, the first field of view and the second field of view can be continuous and non-overlapping in the angular space, that is, the first field of view and the second field of view are seamlessly spliced ​​in the angular space to form a larger FoV, so that the transceiver can have the performance of large FoV and high resolution at the same time.

[0045] In one possible embodiment, the first receiving module and the second receiving module are the same, the first detector has a first offset relative to the second detector, the first offset is N+0.5 pixels, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, and N is the number of channels in the non-overlapping interval.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided. Specifically, the first receiving module and the second receiving module are the same, and can be understood as two receiving modules developed based on the same SPAD model. When the two receiving modules are assembled, the first detector in the first receiving module is offset by N+0.5 pixels relative to the second detector in the second receiving module, so that the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module overlap in angular space, so as to meet the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0047] It can be understood that the first receiving module and the second receiving module are the same, and the FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module are both relatively large and have lower resolutions. By setting the first detector to an N+0.5 pixel offset relative to the second detector, the first field of view and the second field of view can overlap in the angular space, and the resolution of the overlapping area can be at least doubled, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0048] In one possible embodiment, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, the first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second image sensor chip and a second receiving optical component; or, the first receiving module includes a first image sensor chip and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided, specifically, a first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and a second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module overlap in angular space, and the first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second image sensor chip and a second receiving optical component, so as to meet the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0050] Alternatively, the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module overlap in angular space, and the first receiving module includes a first image sensor chip and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component, so as to meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0051] It can be understood that the fields of view corresponding to the two receiving modules overlap in angular space, and one of the receiving modules is a receiving module based on direct time of flight (DToF), and the other receiving module is a receiving module based on image perception. The overlapping FoVs (i.e., the first field of view and the second field of view) covered by the two receiving modules are relatively large. The resolution corresponding to the DToF-based receiving module is relatively low. However, through the image perception-based receiving module, the resolution corresponding to the overlapping field of view can be improved, that is, the resolution corresponding to the DToF-based receiving module can be improved, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the transceiver is applied to a vehicle;

[0053] When the speed of the vehicle is greater than a first value, the first receiving module starts receiving light signals, the second receiving module stops receiving light signals, and the first field of view is smaller than the second field of view;

[0054] When the speed of the vehicle is less than a second value, the first receiving module turns off receiving optical signals and the second receiving module turns on receiving optical signals, and the second value is less than or equal to the first value.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of the working mode of a first receiving module and a second receiving module is provided, specifically, when the transceiver is applied to a vehicle, in the application scenario of the vehicle traveling at high speed or low speed, the working modes of the first receiving module and the second receiving module are different, and support switching of the working mode according to the different requirements of the application scenario. One possible working mode is that in the mode of high-speed vehicle driving, the first receiving module corresponding to the smaller FoV (i.e., the first field of view) is turned on to receive the optical signal, with a higher resolution, suitable for long-distance ranging, and the second receiving module corresponding to the larger FoV (i.e., the second field of view) is turned off to receive the optical signal. In the mode of low-speed vehicle driving, the second receiving module corresponding to the larger FoV (i.e., the second field of view) is turned on to receive the optical signal, with a lower resolution, suitable for close-range ranging, and the first receiving module corresponding to the smaller FoV (i.e., the first field of view) is turned off to receive the optical signal. It is understood that in application scenarios where a vehicle is traveling at high speed or low speed, the first value and the second value can be used as the boundary between high speed and low speed. A vehicle speed greater than the first value is considered high speed, and a vehicle speed less than the second value is considered low speed. The second value is less than or equal to the first value. This embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this. Through the embodiments of the present application, the requirements of application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions can be met, and the system computing power overhead can be effectively reduced.

[0056] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes the transceiver described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0057] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a radar or a radar system, which includes the transceiver described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip described in the second aspect.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the radar includes but is not limited to a laser radar, etc.

[0059] In a possible implementation, there may be a smart sensor integrating multiple sensors. When the smart sensor includes but is not limited to a laser detection function, the smart sensor may also be referred to as a radar or a radar system.

[0060] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, which includes the transceiver described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip described in the second aspect, or includes the radar or radar system described in the third aspect.

[0061] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle side, which includes the transceiver described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip described in the second aspect, or includes the radar or radar system described in the third aspect, or includes the terminal device described in the fourth aspect.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present application, by setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first field of view and the second field of view are spliced ​​in different ways, which can meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance, solving the problem that the currently designed lidar system architecture is difficult to achieve both large FoV and high-resolution performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0064] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG1B is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG2B is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a transceiver provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a signal transmission and reception timing provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a receiving module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a receiving module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a receiving module working mode provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application.

[0085] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to the process, method, product, or device.

[0086] The “embodiment” mentioned herein means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It can be understood explicitly and implicitly by those skilled in the art that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified and there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the various embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0087] It should be understood that in the present application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, 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. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: 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.

[0088] As described in the background technology section, currently designed LiDAR system architectures struggle to achieve both large FoV and high resolution. This application provides a transceiver and related products, relating to the field of LiDAR technology, that address this challenge.

[0089] In order to more clearly describe the solution of this application, some possible application scenarios of lidar are introduced below.

[0090] Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , which are schematic diagrams of application scenarios of the radar provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0091] As shown in FIG1A and FIG1B , this exemplary application scenario takes the laser radar installed on a vehicle as an example.

[0092] The vehicle can be, for example, an unmanned vehicle, a smart vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a digital vehicle. The LiDAR can be deployed at various locations on the vehicle (see Figure 1B ). For example, the LiDAR can be deployed in any one or more of the four directions: front, rear, left, or right of the vehicle, to capture information about the vehicle's surroundings. Figure 1A takes the LiDAR deployed in front of the vehicle as an example. The LiDAR can sense the sector-shaped area shown in the dotted box in Figure 1A , which can be referred to as the LiDAR's detection area (or the LiDAR's field of view).

[0093] In one possible implementation, a lidar can acquire the vehicle's latitude and longitude, speed, and orientation, or related information (e.g., target distance, target speed, target pose, or grayscale image) of targets within a certain range (e.g., other nearby vehicles) in real time or periodically. The lidar or the vehicle can determine the vehicle's position and / or plan a path based on this information. For example, the vehicle's longitude and latitude can be used to determine the vehicle's location, its speed and orientation can be used to determine its future travel direction and destination, or the distances to surrounding objects can be used to determine the number and density of obstacles around the vehicle. Furthermore, it can optionally be combined with advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) to enable assisted or autonomous driving. It should be understood that the principle by which lidar detects target related information is that the lidar emits detection light in a certain direction. If a target is within the lidar's detection area, the target reflects the received detection light back to the lidar (the reflected detection light is referred to as an echo signal). The lidar then determines the target's related information based on the echo signal.

[0094] It should be noted that the above application scenarios are merely examples. The laser radar provided in this application (including the optical waveguide assembly provided in this application) can also be applied in a variety of other possible scenarios, not limited to the scenarios exemplified above. For example, the laser radar can also be installed on a drone as an airborne radar. For another example, the laser radar can also be installed on a roadside unit (RSU) as a roadside traffic laser radar, enabling intelligent vehicle-road collaborative communication. For another example, the laser radar can be installed on an automated guided vehicle (AGV), where an AGV is a transport vehicle equipped with an electromagnetic or optical automatic navigation device that can travel along a specified navigation path and has safety protection and various transfer functions. A full list of these is omitted here. It should be understood that the application scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation of the technical solutions provided in this application. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that as new application scenarios emerge, the technical solutions provided in this application will also be applicable to similar technical problems.

[0095] Based on the above content, the above application scenarios can be applied to unmanned driving, automatic driving, assisted driving, intelligent driving, connected vehicles, security monitoring, remote interaction, surveying and mapping or artificial intelligence and other fields.

[0096] The following introduces some related concepts of lidar with reference to Figures 2A and 2B.

[0097] Laser radar, also known as optical radar, is the abbreviation of light detection and ranging system, and can also be called Laser Radar or LADAR (laser detection and ranging).

[0098] LiDAR uses light as a detection medium, utilizing the emission and reception of lasers to detect targets, for example, to measure distance, velocity, or azimuth. LiDAR can measure distance to a target based on the laser's time of flight, which is the time difference between the laser's transmission and reception. Alternatively, it can measure distance to a target based on the phase difference between the transmitted laser signal and the received echo of the same laser signal. LiDAR's greatest advantage lies in its ability to create clear three-dimensional (3D) images of targets using Doppler imaging technology. LiDAR uses the emission and reception of lasers to collect information such as the 3D coordinates, reflectivity, and texture of a large number of densely packed points on the target's surface. Based on this collected information, LiDAR creates a 3D model of the target, builds a 3D point cloud, and creates an environmental map to achieve environmental awareness. Compared with traditional passive imaging technologies such as visible light and infrared, lidar imaging technology has subverted the traditional two-dimensional projection imaging mode. It can collect depth information of the target surface and obtain relatively complete spatial information of the target. After data processing, it reconstructs the three-dimensional surface of the target to obtain a three-dimensional graphic that better reflects the geometric shape of the target. At the same time, it can also obtain rich feature information such as the reflection characteristics and movement speed of the target surface, providing sufficient information support for data processing such as target detection, identification, and tracking, and reducing the difficulty of the algorithm.

[0099] Please refer to FIG. 2A , which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 2A , the laser radar mainly includes a laser emitting part (or system) 100 , a laser receiving part (or system) 200 and a signal processing part (or system) 300 .

[0101] Among them, the laser emitting part 100 includes an excitation source (or laser driver), a laser, and an emitting optical system. The excitation source drives the laser to emit a laser beam (or laser pulse), and the laser beam (or laser pulse) is emitted outward through the emitting optical system. The laser receiving part 200 includes a receiving optical system and a detector. When the laser beam emitted from the laser radar encounters the target object, it interacts with the target object to form a reflected / scattered echo beam. The echo beam is collected by the receiving optical system and received by the detector. The optical signal is converted into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal is passed to the signal processing part 300 after being processed by the analog front end. The signal processing part 300 processes the received signal to obtain information such as the distance, speed, azimuth, etc. of the target object. In addition, information such as the surface morphology and physical properties of the target can be obtained to establish an object model. The detector is typically a photodetector, which converts the received light signal into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is typically an analog signal. The signal processing unit 300 is typically used to process digital signals, such as a digital signal processor (DSP). Therefore, the analog electrical signal is converted into a digital signal via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and provided to the signal processing unit 300. The electrical signal can also be amplified and then converted into a digital signal via an analog-to-digital converter before being provided to the signal processing unit 300. The signal processing unit 300 includes signal processing circuitry for processing the digital signal to obtain information such as the distance, speed, and azimuth of the target object and further establish an object model. The lidar also includes control circuitry, such as a control unit for controlling the excitation source and a control unit for controlling the scan drive circuit. These two control units can be integrated or independent. Furthermore, the signal processing circuit and the control circuit can be integrated or independent.

[0102] In addition, in one implementation, the laser emitting part 100 may also include a laser modulator and a beam controller. The laser beam emitted by the laser passes through the beam controller. Under the control of the laser modulator, the beam controller controls the direction and number of lines of the emitted laser beam. The laser beam emitted from the beam controller passes through the emitting optical system and is emitted outward.

[0103] The laser radar system may also include a scanning unit (or system) 400. The laser beam emitted by the laser is scanned across a plane by the scanning unit 400 to generate real-time planar image information. The scanning unit 400 primarily comprises a scanning mechanism and a scanning drive circuit. The scanning drive circuit is used to drive the scanning mechanism, which transforms the laser beam from a "line" to a "plane" under the action of the scanning mechanism.

[0104] Taking the mechanical rotation scanning method as an example, please refer to Figure 2B for details. Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0105] As shown in Figure 2B , the scanning drive circuit drives the scanning mechanism to rotate at a stable speed. After the laser beam enters the optical element of the transmitting optical system, the scanning mechanism drives the optical element to rotate, achieving dense scanning of the laser beam on the target plane to generate planar image information. The scanning mechanism is, for example, a motor, and the scanning drive circuit is a motor driver. The rotation of the motor drives the rotation of the optical element in the transmitting optical system, so that the laser beam incident on the optical element, after being reflected by the optical element, quickly and accurately achieves the effect of laser "line scanning" to "surface scanning."

[0106] In current SPAD array-based line-scanning, line-surface-scanning, or all-solid-state LiDAR system architectures, due to the array size limitations of the SPAD, when the LiDAR system is designed with a large field of view (FoV), the corresponding angular resolution is low and the ranging capability is poor; when the LiDAR system is designed with a small FoV, the corresponding angular resolution is high and the ranging capability is high. In other words, the currently designed LiDAR system architecture cannot achieve both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0107] In view of this, the present application provides a transceiver and related products, which relate to the field of laser radar technology. By setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first field of view and the second field of view are spliced ​​in different ways, which can meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance, solving the problem that the currently designed laser radar system architecture is difficult to achieve both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0108] The transceiver device and related products provided by this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0109] Please refer to FIG3 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a transceiver device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0110] As shown in FIG3 , the transceiver includes:

[0111] The first transmitting module Tx1, the first receiving module Rx1, the second receiving module Rx2, and the scanning module.

[0112] The first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module Rx2 is located on the other side of the scanning module.

[0113] The first transmitting module Tx1 is used to transmit a first optical signal.

[0114] The scanning module is used to propagate the first optical signal to the object space.

[0115] The scanning module is further configured to transmit a second optical signal from the object space to the first receiving module Rx1 and / or transmit a third optical signal from the object space to the second receiving module Rx2. The second optical signal and the third optical signal include an echo of the first optical signal.

[0116] The first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 is different from the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2.

[0117] As can be seen from Figure 3, the first transmitting module Tx1 and one of the receiving modules in the embodiment of the present application are located on one side of the scanning module, and the other receiving module is located on the other side of the scanning module. Specifically, which receiving module (the first receiving module Rx1 or the second receiving module Rx2) is located on the same side as the first transmitting module Tx1 is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0118] Alternatively, the first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 may be located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module Rx2 may be located on the other side of the scanning module. Alternatively, the first transmitting module Tx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 may be located on one side of the scanning module, and the first receiving module Rx1 may be located on the other side of the scanning module. This embodiment of the present application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0119] For example, taking the case where the first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are located on one side of the scanning module, there are multiple possible positional relationships between the first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1, as follows:

[0120] Position relationship 1:

[0121] The first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are stacked one above the other. For example, the first transmitting module Tx1 is disposed above the first receiving module Rx1, or the first receiving module Rx1 is disposed above the first transmitting module Tx1.

[0122] It is understandable that since it is difficult for the transmitting module to dissipate heat, if the heat dissipation path is on the bottom shell of the whole machine, the first transmitting module Tx1 is set below the whole machine; if the heat dissipation path is on the top cover of the whole machine, the first transmitting module Tx1 is set above the whole machine.

[0123] Position relationship 2:

[0124] The first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are stacked on each other, that is, the first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are horizontally arranged.

[0125] It should be understood that the aforementioned positional relationships 1 and 2 between the first transmitting module Tx1 and the first receiving module Rx1 are merely exemplary and should not limit the embodiments of this application. Other positional relationships resulting from reasonable variations of the aforementioned positional relationships 1 and 2 fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0126] Optionally, the scanning module in the embodiment of the present application is a multi-faceted scanning mirror, which is a four-sided polygonal scanning mirror.

[0127] It can be understood that the included angle between two adjacent faces of the four-sided polygonal scanning mirror is 90°.

[0128] The currently designed lidar system architecture cannot achieve both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0129] In the embodiment of the present application, the first field of view corresponding to the designed first receiving module and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module are different. Therefore, by setting the relative positions of the first receiving module and the second receiving module, the first field of view and the second field of view can be spliced ​​in different ways to meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance, solving the problem that the currently designed lidar system architecture is difficult to achieve both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0130] In a possible embodiment, the transceiver shown in FIG3 may further include at least one of the following:

[0131] First reflector, second reflector.

[0132] The first reflector is used to transmit the first optical signal transmitted by the first transmitting module Tx1 to the scanning module, and the first reflector is also used to transmit the second optical signal from the scanning module to the first receiving module Rx1.

[0133] The second reflector is used to transmit the third optical signal from the scanning module to the second receiving module Rx2.

[0134] For details, please refer to Figures 4 to 6, which are schematic structural diagrams of several transceiver devices provided in embodiments of the present application.

[0135] As shown in FIG4 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , a scanning module, a first reflecting mirror, and a second reflecting mirror.

[0136] It can be understood that the transceiver shown in Figure 4 can be regarded as the transceiver shown in Figure 3 with the first reflector and the second reflector additionally added. Therefore, for the various components in the transceiver shown in Figure 4, please refer to the description of the transceiver shown in Figure 3 above, and no further details will be given here.

[0137] As shown in FIG5 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , a scanning module, and a first reflecting mirror.

[0138] It can be understood that the transceiver shown in Figure 5 can be regarded as the transceiver shown in Figure 3 with an additional first reflector added. Therefore, for the various components in the transceiver shown in Figure 5, please refer to the description of the transceiver shown in Figure 3 above, and no further details will be given here.

[0139] Optionally, a second reflector may be added to the transceiver shown in FIG3 . The resulting new transceiver also falls within the scope of protection of this application. The structure and function of the new transceiver are similar to those of the transceiver shown in FIG5 , and will not be further described here.

[0140] As shown in FIG6 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , a scanning module, and a first reflecting mirror.

[0141] As can be seen from FIG5 and FIG6, the difference between the transceiver shown in FIG6 and the transceiver described in FIG5 is that:

[0142] The first reflector in the transceiver shown in FIG5 is a complete reflector formed in one piece, while the first reflector in the transceiver shown in FIG6 is assembled from two small reflectors. A gap is left between the two small reflectors when they are assembled, and the first optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module Tx1 is transmitted to the scanning module through the gap.

[0143] Through the design of the above-mentioned first reflector, the first transmitting module Tx1 in the transceiver shown in Figure 6 can be set separately from the first receiving module Rx1, without having to be stacked up and down or left and right with the first receiving module Rx1, and the first transmitting module Tx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 constitute a coaxial architecture design.

[0144] It should be understood that the transceiver devices shown in Figures 3 to 6 above are merely examples of several possible structures and functions of the transceiver devices proposed in this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. Other transceiver devices obtained by reasonable variations, supplements, or combinations of the transceiver devices shown in Figures 3 to 6 above fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0145] Through the embodiments of the present application, the first reflector and / or the second reflector can be provided to change the optical path of transmission and reception, reduce the width of the entire transceiver device, and improve the utilization rate of space resources inside the entire device.

[0146] Based on the transceiver devices shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 , the present application also provides several schematic diagrams of the three-dimensional structures of the transceiver devices.

[0147] Please refer to Figures 7 to 9, which are schematic diagrams of the three-dimensional structures of several transceiver devices provided in embodiments of the present application.

[0148] As shown in FIG7 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , and a scanning module.

[0149] It can be understood that Figure 7 can be regarded as a three-dimensional structural diagram of the transceiver shown in Figure 3 above. Therefore, for the various components in the transceiver shown in Figure 7, please refer to the description of the transceiver shown in Figure 3 above, and no further details will be given here.

[0150] As shown in FIG8 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , a scanning module, a first reflecting mirror, and a second reflecting mirror.

[0151] Among them, the scanning module is placed in the center of the transceiver (LiDAR), and the first receiving module Rx1 and the first transmitting module Tx1 on the right side of the transceiver are stacked up and down, specifically, the first transmitting module Tx1 is at the bottom and the first receiving module Rx1 is at the top. It can be understood that since it is difficult for the first transmitting module Tx1 to dissipate heat, if the heat dissipation path is on the bottom shell of the whole machine, the first transmitting module Tx1 is set under the whole machine. Optionally, if the heat dissipation path is on the top cover of the whole machine, the first transmitting module Tx1 is set above the whole machine. The second receiving module Rx2 is placed on the left side of the scanning module and is in the same plane as the module on the right side of the scanning module. The scanning module can be a four-sided scanning mirror, the angle between the four faces of the four-sided scanning mirror is 90°, and the light path propagation between the scanning module and the modules on the left and right sides is realized by the design of the first reflector and the second reflector.

[0152] Optionally, in order to ensure that the modules on the left and right sides of the scanning module can see the same target at the same time, the optical paths of the optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module Tx1 through the scanning module, the optical signal transmitted through the scanning module to the first receiving module Rx1, and the optical signal transmitted through the scanning module to the first receiving module Rx1 are required to be parallel.

[0153] Specifically, the optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module Tx1 passes through the first reflector and illuminates the scanning module before being emitted. The optical signal reflected from the target returns along the original path and illuminates the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2, respectively. The reflected optical signal first illuminates the first reflector on the right side of the scanning module, then is reflected by the first reflector to the first receiving module Rx1. The reflected optical signal first illuminates the second reflector on the left side of the scanning module, then is reflected by the second reflector to the second receiving module Rx2.

[0154] It can be understood that Figure 8 can be regarded as a three-dimensional structural diagram of the transceiver shown in Figure 4 above. Therefore, for the various components in the transceiver shown in Figure 8, please refer to the description of the transceiver shown in Figure 4 above, and no further details will be given here.

[0155] As shown in FIG9 , the transceiver device includes a first transmitting module Tx1 , a first receiving module Rx1 , a second receiving module Rx2 , a scanning module, and a second reflector.

[0156] It can be understood that Figure 9 can be regarded as a three-dimensional structural diagram of a new transceiver device obtained by additionally adding a second reflector to the transceiver device shown in Figure 3 above. The structure and function of the new transceiver device are similar to those of the transceiver device shown in Figure 5 (a first reflector is additionally added to the transceiver device shown in Figure 3). Therefore, for the various components in the transceiver device shown in Figure 9, please refer to the description of the transceiver devices shown in Figures 3 and 5 above, and no further details will be given here.

[0157] It should be understood that the transceiver devices shown in Figures 7 to 9 above are merely examples of several possible configurations of the transceiver device proposed in this application and should not be construed as limiting this application. Other transceiver devices obtained by reasonable variations, supplements, or combinations of the transceiver devices shown in Figures 7 to 9 above fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0158] As can be seen from the transceiver devices shown in Figures 7 to 9 above, the transceiver device shown in Figure 7 lacks the first and / or second reflectors, resulting in a wider overall width, but with fewer components and a shorter transmission and reception range. The transceiver device shown in Figure 8 incorporates the first and second reflectors, reducing the overall width, but also requiring more components and increasing the transmission and reception range. Compared to the transceiver device shown in Figure 8, the transceiver device shown in Figure 9 omits the first reflector, increasing the overall width but also requiring fewer components. Consequently, the transmission and reception range is also shortened, effectively improving overall transmission and reception efficiency and reducing overall spurious emissions.

[0159] In a possible embodiment, the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the third optical signal in the transceiver device shown in any one of FIG. 3 to FIG. 9 are parallel to each other.

[0160] It is understood that the scanning module is used to propagate the first optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module Tx1 into the object space, and is also used to propagate a portion of the echo of the first optical signal (i.e., the second optical signal) to the first receiving module Rx1, and to propagate a portion of the echo of the first optical signal (i.e., the third optical signal) to the second receiving module Rx2. By adjusting the relative positions of the scanning module, the first transmitting module Tx1, the first receiving module Rx1, and the second receiving module Rx2, the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the third optical signal can be made parallel to each other, thereby ensuring that the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx1 can simultaneously detect the same target.

[0161] In a possible embodiment, the transmission timing of the first optical signal in the transceiver shown in any one of FIG. 3 to FIG. 9 is the same as the reception timing of the second optical signal and the reception timing of the third optical signal.

[0162] Please refer to FIG10 for details, which is a schematic diagram of a signal transmission and reception timing provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0163] As shown in FIG10 , the timing of the first transmitting module Tx1 transmitting the signal, the timing of the first receiving module Rx1 receiving the signal, the timing of the second receiving module Rx2 receiving the signal, and the timing of the frame synchronization signal of the point cloud are given.

[0164] It can be understood that while the first transmitting module Tx1 transmits the first optical signal, the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 respectively receive the second optical signal and the third optical signal simultaneously.

[0165] Optionally, the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 may be in the state of receiving signals before the first transmitting module Tx1 transmits the optical signal, or the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 may be in the state of receiving signals some time after the first transmitting module Tx1 starts to transmit the optical signal. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0166] Optionally, the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 may stop receiving signals after the first transmitting module Tx1 stops transmitting optical signals, or the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 may stop receiving signals before the first transmitting module Tx1 stops transmitting optical signals. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0167] Through the embodiments of the present application, the transmission timing is the same as the reception timing, which can effectively save the transmission cost of the transceiver device, and thus effectively save the power consumption of the entire machine, and is conducive to ensuring the ranging accuracy of the received point cloud, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the transceiver device.

[0168] In a possible embodiment, the vertical viewing angle of the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 in the transceiver device shown in any one of Figures 3 to 9 is different from the vertical viewing angle of the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2.

[0169] Through the embodiments of the present application, the relative positions of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 can be set so that the first field of view and the second field of view are spliced ​​in different ways to improve the vertical resolution of the transceiver, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and vertical high resolution performance.

[0170] Optionally, the area corresponding to the first field of view and the area corresponding to the second field of view may also contain a region of interest (ROI), as follows:

[0171] The first field of view is contained in the second field of view, or the second field of view is contained in the first field of view.

[0172] It can be understood that when the first field of view is included in the second field of view, the area corresponding to the first field of view can be regarded as ROI. By setting the relative positions of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2, the first field of view is included in the second field of view to improve the resolution of the ROI (i.e., the area corresponding to the first field of view), so that the transceiver can have the performance of large FoV and ROI high resolution at the same time.

[0173] Alternatively, it can be understood that when the second field of view is included in the first field of view, the area corresponding to the second field of view can be regarded as ROI. By setting the relative positions of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2, the second field of view is included in the first field of view to improve the resolution of the ROI (i.e., the area corresponding to the second field of view), so that the transceiver can have the performance of large FoV and ROI high resolution at the same time.

[0174] In a possible embodiment, the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2 in the transceiver device shown in any one of FIG. 3 to FIG. 9 are different. Specifically, there may be the following situations:

[0175] Case 1:

[0176] The first receiving module Rx1 includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module Rx2 includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0177] Furthermore, the first detector and the second detector are the same, the focal length of the first receiving optical component is different from the focal length of the second receiving optical component, and the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space.

[0178] Please refer to FIG11 for details, which is a schematic diagram of field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0179] As shown in Figure 11, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 is greater than the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2. Therefore, the first receiving module Rx1 covers a smaller FoV (i.e., the first field of view) and has a higher resolution, making it suitable for long-distance ranging. The second receiving module Rx2 covers a larger FoV (i.e., the second field of view) and has a lower resolution, making it suitable for close-range ranging. The overlapping area of ​​the first and second fields of view can simultaneously meet the detection requirements of a large FoV and high resolution.

[0180] Optionally, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space. The first field of view may be included in the second field of view (in this case, the area corresponding to the first field of view can be regarded as ROI), or the second field of view may be included in the first field of view (in this case, the area corresponding to the second field of view can be regarded as ROI), or the first field of view and the second field of view may intersect but there is no relationship of inclusion and being included. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0181] Optionally, there is a ROI in the overlapping area corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view. For details, please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0182] As shown in Figure 12, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 is greater than the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2. Therefore, the FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module Rx1 is smaller and has a higher resolution, making it suitable for long-distance ranging. The FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module Rx2 is larger and has a lower resolution, making it suitable for close-range ranging. Furthermore, the first field of view is contained within the second field of view (the area corresponding to the first field of view can be considered the ROI in this case), which can improve the resolution of the ROI (i.e., the area corresponding to the first field of view), thereby enabling the transceiver to simultaneously achieve both a large FoV and high ROI resolution.

[0183] Alternatively, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 can be smaller than the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2. In this case, the first receiving module Rx1 covers a larger FoV (i.e., first field of view) with lower resolution, suitable for short-distance ranging. The second receiving module Rx2 covers a smaller FoV (i.e., second field of view) with higher resolution, suitable for long-distance ranging. The overlapping area of ​​the first and second fields of view can simultaneously meet the detection requirements of a large FoV and high resolution.

[0184] Optionally, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space. The first field of view may be included in the second field of view (in this case, the area corresponding to the first field of view can be regarded as ROI), or the second field of view may be included in the first field of view (in this case, the area corresponding to the second field of view can be regarded as ROI), or the first field of view and the second field of view may intersect but there is no relationship of inclusion and being included. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0185] Optionally, the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 in the embodiment of the present application may share the same back-end system on chip (SoC) chip, or may be connected to two different back-end SoC chips respectively, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0186] Case 2:

[0187] The first receiving module Rx1 includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module Rx2 includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0188] Furthermore, the focal length of the first receiving optical component is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component, the first detector is offset relative to the optical center of the first receiving optical component, the second detector is offset relative to the optical center of the second receiving optical component, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space.

[0189] Alternatively, the focal length of the first receiving optical component is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component, the optical axes of the first receiving module and the second receiving module are not parallel, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space.

[0190] Please refer to FIG13 for details, which is a schematic diagram of field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0191] As shown in Figure 13, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 and the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2 are the same. The FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module are both relatively small, and the resolution is relatively high. By eccentrically setting the detector relative to the receiving optical component, or by tilting the two receiving modules in different directions, the first field of view and the second field of view can be continuous and non-overlapping in the angular space, that is, the first field of view and the second field of view are seamlessly spliced ​​in the angular space to form a larger FoV, so that the transceiver can have the performance of large FoV and high resolution at the same time.

[0192] Optionally, the detector is eccentrically arranged relative to the receiving optical component. For details, please refer to Figure 14, which is a structural diagram of a receiving module provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0193] As shown in FIG14 , the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 is the same as the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2. The first detector in the first receiving module Rx1 is offset relative to the optical center of the first receiving optical component, specifically, it can be offset upward relative to the optical center, so that the first field of view faces downward. The second detector in the second receiving module Rx2 is offset relative to the optical center of the second receiving optical component, specifically, it can be offset downward relative to the optical center, so that the second field of view faces upward. The first and second fields of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space, thereby meeting the requirements of different fields of view and different resolutions in application scenarios, thereby enabling the transceiver to simultaneously achieve large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0194] Optionally, the two receiving modules are tilted in different directions. For details, please refer to FIG. 15 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a receiving module provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0195] As shown in Figure 15, the focal length of the first receiving optical component in the first receiving module Rx1 and the focal length of the second receiving optical component in the second receiving module Rx2 are the same, and the optical axes of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 are tilted in different directions, respectively. Specifically, the optical axis of the first receiving module Rx1 can be tilted upward, that is, the first detector and the first receiving optical component are rotated counterclockwise as a whole, so that the first field of view is downward, and the optical axis of the second receiving module Rx2 is tilted downward, that is, the second detector and the second receiving optical component are rotated clockwise as a whole, so that the second field of view is upward, so that the optical axes of the two are not parallel, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in the angular space, so as to meet the requirements of the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance.

[0196] Case 3:

[0197] The first receiving module Rx1 includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module Rx2 includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0198] Moreover, the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 are the same, the first detector has a first offset relative to the second detector, the first offset is N+0.5 pixels, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, and N is the number of channels in the non-overlapping interval.

[0199] For details, please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0200] As shown in FIG16 , the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 are identical. The FoV (i.e., the first field of view) covered by the first receiving module Rx1 and the FoV (i.e., the second field of view) covered by the second receiving module are both relatively large, and their resolutions are both relatively low. By setting the first detector to a 0.5-pixel offset relative to the second detector, the first field of view and the second field of view can overlap in angular space, and the resolution of the overlapping area can be at least doubled, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0201] Optionally, FIG16 illustrates a 0.5 pixel offset setting for the first detector relative to the second detector, and this should not limit the present embodiment. In practice, the first detector can be offset by N+0.5 pixels relative to the second detector, where N is the number of channels in the non-overlapping interval. This is not a limitation in the present embodiment.

[0202] It can be understood that the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 are the same, and can be understood as two receiving modules developed based on the same SPAD model. When the two receiving modules are assembled, the first detector in the first receiving module Rx1 is offset by N+0.5 pixels relative to the second detector in the second receiving module Rx2, so that the first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2 overlap in the angular space to meet the application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0203] Case 4:

[0204] The first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space. The first receiving module Rx1 includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module Rx2 includes a second image sensor chip and a second receiving optical component.

[0205] Alternatively, the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space, the first receiving module Rx1 includes a first image sensor chip and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module Rx2 includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

[0206] Please refer to FIG. 17 for details, which is a schematic diagram of field of view stitching provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0207] As shown in Figure 17, the first receiving module Rx1 includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and is a receiving module based on direct time of flight (DToF). The second receiving module Rx2 includes a second image sensor chip and a second receiving optical component, and is a receiving module based on image perception. The first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2 overlap in angular space to meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0208] Optionally, FIG17 shows that the first receiving module Rx1 is a receiving module based on DToF, and the second receiving module Rx2 is a receiving module based on image perception, and this should not limit the embodiments of the present application. In fact, the first receiving module Rx1 can also be a receiving module based on image perception, and the second receiving module Rx2 can be a receiving module based on DToF, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0209] Exemplarily, the first receiving module Rx1 includes a first image sensor chip and a first receiving optical component, and is a receiving module based on image perception. The second receiving module Rx2 includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component, and is a receiving module based on DToF. The first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 and the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2 overlap in angular space to meet the application scenarios' requirements for different fields of view and different resolutions, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high-resolution performance.

[0210] Optionally, the above-mentioned image perception-based receiving module can be a receiving module based on linear red, green, blue (RGB) high resolution, or a receiving module based on near infrared (NIR) high resolution, or a receiving module based on other high resolution image sensors. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0211] It is understandable that the fields of view corresponding to the two receiving modules overlap in angular space, and one of the receiving modules is a receiving module based on direct time of flight (DToF), and the other receiving module is a receiving module based on image perception. The overlapping FoVs (i.e., the first field of view and the second field of view) covered by the two receiving modules are relatively large. The corresponding resolution of the receiving module based on DToF is low, and the resolution corresponding to the overlapping field of view can be improved by using the receiving module based on image perception, that is, the resolution corresponding to the receiving module based on DToF is improved, so that the transceiver can have both large FoV and high resolution performance. In addition, when the two receiving modules share the same complete machine, the relative alignment of the receiving modules can be guaranteed at the factory, under high and low temperature and aging conditions, to achieve the fusion of LiDAR and camera, and improve the system resolution.

[0212] In a possible embodiment, the transceiver device shown in any one of FIG. 3 to FIG. 9 can be applied to a vehicle.

[0213] When the vehicle speed is greater than the first value, the first receiving module Rx1 in the transceiver starts receiving optical signals, and the second receiving module Rx2 in the transceiver stops receiving optical signals. The first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module Rx1 is smaller than the second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module Rx2.

[0214] When the vehicle speed is less than the second value, the first receiving module Rx1 in the transceiver turns off receiving optical signals, and the second receiving module Rx2 in the transceiver turns on receiving optical signals. The second value is less than or equal to the first value.

[0215] For details, please refer to Figure 18, which is a schematic diagram of a receiving module working mode provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0216] As shown in Figure 18, when the transceiver is applied to a vehicle, in the application scenario of high-speed or low-speed driving of the vehicle, the working modes of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 are different, and support switching of the working modes according to different requirements of the application scenario.

[0217] Among them, one possible working mode is that when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the first receiving module Rx1 corresponding to the smaller FoV (i.e., the first field of view) starts to receive optical signals, with a higher resolution, which is suitable for long-distance ranging, and the second receiving module Rx2 corresponding to the larger FoV (i.e., the second field of view) turns off the receiving optical signals.

[0218] When the vehicle is traveling at a low speed, the second receiving module Rx2 covering a larger FoV (i.e., the second field of view) starts receiving optical signals with a lower resolution, which is suitable for close-range ranging. The first receiving module Rx1 covering a smaller FoV (i.e., the first field of view) turns off receiving optical signals.

[0219] It can be understood that in application scenarios where the vehicle is driving at high speed or low speed, the first value and the second value can be used as the boundary between high speed and low speed. A vehicle speed greater than the first value is considered to be driving at high speed, and a vehicle speed less than the second value is considered to be driving at low speed, and the second value is less than or equal to the first value. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0220] Through the embodiments of the present application, the requirements of application scenarios for different fields of view and different resolutions can be met, and the system computing power overhead can be effectively reduced.

[0221] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, only the transceiver shown in any one of Figures 3 to 9 above is applied to a vehicle as an example to illustrate the working modes of the first receiving module Rx1 and the second receiving module Rx2 in different application scenarios. The transceiver shown in any one of Figures 3 to 9 above can also be applied to other terminals or scenarios. It can be a means of transportation, such as an aircraft, a drone, a slow transport vehicle, a spacecraft, or a ship, etc., which can be used in any possible scenario. It can also be any equipment that can carry a detection device, such as surveying and mapping equipment. One or more transceivers shown in any one of Figures 3 to 9 above are deployed on the terminal.

[0222] The present application provides a chip, which includes the transceiver provided in the present application.

[0223] The present application provides a radar or a radar system, which includes the transceiver provided in the present application or the above-mentioned chip.

[0224] In a possible implementation, the radar includes but is not limited to a laser radar, etc.

[0225] In a possible implementation, there may be a smart sensor integrating multiple sensors. When the smart sensor includes but is not limited to a laser detection function, the smart sensor may also be referred to as a radar or a radar system.

[0226] This application also provides a terminal device, which includes the transceiver device or chip or radar or radar system provided in this application. For example, the terminal device can be a transportation vehicle, such as a car, truck, aircraft, drone, slow-moving transport vehicle, spacecraft, or ship, and any other vehicle used in any possible scenario. It can also be any device capable of carrying a detection device, such as surveying and mapping equipment. The terminal device is deployed with one or more transceivers or chips or radars or radar systems provided in this application.

[0227] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A transceiver device, characterized in that, The transceiver device includes: a first transmitting module, a first receiving module, a second receiving module, and a scanning module; wherein, the first transmitting module and the first receiving module are located on one side of the scanning module, and the second receiving module is located on the other side of the scanning module; the first transmitting module is configured to transmit a first optical signal; the scanning module is configured to propagate the first optical signal to the object space; the scanning module is further configured to propagate a second optical signal from the object space to the first receiving module, and / or propagate a third optical signal from the object space to the second receiving module, where the second optical signal and the third optical signal include echoes of the first optical signal; a first field of view corresponding to the first receiving module and a second field of view corresponding to the second receiving module are different.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the third optical signal are parallel to each other.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Vertical field of view angles of the first field of view and the second field of view are different.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first field of view is included in the second field of view, or the second field of view is included in the first field of view.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first transmitting module is disposed above the first receiving module, or the first receiving module is disposed above the first transmitting module, or the first transmitting module and the first receiving module are horizontally arranged.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The scanning module is a multi-faceted scanning mirror; The multi-faceted scanning mirror is a four-sided polygon scanning mirror.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The transceiver device further includes at least one of the following: a first reflecting mirror and a second reflecting mirror; The first reflecting mirror is configured to propagate the first optical signal emitted by the first transmitting module to the scanning module, and the first reflecting mirror is further configured to propagate the second optical signal from the scanning module to the first receiving module; The second reflecting mirror is configured to propagate the third optical signal from the scanning module to the second receiving module.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The emission timing of the first optical signal is the same as the reception timings of the second optical signal and the third optical signal.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein The first detector and the second detector are the same, the focal lengths of the first receiving optical component and the second receiving optical component are different, and the first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space.

11. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The focal lengths of the first receiving optical component and the second receiving optical component are the same, the first detector is offset relative to the optical center of the first receiving optical component, the second detector is offset relative to the optical center of the second receiving optical component, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space; or, the focal lengths of the first receiving optical component and the second receiving optical component are the same, the optical axes of the first receiving module and the second receiving module are not parallel, and the first field of view and the second field of view are continuous and non-overlapping in angular space.

12. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first receiving module and the second receiving module are the same. There is a first offset between the first detector and the second detector. The first offset is N + 0.5 pixels. The first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space. N is the number of channels in the non-overlapping interval.

13. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The first field of view and the second field of view overlap in angular space. The first receiving module includes a first detector and a first receiving optical component. The second receiving module includes a second image sensor chip and a second receiving optical component; or the first receiving module includes a first image sensor chip and a first receiving optical component, and the second receiving module includes a second detector and a second receiving optical component.

14. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The transceiver device is applied to a vehicle; When the vehicle speed of the vehicle is greater than a first value, the first receiving module turns on to receive optical signals, the second receiving module turns off to receive optical signals, and the first field of view is smaller than the second field of view; When the vehicle speed of the vehicle is less than a second value, the first receiving module turns off to receive optical signals, the second receiving module turns on to receive optical signals, and the second value is less than or equal to the first value.

15. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes the transceiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A radar, characterized in that, The radar includes the transceiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the chip according to claim 15.

17. A terminal device, characterized in that, The terminal device includes the transceiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the chip according to claim 15, or the radar according to claim 16.

18. A car end, characterized in that, The vehicle end includes the transceiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the chip according to claim 15, or the radar according to claim 16, or the terminal device according to claim 17.

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