Laser emitting apparatus, and light source light-emitting control method and apparatus
Through parallel scanning, the driving circuit drives laser emissions of multiple luminous zone groups within the same time window, solving the problem of balance between detection performance and human eye safety of the optical detection device, and achieving improved safety and accuracy of the lidar.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2025/075434
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-02-07
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing optical detection devices have challenges in improving detection performance and human eye safety, especially in the application of lidar. How to effectively reduce laser emission energy and improve detection accuracy is an urgent problem.
The parallel scanning method is adopted, and the laser emission of multiple luminous zone groups is driven in the same time window through the driving circuit. Using the same or different timing design, the laser pulse interval is extended, the laser energy at the same time is reduced, and the multiple luminous zones scanned in parallel emit laser pulses at different moments to improve safety and accuracy.
The laser pulse interval is extended, the laser radar emission energy is reduced, the human eye safety is enhanced, and the detection performance and ranging ability are improved, beam overlap interference is reduced, and detection accuracy is improved.
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Figure CN2025075434_14082025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Laser emitting device, and method and device for controlling light source emission
[0001] This disclosure claims priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “Laser emitting device, and method and device for controlling light source emission” filed on February 7, 2024, with application number 202410175580.1. The contents of the priority application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field
[0002] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of optical detection technology, and in particular to a laser emitting device, and a method and device for controlling light emission of a light source. Background Art
[0003] An optical detection device is a device that uses light as a medium to detect objects. Compared to ordinary light sources, lasers have properties such as monochromaticity and good directionality. Object detection using lasers as a medium has been applied in more and more fields. For example, intelligent driving (or autonomous driving), drones, geographic surveying and mapping, environmental monitoring, etc. With the promotion of the application of optical detection devices using lasers as detection media (for example, light detection and ranging, LiDAR) , how to improve the detection performance of such optical detection devices has become an issue of continuous concern in this field. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a laser emitting device, and a method and device for controlling the light emission of a light source, so as to improve the detection performance of an optical detection device.
[0005] In a first aspect, a laser emitting device is provided, comprising: a first light source and a driving circuit; the first light source comprises a first light-emitting area group, the first light-emitting area group comprises at least two first light-emitting areas; the driving circuit is used to drive the first light source, wherein the driving circuit drives at least two first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group to emit laser within a first time window.
[0006] The above-mentioned laser emitting device can perform detection using a parallel scanning method. In this parallel scanning method, the light-emitting areas of the light source are scanned in groups. The driver circuit can drive at least two light-emitting areas in the same light-emitting area group to emit laser light within the same time window. This parallel scanning method can generally extend the time interval between adjacent laser pulses in the same light-emitting area, reduce the number of laser emissions per light-emitting area per unit time, and improve the eye safety of the lidar. This parallel scanning method also reduces the limit on the emission energy of the laser pulses, which is beneficial for improving detection performance.
[0007] In one implementation, the driving circuit is configured to drive at least two first light-emitting regions to emit laser light in the same or different timings within a first time window. The timing may represent the timing at which the light-emitting regions sequentially emit one or more laser pulses, and may also be referred to as an emission timing (or light-emitting timing).
[0008] When emitting lasers in the same sequence, the design complexity of the sequence is low and easy to implement. When emitting lasers in different sequences, the number of laser pulses emitted by the first light source at the same time can be further reduced on the basis of extending the time interval between adjacent laser pulses in the same light-emitting area, thereby reducing the laser energy emitted by the optical detection device at the same time and enhancing safety. In addition, since multiple light-emitting areas scanned in parallel within the same time window can emit lasers at different times, the energy of each laser pulse can be increased while ensuring safety, thereby enhancing the ranging capability of the laser radar. Multiple light-emitting areas scanned in parallel can emit laser pulses at different times, and the corresponding echoes can return to the detection area at different times, which can also reduce the mutual interference between different detection areas and improve the accuracy of detection.
[0009] In one implementation, the first light source includes an array of first light-emitting areas. Within the array of first light-emitting areas, at least two first light-emitting areas of the first light-emitting area group are non-adjacent. This non-adjacent nature of the light-emitting areas scanned in parallel allows for a certain separation between the light-emitting areas, resulting in a certain spatial separation between the light beams emitted by them. This reduces the increase in beam intensity caused by beam overlap, further improving safety.
[0010] Optionally, the first light source includes an array of first light-emitting areas, and at least two first light-emitting areas of the first light-emitting area group are located in the same row or column of the first light-emitting area array. The light-emitting areas within the light-emitting area group are arranged in the same row or column, which simplifies parallel scanning driving, reduces implementation costs, and also helps extend the service life of the driving circuit and reduce maintenance costs.
[0011] In one implementation, the first light source further includes a second light-emitting area group, the second light-emitting area group including at least two second light-emitting areas; and the driving circuit is further configured to drive the at least two second light-emitting areas in the second light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a second time window. The first light source may include multiple light-emitting area groups, and either the synchronous scanning or asynchronous scanning method described above may be applied to all or some of the light-emitting area groups of the first light source.
[0012] Optionally, the driving circuit is used to drive at least two second light-emitting areas to emit laser light in the same or different timings within the second time window.
[0013] Optionally, the time difference between the first time window and the second time window is less than or equal to a first time threshold, and the distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one second light-emitting area in the second light-emitting area group is less than or equal to the first distance threshold. By setting the time difference between the first time window of the first light-emitting area group and the second time window of the second light-emitting area group to be less than or equal to the first time threshold, the time interval between inter-group scanning can be reduced. This inter-group scanning approach can reduce or resolve motion blur and further improve detection performance.
[0014] In one implementation, the laser emitting device further includes a second light source, wherein the maximum detection range of the second light source is greater than the maximum detection range of the first light source. The laser emitting device may include multiple light sources, each having a different maximum detection range, to achieve a non-uniform detection effect across the entire field of view.
[0015] Optionally, the second light source includes a third light-emitting area group, which includes at least two third light-emitting areas; the driving circuit is further used to drive the second light source, wherein the driving circuit drives at least two third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group to emit laser within a third time window.
[0016] Optionally, the driving circuit is used to drive at least two third light-emitting areas to emit laser light in the same or different time sequences within the third time window.
[0017] Optionally, the number of third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group is greater than the number of first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group.
[0018] Optionally, the time difference between the first time window and the third time window is less than or equal to a second time threshold, and the interval distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one third light-emitting area in the third light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a second distance threshold.
[0019] In one implementation, the driving circuit drives at least two first light-emitting areas to emit lasers alternately within the first time window; or, the driving circuit drives at least two first light-emitting areas to emit lasers randomly within the first time window.
[0020] In a second aspect, a method for controlling the emission of a light source is provided, comprising: determining a first control instruction; sending the first control instruction to any one of the laser emitting devices provided in the first aspect above, and controlling the driving circuit of the laser emitting device to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device through the first control instruction.
[0021] Optionally, the control method further includes: determining a second control instruction; and sending the second control instruction to the laser receiving device. When the first light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device emits laser light within the first time window, the second control instruction controls at least one first detection area of the laser receiving device to activate within the first time window, the at least one first detection area corresponding to the first light-emitting area group.
[0022] In a third aspect, a device for controlling light source emission is provided, comprising: a processor and a first interface, wherein the processor is configured to determine a first control instruction and send the first control instruction to any laser emitting device provided in the first aspect via the first interface. The first control instruction is configured to control a driving circuit of the laser emitting device to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device.
[0023] Optionally, the control device further includes: a second interface; the processor is further configured to determine a second control instruction and transmit the second control instruction to the laser receiving device via the second interface. The second control instruction is configured to control the detection circuit of the laser receiving device to drive at least one detection zone of the laser receiving device. When the first control instruction controls the first light-emitting zone group of the laser emitting device to emit laser light within a first time window, the second control instruction controls the at least one first detection zone of the laser receiving device to activate within the first time window, where the at least one first detection zone corresponds to the first light-emitting zone group.
[0024] In a fourth aspect, an optical detection device is provided, comprising: a laser emitting system, a laser receiving system, and a control and processing system. The laser emitting system includes any of the laser emitting devices provided in the first aspect, and is configured to emit laser light. The laser receiving system includes a laser receiving device configured to receive an echo of the laser light reflected from an object and convert the echo into an echo signal. The control and processing system is configured to determine object information based on the echo signal.
[0025] Optionally, the above control and processing system is also used to: determine a first control instruction; send a first control instruction to any one of the laser emitting devices provided in the first aspect above, wherein the first control instruction is used to control the driving circuit of the laser emitting device to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device.
[0026] Optionally, the control and processing system is further configured to: determine a second control instruction; and transmit the second control instruction to a laser receiving device of the laser receiving system. The second control instruction is configured to control a detection circuit of the laser receiving device to drive at least one detection zone of the laser receiving device. When the first control instruction controls the first light-emitting zone group of the laser emitting device to emit laser light within a first time window, the second control instruction controls the at least one first detection zone of the laser receiving device to activate within the first time window, where the at least one first detection zone corresponds to the first light-emitting zone group.
[0027] In a fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising the optical detection device provided in the fourth aspect.
[0028] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein when the instructions are called by a processor, any one of the control methods provided in the second aspect above is executed.
[0029] In a seventh aspect, a computer program (or computer program product) is provided, comprising instructions, which, when called by a processor, execute any one of the control methods provided in the second aspect above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following provides an illustrative introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments. The drawings described below are merely examples of the present disclosure. A person skilled in the art can, without inventive effort, derive other drawings from the provided drawings. The drawings are intended to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, they are used to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0032] FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a solid-state laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0033] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of a light-emitting area array provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of another light-emitting area array provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing the scanning and echo signal accumulation during a detection process of a laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a laser emitting device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a laser emission timing sequence provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG8 shows another schematic diagram of laser emission timing provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG9 shows another schematic diagram of a laser emission timing sequence provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG10 shows another schematic diagram of a laser emission timing sequence provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG11 shows another schematic diagram of a laser emission timing sequence provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0042] FIG12 shows a schematic structural diagram of another laser emitting device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0043] FIG13 shows a schematic structural diagram of another laser emitting device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0044] FIG14 shows a schematic diagram of a scanning method of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0045] FIG15 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0046] FIG16 shows a schematic structural diagram of another light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0047] FIG17 shows a schematic diagram of another scanning method of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0048] FIG18 shows a schematic diagram of another scanning method of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0049] FIG19 shows a flow chart of a method for controlling light emission of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0050] FIG20 shows a schematic structural diagram of a light source control device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0051] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. Adjustments and improvements made without departing from the concept of the present disclosure are all within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0052] To simplify the drawings, each figure schematically illustrates only the portions relevant to the corresponding embodiment and does not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some figures, components with identical structures or functions are only partially schematically depicted; in practice, more or fewer components with identical structures or functions may exist.
[0053] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish and describe related objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or order between related objects; in addition, they do not represent the number of related objects. "Multiple" includes two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, which includes any combination relationship between related objects, for example, "a and / or b" includes: "a alone", "b alone", or "a and b". "At least one" or "one or more" of multiple objects refers to any object or any combination of multiple objects, for example, "at least one of a1, a2, a3" includes: "a1 alone", "a2 alone", "a3 alone", "a1 and a2", "a1 and a3", "a2 and a3", or "a1, a2 and a3".
[0054] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, "connection" includes direct connection or indirect connection, or includes electrical connection or signal connection. The connected objects can be directly connected through a medium (for example, a wire, a trace, etc.), or can be indirectly connected through other elements, or can be internally connected.
[0055] An optical detection device is a device that uses light as a medium to detect objects. Compared to ordinary light sources, lasers have characteristics such as monochromaticity and good directionality. Object detection using lasers as a medium has been applied in more and more fields, such as intelligent driving (or autonomous driving), drones, geographic surveying and mapping, environmental monitoring, etc. The optical detection device can be installed on a terminal device to provide perception information to the terminal device so that the terminal device can obtain information about its environment based on the perception information. The optical detection device is, for example, a laser radar (light detection and ranging, LiDAR). The terminal device is, for example, a vehicle, a drone, an industrial robot, a surveying and mapping terminal, or a monitoring terminal.
[0056] The optical detection device emits a laser. After reflecting off an object, a portion of the laser is reflected back to the optical detection device, forming an echo. The optical detection device receives the echo and, based on the received echo, obtains information about the object, such as its distance, position, or velocity, as well as its three-dimensional structure.
[0057] Taking the optical detection device as a laser radar as an example, the structure of a laser radar is described. Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic structural diagram of a laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the laser radar 100 includes a laser emission system 110, a laser receiving system 120, and a control and processing system 130. Optionally, the laser radar 100 may also include a scanning system 140. For example, a mechanical laser radar or a semi-solid laser radar may also include a scanning system 140. The scanning system 140 may include a rotating optical machine, a rotating mirror, a swinging mirror, a galvanometer, or other equipment that can make the laser be directed to different directions in the environment.
[0058] The laser emitting system 110 can emit laser. After the laser encounters the object 10, it is reflected by the surface of the object 10 to the laser radar 100. The laser receiving system 120 can receive the reflected echo and convert it into an electrical signal, providing it to the control and processing system 130. The control and processing system 130 can receive the electrical signal and process the electrical signal to obtain information about the object, such as the distance, position, or speed of the object, or the three-dimensional structure of the object. The laser emitting system 110 may include a driving circuit (also called an excitation source), a laser, and an emitting optical element. The laser can emit laser light under the drive of the driving circuit. The laser light can be emitted through the emitting optical element.
[0059] The laser receiving system 120 may include a receiving optical element and a detector. The receiving optical element collects the echo after reflection from an object and focuses it onto the detector's photosensitive surface. The detector converts the optical signal into an electrical signal using the photoelectric effect. The laser radar 100 may also include a preprocessing circuit. This preprocessing circuit may include a digitizing circuit, such as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which converts analog signals into digital signals and provides them to the control and processing system 130. For example, the preprocessing circuit may include a time-to-digital converter (TDC). When the control and processing system 130 controls the laser to emit laser light through the driver circuit, it may synchronize a signal to the TDC to start timing. The echo is then converted into an electrical signal by the detector. This electrical signal is then converted (for example, converted and amplified into a voltage and compared with a reference voltage to determine whether light has entered) and provided to the TDC. Based on the received electrical signal, the TDC can time the echo arrival time and provide this time information to the control and processing system 130. The preprocessing circuit may also include an analog front-end circuit to perform channel selection and analog signal amplification. Optionally, the transmitting optical element and the receiving optical element include one or more optical elements such as lenses, mirrors, filters, beam splitters, etc. The transmitting optical element and the receiving optical element may be independently provided optical elements, or may be fully or partially multiplexed.
[0060] The control and processing system 130 may include an information processing circuit and a light source control circuit. The information processing circuit can process electrical signals to obtain information about the object. The information processing circuit may be implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a hardware circuit implemented as a programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). This implementation method helps improve information processing efficiency. In other implementations, the information processing circuit may also be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU). The light source control circuit can send control instructions (or signals) to the driver circuit to control the driver circuit to drive the laser to emit light, thereby achieving pulsed laser emission. For example, the light source control circuit can send a timing signal to control the laser emission timing. For another example, the light source control circuit can configure the pulse interval, pulse intensity, and pulse width. This can increase encoding capabilities and enhance anti-interference capabilities. The light source control circuit and the information processing circuit can be integrated together, for example, integrated into a main control chip, or they can be independent or partially independent chips. When the laser radar 100 includes a scanning system 140, the control and processing system 130 can also include a scanning control circuit that can control the scanning system. The scanning control circuit can be integrated with one or all of the light source control circuit and the information processing circuit. For example, the scanning control circuit, the light source control circuit, and the information processing circuit are integrated into a main control chip; or they can be independent chips; the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited. In one implementation, the control and processing system 130 can be implemented in the form of a system on chip (SOC) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0061] LiDARs can be categorized by their beam manipulation method (or scanning method) into mechanical, semi-solid-state, and solid-state types. Semi-solid-state LiDARs include, for example, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) LiDARs, rotating mirror LiDARs, or prism LiDARs. Solid-state LiDARs include, for example, optical phase array (OPA) LiDARs or FLASH LiDARs. Solid-state LiDARs lack a physical (or mechanical) scanning system. For example, an OPA LiDAR can use electrical signals to control the phase of the light waves emitted by the phased array elements, causing interference between the light waves emitted by the elements and achieving a high-intensity beam in the scanning direction without the need for a physical scanning system. A FLASH LiDAR can emit laser light covering a detection area in a short period of time, and then use a highly sensitive detector to complete the image of the surrounding environment. FLASH LiDARs are also non-physical scanning radars and lack a scanning system.
[0062] A solid-state laser radar is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0063] Please refer to Figure 2, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a solid-state laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the solid-state laser radar 200 includes a laser emitting device 210, a laser receiving device 220 and a control circuit 230.
[0064] In some embodiments, the laser emitting device 210 may include a light source assembly 211 and a driving circuit 212 for driving the light source assembly 211. In one implementation, the light source assembly 211 may include a light-emitting zone array, which may include multiple light-emitting zones. The light-emitting zone array may be a two-dimensional array or a one-dimensional array, and may have various arrangements. Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of a light-emitting zone array provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of another light-emitting zone array provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each square may represent a light-emitting zone 310 or 410, without limiting the structure, shape, or size of the light-emitting zones 310 or 410. Figure 3 illustrates a one-dimensional arrangement of the light-emitting zone array. In this light-emitting zone array 300, multiple light-emitting zones 310 are arranged horizontally to form the light-emitting zone array 300. In other implementations, the multiple light-emitting zones may also be arranged vertically or in other directions, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the arrangement direction. This one-dimensional arrangement of light-emitting zones may also be referred to as a linear array light source. FIG4 illustrates a two-dimensional arrangement of a light-emitting area array, where a plurality of light-emitting areas arranged in multiple rows (e.g., horizontally) and multiple columns (e.g., vertically) constitute a light-emitting area array 400. The different rows (or columns) in the two-dimensional array can be aligned or staggered at a certain distance. The row and column directions can be perpendicular to each other or have other angles. This two-dimensionally arranged light-emitting area array can also be referred to as a planar array light source. The driving circuit 212 can drive the light source assembly 211, causing the light source assembly 211 to emit laser light (or laser pulses) under the drive of the driving circuit 212.
[0065] In some embodiments, the laser receiving device 220 may include a detection assembly 221. In one implementation, the detection assembly 221 may include a detection array. The detection array may include multiple detection zones. The detection zones can convert optical signals into electrical signals. Similar to the light-emitting zone array described above, the detection array may be a two-dimensional array or a linear array, and the structure of the light-emitting zone array may be referred to. The laser receiving device 220 may also include a detection circuit 222 that can control the detection assembly 221, for example, turning all or some of the detection zones of the detection assembly 221 on or off. Turning on a detection zone may include causing the voltage across the detection zone to reach a bias voltage, or enabling the electrical signal generated by the detection zone to be output via a readout circuit. Turning off a detection zone may include causing the voltage across the detection zone to fall below the bias voltage, or preventing the electrical signal generated by the detection zone from being output via the readout circuit. The light-emitting zones and detection zones may have a corresponding relationship. For example, when a light-emitting zone emits laser light, the corresponding detection zone turns on to detect the echo and output an electrical signal. This correspondence may be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many, and is not limited in the present embodiment.
[0066] In some embodiments, the control circuit 230 can be connected to the driving circuit 212 and provide a control instruction C1 to the driving circuit 212. The driving circuit 212 can drive the light source assembly 211 according to the control instruction C1. The control circuit 230 can also be connected to the detection circuit 222 and provide a control instruction C2 to the detection circuit 222. The detection circuit 222 controls the detection assembly 221 according to the control instruction C2. The control circuit 230 can send the control instruction C1 and the control instruction C2 based on the correspondence between the light-emitting area and the detection area, so that when the light-emitting area emits laser light, the corresponding detection area is turned on. The control circuit 230 can be the control and processing system 130 or a part of the control and processing system 130.
[0067] Solid-state lidar 200 may also include a transmitting optical element 241 and a receiving optical element 242. Laser light emitted by light source assembly 211 is shaped by transmitting optical element 241 before exiting. Echoes are converged by receiving optical element 242 and then directed to detection assembly 221. Figure 2 is for illustrative purposes only. In actual implementation, transmitting optical element 241 and receiving optical element 242 may include one or more types and quantities, and may be fully or partially reused.
[0068] In some embodiments, a laser radar can perform multiple repeated measurements when detecting objects within the same field of view. A single measurement can also be referred to as a sweep. For example, a light-emitting area of the above-described solid-state laser radar can emit light multiple times within its light-emitting time (or detection time, time window) for detection, with each light-emitting area corresponding to a sweep. During a single sweep, the light-emitting area can emit a laser pulse. After reflection from an object, the laser pulse can produce an echo. Multiple laser pulses can produce multiple echoes after reflection from an object. These multiple echoes are converted into multiple echo signals by the corresponding detection area. The multiple echo signals corresponding to the laser pulses emitted by the light-emitting area during a single detection can be accumulated. The signal amplitude obtained by accumulating the echo signals corresponding to the object is increased, while noise such as ambient light is averaged. This approach can improve the quality of the echo signal, reduce noise interference, and increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, multiple sweeps can also increase the signal strength of weak echoes, improving the detection performance of long-distance signals or objects with low reflectivity.
[0069] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which shows a schematic diagram of the scanning and echo signal accumulation during a detection process of a laser radar provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, a total of S scans are performed in one detection, as shown on the left side of Figure 5. A laser pulse is emitted for each scan. As shown on the right side of Figure 5, the echo signals of these S scans are accumulated in sequence, and the amplitude of the echo signal is increased after accumulation. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the number of scans (or the number of repeated measurements) S, for example, it can be 400-500 times, or even thousands of times, or more or less.
[0070] In some embodiments, when performing detection, the laser radar sequentially emits laser pulses from the luminous areas for multiple scans. Taking the two-dimensional array shown in Figure 4 as an example, the two-dimensional array includes m*n luminous areas. m and n are both positive integers greater than or equal to 2. m and n can be equal or unequal. Rx represents the row coordinate, Cy represents the column coordinate, and RxCy can represent the luminous area at the corresponding coordinate position. x∈[1,m], y∈[1,n]. For example, the luminous areas are scanned multiple times in order from left to right and from top to bottom, starting with luminous area R1C1. When luminous area RmCn completes multiple scans, the laser radar completes a detection. For laser radars that perform detection through multiple scans, the luminous areas will continuously emit multiple laser pulses within their relatively short emission time (or time window). The energy emitted by multiple laser pulses accumulates in a short period of time, which may pose a safety hazard, such as a risk to human eye safety. Safety hazards can be reduced by limiting the emission energy of each laser pulse or by limiting the number of laser pulses emitted. However, these methods may affect the detection performance of the laser radar.
[0071] The disclosed embodiments provide a laser emitting device capable of detecting objects using a parallel scanning method. In this parallel scanning method, the light-emitting areas of a light source are scanned in groups. Within a time window, multiple light-emitting areas within a group are controlled to emit laser light, for example, in different time sequences or synchronously. This can improve the detection performance and safety of optical detection devices.
[0072] In some embodiments, a light-emitting area may correspond to a laser. For example, a light-emitting area may correspond to (for example, include) a laser. The driving circuit controls the light-emitting area corresponding to the laser by driving the laser. For example, a light-emitting area may correspond to (for example, include) multiple lasers (referred to as a laser group). The driving circuit controls the light-emitting area corresponding to the laser group by driving the laser group. For example, a laser may correspond to (for example, include) multiple light-emitting areas. For example, a plurality of light-emitting points (also known as light-emitting holes) are provided on the laser, and the light-emitting points of different light-emitting areas may use different pads. The driving circuit may drive the light-emitting point through the pad to control the light-emitting area corresponding to the light-emitting point.
[0073] In some embodiments, the light-emitting zones of the light-emitting assembly 211 can be individually addressed (or individually controlled) by the driver circuit 212. For example, the driver circuit 212 can independently control whether a light-emitting zone emits light, the number of laser pulses emitted, the intensity of the emitted laser pulses, and the like. In some embodiments, the light-emitting assembly 211 can include multiple light-emitting zone subsets. Each light-emitting zone subset can be individually addressed (or individually controlled) by the driver circuit 212. Different light-emitting zone subsets can include the same or different numbers of light-emitting zones.
[0074] In some embodiments, the laser includes a semiconductor laser, a fiber laser, or other types of lasers. The semiconductor laser may include a laser emitting circuit, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge emitting laser (EEL), a distributed feedback laser (DFB), or similar devices. The above is only an example, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the type of laser.
[0075] In some embodiments, a detection area may correspond to a photodetector or multiple photodetectors. The detection circuit can control the corresponding detection area by controlling the photodetector. The detection areas of the detection component 221 can be individually addressed (or individually controlled) by the detection circuit 222. For example, the detection circuit 222 can independently control whether a detection area is turned on. Alternatively, the detection component 221 includes multiple detection area subsets. A detection area subset can be individually addressed (or individually controlled) by the detection circuit 222. The number of detection areas included in different detection area subsets can be the same or different.
[0076] In some embodiments, the photodetector includes: a photodetection circuit, a PIN photo diode (PINPD), an avalanche photo diode (APD), a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), or a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) or similar device.
[0077] The following description uses a light-emitting area as an example. In other embodiments, when the light-emitting area corresponds to a laser, the example of the light-emitting area can be replaced by the laser; when the light-emitting area corresponds to a laser group, the example of the light-emitting area can be replaced by the laser group, and a laser group includes multiple lasers; when the light-emitting area corresponds to the light-emitting point of a laser, the example of the light-emitting area can be replaced by the light-emitting point of the laser.
[0078] In one implementation, a laser emitting device is provided, as shown in FIG6 . The laser emitting device 600 includes a driving circuit 610 and a first light source 620. Referring to FIG3 and FIG4 , for example, the first light source 620 may include at least one of the light-emitting area array 300 and the light-emitting area array 400. The first light source 620 may include multiple light-emitting areas 310 and 410. The driving circuit 610 may drive the first light source 620. The light-emitting areas of the first light source 620 may be divided into multiple light-emitting area groups. The number of light-emitting areas in different light-emitting area groups may be the same or different. Considering the differences in the number and arrangement of light-emitting areas, it is permissible for some light-emitting area groups to include one light-emitting area, while other light-emitting area groups may include at least two (i.e., multiple) light-emitting areas. The driving circuit 610 may drive the first light source 620 in light-emitting area groups. For example, the driving circuit 610 may drive the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group to emit laser light within the same time window. For example, first light source 620 includes a first light-emitting area group, which includes at least two first light-emitting areas. Driver circuit 610 drives at least two first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a first time window. Referring to FIG. 2 , when applied to a solid-state lidar, laser emitting device 600 may be laser emitting device 210 , wherein light source assembly 211 includes first light source 620 ; driver circuit 212 is similar to driver circuit 610 and can drive first light source 620 .
[0079] In some embodiments, a parallel scanning method is used, with at least two light-emitting areas of the first light source being grouped as a light-emitting area group, also referred to as a parallel light-emitting group or a parallel scanning group. The number of light-emitting areas included in different light-emitting area groups can be the same or different. For example, the first light-emitting area group includes two light-emitting areas, and the second light-emitting area group includes four light-emitting areas. At least two light-emitting areas in a light-emitting area group can emit laser light within the same time window. The detection area corresponding to the light-emitting area group can be activated within this time window to receive echoes and output electrical signals. The light-emitting areas in different light-emitting area groups can emit laser light within different time windows. For example, the first light-emitting area group can emit laser light within a first time window, and the second light-emitting area group can emit laser light within a second time window. The first and second time windows can have or have no overlap. The time windows of different light-emitting area groups can have the same or different durations. Different light-emitting areas in a light-emitting area group can emit the same or different number of laser pulses within a time window. Taking the first light source shown in Figure 4 as an example, a light-emitting area group includes light-emitting area R1C1 and light-emitting area R1C2. Both the light emitting area R1C1 and the light emitting area R1C2 can emit laser light within a time window.
[0080] In one implementation, within a time window, different light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can emit laser pulses in the same timing. The timing can indicate the timing at which the light-emitting areas emit one or more laser pulses in sequence, and can also be referred to as the emission timing (or light-emitting timing). Illuminating with the same timing means that at least two first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group have the same emission timing, and can synchronously emit lasers within the same time window under the drive of the driving circuit. This method of emitting lasers can also be referred to as synchronous scanning. For example, the first light-emitting area in the light-emitting area group emits a laser pulse at times T1, T2, and T3, respectively, and the second light-emitting area in the light-emitting area group also emits a laser pulse at times T1, T2, and T3, respectively. In synchronous scanning, the design complexity of the timing is low and easy to implement.
[0081] In another implementation, within a time window, different light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can emit laser pulses at different timings. Lighting with different timings means that at least two first light-emitting areas within a first light-emitting area group have different emission times. Driven by a driving circuit, they can each complete multiple laser pulse emissions. At least some of the pulses can be staggered within the same time window. This method of emitting laser light can also be referred to as asynchronous scanning. For example, a first light-emitting area within a light-emitting area group can emit one or more laser pulses at a first timing, while a second light-emitting area within the same light-emitting area group can emit one or more laser pulses at a second timing. The laser pulse emission times in the first and second timings are not completely aligned. Within the same time window, different light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can complete multiple scans in parallel. When multiple light-emitting areas are scanned in parallel, using different timings can result in interleaving (or interleaving) of laser emission times between different light-emitting areas. This interleaving (or interleaving) can be uniform or non-uniform. This approach can extend the time interval between adjacent laser pulses within the same light-emitting area while further reducing the number of laser pulses emitted simultaneously by the first light source. This, in turn, reduces the laser energy emitted simultaneously by the lidar, enhancing safety. Furthermore, because multiple luminous zones scanned in parallel within the same time window can emit lasers at different times, the energy of each laser pulse can be increased while ensuring eye safety, enhancing the LiDAR's ranging capability. Multiple luminous zones scanned in parallel can emit laser pulses at different times, and the corresponding echoes can return to the detection zone at different times, reducing mutual interference between different detection zones and improving detection accuracy.
[0082] Please refer to Figures 7-11, which show several exemplary laser emission timing diagrams provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Take a light-emitting area group including light-emitting area A and light-emitting area B as an example. In other embodiments, a light-emitting area group may include more light-emitting areas. When a light-emitting area group includes more light-emitting areas, the emission timing of the light-emitting areas can be set in the same or similar manner as when it includes two light-emitting areas. Light-emitting area A emits laser according to a first timing, and light-emitting area B emits laser according to a second timing. The first timing and the second timing may be the same. Alternatively, the first timing and the second timing may be different, for example, the light-emitting timing in the first timing and the second timing is at least partially different. For example, there is an interspersed (or staggered) light-emitting timing between the first timing and the second timing: there is at least one laser emission from light-emitting area B between two laser emissions from light-emitting area A; and / or there is at least one laser emission from light-emitting area A between two laser emissions from light-emitting area B.
[0083] As shown in Figures 7-11, [0-T] is a time window. Within a time window T, the first timing of the light-emitting area A emitting laser is shown in the timing diagram on the upper side of the figure, and the second timing of the light-emitting area B emitting laser is shown in the timing diagram on the lower side of the figure. A square wave in the figure can represent a laser pulse. The shape and amplitude of the square wave are only for illustration and do not represent the shape, pulse width, emission intensity, energy or power of the pulse. The present disclosure does not limit this. For example, within a time window T, the light-emitting area A emits laser M times, and the light-emitting area B emits laser N times. M and N are the number of laser emissions of the light-emitting area A and the light-emitting area B within a time window T, respectively. M and N can be equal or different.
[0084] In some embodiments, the first timing and the second timing can be the same. In one example, as shown in FIG7 , light-emitting area A and light-emitting area B emit laser light synchronously. For example, the first timing of light-emitting area A and the second timing of light-emitting area B can be achieved through a periodic timing.
[0085] In some embodiments, the first timing and the second timing may be different. In one example, as shown in FIG8 , the light-emitting area A and the light-emitting area B emit lasers alternately. For example, the first timing of the light-emitting area A and the second timing of the light-emitting area B can be implemented by a periodic timing. The periodic emission timing is simple to design, and the echo processing algorithm is simple to implement. For example, the second timing can be obtained by delaying each laser emission opportunity for a certain time on the basis of the first timing. For example, the first timing of the light-emitting area A and the second timing of the light-emitting area B can be implemented by a non-periodic timing. This manner in which different light-emitting areas within the light-emitting area group emit lasers alternately can also be referred to as alternating scanning. In one example, as shown in FIG9 , the light-emitting area A emits the i-th laser at time t1, and then the light-emitting area B emits the j-th laser at time t2, and then the light-emitting area A emits the i+1-th laser at time t3. In another example, as shown in FIG10 , the light-emitting area A emits the i-th laser at time t1, and then the light-emitting area B emits the j-th laser from time t2 to t 2+b At time t, the light-emitting area B emits the jth to j+bth lasers, 2+b At time t3 thereafter, the light-emitting area A emits the (i+1)th laser.
[0086] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 , the light emitting area A is between t1 and t 1+a The lasers are fired from time i to time i+a, and then from t2 to t 2+b At time t, the light-emitting area B emits the jth to j+bth lasers, 2+bAt the subsequent time t3, the light-emitting area A emits the (i + a + 1)-th laser. i ∈ [1, M], j ∈ [1, N], 1 ≤ a < M, 1 ≤ b < N. The situations in the above examples may all or partially occur within a time window. One or more light-emitting opportunities of the light-emitting area B can be inserted between two light-emitting opportunities of the light-emitting area A. Similarly, one or more light-emitting opportunities of the light-emitting area A can be inserted between two light-emitting opportunities of the light-emitting area B.
[0087] In some embodiments, within a time window, different light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group can emit lasers (or laser pulses) in parallel. When the total detection time for the entire field of view of the lidar is determined, by adopting the method of parallel scanning with multiple light-emitting areas, the time window allocated to a light-emitting area can be extended. The light-emitting time window allocated to each light-emitting area is determined by the total detection time and the number of light-emitting areas performing parallel scanning. For example, the total light-emitting time of the entire light-emitting area array is t0, and the light-emitting area array includes 12 * 10 light-emitting areas. When adopting the method of sequential scanning (or sequential light emission) of multiple light-emitting areas, the light-emitting time allocated to a light-emitting area can be estimated as t0 / 120; when adopting the method of parallel scanning (or parallel light emission) with 2 light-emitting areas, the light-emitting time window allocated to a light-emitting area can be estimated as t0 / 60. Compared with the sequential scanning method, the light-emitting time window of a light-emitting area can be extended. The light-emitting area emits multiple laser pulses sequentially within a longer time window, and the time interval between two adjacent laser pulse emissions can be extended. For example, multiple laser pulses (such as 400, or fewer or more) emitted by a light-emitting area can be emitted within a longer time window, and the time interval between two adjacent laser pulses of the same light-emitting area can become larger. This can reduce the cumulative energy of the laser beams in the same detection area per unit time and improve the safety performance of the optical detection device; it can ensure the number of laser pulses emitted by a light-emitting area and take into account the detection performance.
[0088] In the above description, the number of light-emitting zones in a light-emitting zone group is two. In other implementations, there may be more light-emitting zones in a light-emitting zone group. Different light-emitting zones in a light-emitting zone group may emit laser light in the same sequence; alternatively, different light-emitting zones in a light-emitting zone group may emit laser light in different sequences. Different sequences may include completely or partially different light-emitting timings. For example, in the alternating emission method shown in FIG8 , the light-emitting timings of different light-emitting zones are completely different. For another example, in the emission methods shown in FIG9-11 , the light-emitting timings of different light-emitting zones are partially different, such as when the laser emission timings are not completely consistent (including partially consistent laser emission timings, such as shown in the shaded areas in any of FIG9-11 ). Optionally, in a light-emitting zone group, the number of laser emissions from each light-emitting zone may also be different. For example, in the emission methods shown in FIG9-11 , the values of M and N may be different. The number of laser emissions (or the number of scans or laser pulses) emitted by a light-emitting zone may be preset or dynamically adjusted based on feedback from the detection results of the corresponding detection zone.
[0089] In an implementation where different light-emitting zones within a light-emitting zone group emit laser light at different time sequences, the time sequence for each light-emitting zone or a portion of the light-emitting zones to emit laser light can be a random sequence. Random sequences include pseudo-random sequences. For example, a random time sequence can be generated by a control and processing system, or a random time sequence can be pre-stored in the control and processing system. The driving circuit can sequentially drive the light-emitting zones to emit multiple laser pulses according to the random time sequence. Different light-emitting zones scanned in parallel can use different random sequences. Different light-emitting zones scanned non-parallel can use the same random sequence. This can reduce the complexity of the emission timing design and also reduce interference between detection zones scanned in parallel.
[0090] In some embodiments, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can be adjacent, such as light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C2, or R1C1 and R2C1, as shown in FIG4 . In some embodiments, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can be non-adjacent. For example, the first light source includes a first light-emitting area array, and at least two first light-emitting areas within the first light-emitting area group within the first light-emitting area array are non-adjacent. Multiple light-emitting areas emitting laser light within the same time window are located non-adjacently within the first light-emitting area array, for example, separated by other light-emitting areas that do not emit laser light within the time window. Examples include light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C3, or R1C1 and R3C1, or R1C1 and R2C2, as shown in FIG4 . Non-adjacent light-emitting areas scanned in parallel result in a certain distance between the light-emitting areas, and their emitted light beams are also spatially spaced apart. This can reduce the increase in beam intensity caused by beam overlap, further improving safety. In one implementation, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group may be located in the same row and non-adjacent within the row, such as light-emitting area R1C1 and light-emitting area R1C3 in FIG4 . In another implementation, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group may be located in the same column and non-adjacent within the column, such as light-emitting area R1C1 and light-emitting area R3C1 in FIG4 . In yet another implementation, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group may be located in different rows and different columns, such as light-emitting area R1C1 and light-emitting area R2C2, or light-emitting area R1C1 and light-emitting area R3C2. The above are merely examples, and other methods may be used to non-adjacent light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the methods of non-adjacent light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group.
[0091] In some embodiments, the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group can be located in the same row or column of the light-emitting area array. Optionally, the light-emitting area array can achieve independent control (or addressing) of each light-emitting area using row and column driver circuits. For example, please refer to Figure 12, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another laser emitting device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 12, the laser emitting device 1200 includes a driver circuit and a first light source 1230. The driver circuit may include a row driver circuit 1210 and a column driver circuit 1220. For example, the anodes (or cathodes) of the light-emitting areas in the same row can be interconnected and then connected to a drive channel of the row driver circuit. The cathodes (or anodes) of the light-emitting areas in the same column can be interconnected and then connected to a drive channel of the column driver circuit. When the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group are located in the same row of the light-emitting area array, within the time window corresponding to the light-emitting area group, the drive channel in the row driver circuit 1210 connected to the row is in an on state, and the multiple drive channels of the column driver circuit 1220 corresponding to the multiple light-emitting areas of the light-emitting area group can be turned on in a timed sequence, so that the multiple light-emitting areas emit laser light in a timed sequence. This enables control (or addressing) of the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group. Referring to Figure 12 , for example, the anodes of light-emitting areas in the same row are interconnected, and the cathodes of light-emitting areas in the same column are interconnected. Taking a light-emitting area group including light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C4 as an example, within the time window corresponding to the light-emitting area group, the row driver circuit 1210 controls the anode drive channel of row R1 to be in an on state, and the column driver circuit 1220 controls the cathode drive channels of columns C1 and C4 to be on and off, thereby controlling light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C4 to sequentially emit laser light according to the corresponding light-emitting timing. This enables parallel scanning of light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C4 within the corresponding time window. Similarly, when the light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group are located in the same column of the light-emitting area array, within the time window corresponding to the light-emitting area group, the drive channels connected to that column in the column driver circuit 1220 are turned on. Furthermore, the multiple drive channels of the row driver circuit 1210 corresponding to the multiple light-emitting areas of the light-emitting area group can be turned on in a timed sequence, causing the multiple light-emitting areas of the light-emitting area group to emit laser light in a timed sequence. The drive channels connected to the rows of other light-emitting areas within the column are turned off. This enables control (or addressing) of the light-emitting areas within the light-emitting group. Referring to FIG. 12 , for example, a light-emitting area group includes light-emitting areas R2C2 and R4C2. The anodes of the light-emitting areas in the same column are interconnected, and the cathodes of the light-emitting areas in the same row are interconnected. Within the time window corresponding to the light-emitting area group, the column driver circuit 1220 controls the anode drive channel of column C2 to be turned on. The row driver circuit 1210 controls the emission timing of light-emitting areas R2C2 and R4C2 by turning on and off the cathode drive channels of rows R2 and R4. This enables parallel scanning of R2C2 and R4C2 within the corresponding time windows.The light-emitting areas within the light-emitting area group are set in the same row or column, which can more simply realize parallel scanning driving and reduce implementation costs. It is also beneficial to extend the service life of the driving circuit and reduce maintenance costs.
[0092] Please refer to Figure 13, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another laser emitting device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the laser emitting device 1310 includes a row driver circuit 1311, a column driver circuit 1312, and a first light source 1313. Under the control of a control circuit 1320, the row driver circuit 1311 and the column driver circuit 1312 drive the first light source 1313 to emit laser light. As shown in Figure 13, the row driver circuit 1311 and the column driver circuit 1312 may include transistors. For example, the row driver circuit includes multiple driver transistors E1, each interconnected with the anodes of multiple rows of the light-emitting area array, and the column driver circuit includes multiple driver transistors E2, each interconnected with the cathodes of multiple columns of the light-emitting area array. As shown in Figure 13, the light-emitting areas in the same row can be interconnected by anode, while the light-emitting areas in the same column can be interconnected by cathode. Alternatively, the light-emitting areas in the same row can be interconnected by cathode, while the light-emitting areas in the same column can be interconnected by anode. In this way, the light-emitting areas can be addressed by switching on a combination of rows and columns of transistors in the row driver circuit 1311 and the column driver circuit 1312, allowing each light-emitting area to be independently addressed or controlled. In one implementation, the light-emitting area can be turned on or off by applying different trigger signals to the anode drive channel and cathode drive channel of the light-emitting area. For example, the trigger signal can be a high level (H), a low level (L), or a high impedance (Z). The trigger signal applied to the anode drive channel of the light-emitting area can be a high level (H) or a low level (L). The trigger signal applied to the cathode drive channel of the light-emitting area can be a low level (L). In one implementation, the trigger signal of the cathode drive channel can also be a high impedance (Z). High-impedance triggering helps protect the light-emitting area and improve the reliability of the laser emitting device. When the anode drive channel of the light-emitting area is connected to a high level (H) and the cathode drive channel is connected to a low level (L), the light-emitting area is turned on (for example, light-emitting areas V1-V4 in Figure 13). When the cathode drive channel of the light-emitting area is connected to a high impedance (Z), or when the anode drive channel of the light-emitting area is connected to a low level (L), the light-emitting area is not turned on. By individually changing the trigger signal of the anode drive channel or the cathode drive channel, the light-emitting area can be quickly turned on or off. For example, within a first time window, by applying a high level (H) to anode 1 and applying a low level (L) trigger signal to the drive channel of cathode 1 and the drive channel of cathode 3 in a timed manner, it is possible to achieve timed laser emission from light-emitting areas V1 and V2 in the first light-emitting area group. Within a second time window, by applying a high level (H) to the drive channel of anode 5 and applying a low level (L) trigger signal to the drive channel of cathode 1 and the drive channel of cathode 3 in a timed manner, it is possible to achieve timed laser emission from light-emitting areas V3 and V4 in the second light-emitting area group.
[0093] The first light source 620 may include multiple light-emitting area groups. The light-emitting area groups within the multiple light-emitting area groups can be parallel scanned in a manner similar to or similar to the parallel scanning of light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group in any of the above embodiments. The disclosed embodiments provide an inter-group scanning method that can achieve overall scanning of the light-emitting area array. Considering that the object detected by the optical detection device may be a moving object, or the optical detection device may be in motion (for example, when mounted on a vehicle, moving with the vehicle), the laser radar can reduce motion blur in the detection results when detecting relatively moving objects, thereby improving detection performance. This inter-group scanning method can be combined with the parallel scanning method in any of the embodiments, or implemented independently. This inter-group scanning method can reduce or resolve motion blur and improve detection performance. In some embodiments, this inter-group scanning method includes: when the distance between the light-emitting area groups is less than a first distance threshold (to distinguish it from the distance threshold in other embodiments, this distance threshold is referred to as the first distance threshold here), the time difference between the time windows of the light-emitting area groups is less than or equal to the first time threshold (to distinguish it from the distance threshold in other embodiments, this time threshold is referred to as the first time threshold here). The time difference between the time windows of the luminous area groups can represent the time interval between the first time window of the first luminous area group and the second time window of the second luminous area group. For example, the time difference can be the time interval between the start time of the first time window and the start time of the second time window. In another example, the time difference can be the time interval between the end time of the first time window and the end time of the second time window. The distance between luminous area groups includes the distance between a luminous area in one luminous area group and a luminous area in another luminous area group. This distance can be expressed as spatial size, the number of luminous areas, or the spatial coordinates of the luminous areas, which is not limited in this disclosure. The distance can be determined by the distance between reference points of the luminous areas. The reference point can be any point on the luminous area, such as any point on the edge, the center, or any other point within the luminous area. The first distance threshold is not limited and can be determined based on the design parameters of the lidar, such as the actual light source arrangement, the size of the luminous area, the time window of the luminous area, and the ranging range of the lidar. For example, the first distance threshold can be 1-8 luminous areas. For example, the first distance threshold can be 2, 3, or 4 luminous areas. The first time threshold is not limited and can be determined based on the design parameters of the laser radar. The design parameters may include, for example, the number of laser pulses emitted by the light-emitting area, the time window of the light-emitting area, the ranging range of the laser radar, etc. For example, the first time threshold may be 1-3 time windows.For critical states, for example, when the interval distance between the luminous area groups is equal to the distance threshold, the time difference between the time windows of the luminous area groups may not be limited; alternatively, the time difference between the time windows of the luminous area groups may be limited in the same manner as when the interval distance is less than the distance threshold.
[0094] In some embodiments, the first light source may include a first light-emitting area group and a second light-emitting area group. The first light-emitting area group emits laser light within a first time window, and the second light-emitting area group emits laser light within a second time window. The first light-emitting area group may include at least two first light-emitting areas. The second light-emitting area group may include at least two second light-emitting areas. The distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one second light-emitting area in the second light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a first distance threshold, and the time difference between the first time window of the first light-emitting area group and the second time window of the second light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a first time threshold. In one implementation, the distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one second light-emitting area in the second light-emitting area group in any direction is no more than a light-emitting area number threshold, for example, no more than two light-emitting areas. For example, at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group is adjacent to at least one second light-emitting area in the second light-emitting area group. Adjacent light-emitting areas can detect adjacent fields of view in space. By limiting the time difference between the time windows of adjacent light-emitting areas (or adjacent fields of view), motion blur can be reduced. For example, when adjacent luminous zones are detecting the same object, the LiDAR may experience relative motion with the object. However, due to the time difference between the time windows defining the adjacent luminous zones, the two luminous zones complete their scans within a similar timeframe, resulting in a shorter time interval between detection results and a lower amplitude of object motion, thus reducing motion blur. The above distance thresholds or time thresholds can be preset values or adjustable parameters.
[0095] Please refer to Figure 14, which illustrates an exemplary scanning method for a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the first light source 620 includes multiple light-emitting area groups, each of which includes two light-emitting areas. For ease of understanding, each light-emitting area group is illustrated as including two light-emitting areas. In other embodiments, a light-emitting area group may also include more light-emitting areas.
[0096] As shown in Figure 14, blank squares represent unscanned light-emitting areas. Cross-filled squares represent light-emitting areas currently being scanned, and the light-emitting areas currently being scanned constitute a light-emitting area group (i.e., a parallel light-emitting group). Squares filled with diagonal lines represent light-emitting areas that have completed scanning. In the first time window, light-emitting areas R1C1 and R1C3 of the first light-emitting area group are scanned in parallel. In the second time window, light-emitting areas R1C2 and R1C4 of the second light-emitting area group are scanned in parallel. This continues in this way until, in the pth time window, light-emitting areas R7C6 and R7C8 of the pth light-emitting area group are scanned in parallel, completing the scanning of all light-emitting areas in the first light source. p is the number of light-emitting area groups in the first light source. The present disclosure does not limit the value of p and can be determined based on the size of the light-emitting area array of the first light source and the division method of the light-emitting area groups. The above-mentioned first light-emitting area group and second light-emitting area group can be the light-emitting area groups corresponding to any two adjacent time windows from the first light-emitting area group to the pth light-emitting area group. In Figure 14 , by controlling the time difference between the time windows of adjacent light-emitting areas, two adjacent light-emitting areas are scanned within adjacent time windows, reducing motion blur and simplifying inter-group scanning. This can be accomplished, for example, through periodic control. In other implementations, the time difference between the time windows of the first and second light-emitting area groups can be longer or shorter, and the spacing between the first and second light-emitting area groups can be larger or smaller.
[0097] FIG14 illustrates a row scanning method between groups. The light-emitting areas within the first and second light-emitting area groups are located in the same row, and the light-emitting area groups are scanned in row order. In other implementations, a column scanning method may be used between groups. The light-emitting areas within the first and second light-emitting area groups are located in the same column, and the light-emitting area groups are scanned in column order. This implementation is similar to the row scanning method between groups.
[0098] When the number of light-emitting areas within a row (or column) of a light-emitting area array supports even distribution of light-emitting area groups within that row (or column), each light-emitting area group can include the same number of light-emitting areas. When the number of light-emitting areas within a row (or column) of a light-emitting area array does not support even distribution of light-emitting area groups within that row (or column), light-emitting areas from other rows (or columns) can be allocated to some light-emitting area groups, so that these light-emitting area groups include the same number of light-emitting areas, and the remaining light-emitting areas, which are less than the required number, form a light-emitting area group. For example, if two light-emitting areas form a light-emitting area group, and there is one remaining light-emitting area, this light-emitting area can be independently formed into a light-emitting area group. For another example, if three light-emitting areas form a light-emitting area group, and there are two or one remaining light-emitting areas, these remaining two or one light-emitting areas can be independently formed into a light-emitting area group, and so on. This allows for simpler scanning control based on the actual situation of the light-emitting area array.
[0099] FIG14 shows an array of 7*8 light-emitting areas, and each light-emitting area group includes two light-emitting areas, and the two light-emitting areas are located in the same row and are separated by one light-emitting area. This is only an example. In other embodiments, the light-emitting area array may include more or fewer light-emitting areas. The light-emitting area array may be a one-dimensional array. The number of light-emitting areas included in different light-emitting area groups may be the same or different, and the distribution method may be the same or different. The light-emitting areas in a light-emitting area group may be adjacent or non-adjacent. The light-emitting areas in a light-emitting area group may be located in the same row or column, or in different rows or columns. When controlling scanning between groups, if the light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group and the second light-emitting area group have adjacent fields of view, the driving circuit may control the time difference between the time windows of the first light-emitting area group and the second light-emitting area group to be less than or equal to a time threshold, which can reduce the possibility of motion blur and improve the detection performance of the optical detection device.
[0100] The above embodiments illustrate a uniform detection effect within the field of view. In other embodiments, a non-uniform detection effect can also be achieved within the field of view. Please refer to Figure 15, which shows a structural schematic diagram of a light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the light source 1500 includes a first light source 1510 (blank square area) and a second light source 1520 (point-filled square area). For example, the second light source 1520 corresponds to a range enhanced area (REA), and the first light source 1510 corresponds to a non-REA area (blank square area). Compared to the second light source 1520 in the non-REA area, the first light source 1510 in the REA area can achieve higher detection performance, such as a longer detection distance, higher spatial resolution, etc. For example, the maximum detection distance of the second light source 1520 is greater than the maximum detection distance of the first light source 1510. For example, in Figure 15, the second light source 1520 is located in the central area of the first light source 1510. In other implementations, the second light source 1520 may be located elsewhere relative to the first light source 1510, such as at the left or right edge of the first light source 1510, or at the upper or lower edge of the first light source 1510, or in any other relative position relative to the first light source 1510. Furthermore, the sizes of the first and second light sources 1510, 1520, or the number or arrangement of the light-emitting zones included are merely examples. In other embodiments, the light-emitting zones may be greater or lesser, or arranged in other ways. For example, the number of light-emitting zones in the column direction may be greater than the number of light-emitting zones in the row direction, or the number of light-emitting zones in the row and column directions may be equal. Furthermore, as with the light-emitting zones in the above embodiments, the structure, shape, or size of the light-emitting zones is not limited here. Although the light-emitting zone of the second light source 1520 appears smaller than that of the first light source 1520 in FIG. 15 , this is merely illustrative; the light-emitting zone of the second light source 1520 may also be greater than that of the first light source 1520. The light-emitting area can have a certain field of view. The field of view of the light-emitting area of the second light source 1520 can be smaller than or equal to the field of view of the light-emitting area of the first light source 1520. In some embodiments, the light-emitting area of the second light source 1520 can have a smaller laser divergence angle. This more concentrated beam can facilitate detection at longer distances.
[0101] The second light source may also adopt the above parallel scanning method and / or the above inter-group scanning method. For example, the second light source includes a third light-emitting area group, and the third light-emitting area group includes at least two third light-emitting areas. The driving circuit may also drive the second light source, and the driving circuit drives at least two third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a third time window. For example, the driving circuit may drive at least two third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group to emit laser light at different timings or at the same timing within the third time window. The parallel scanning of the second light source may be implemented in the same or similar manner as the embodiment of the parallel scanning of the first light source. The inter-group scanning of the second light source may be implemented in the same or similar manner as the embodiment of the inter-group scanning of the first light source.
[0102] In some embodiments, the light source can also implement other methods of non-uniform detection. For example, please refer to Figure 16, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Light source 1600 includes a first light source 1610 (blank square area), a second light source 1620 (dot-filled square area), and a third light source 1630 (slash-filled square area). For example, the second light source 1620 and the third light source 1630 can correspond to REA areas. The maximum detection distance of the second light source 1620 is greater than the maximum detection distance of the third light source 1630, and the maximum detection distance of the third light source 1630 is greater than the maximum detection distance of the first light source 1610. In Figure 16, the second light source 1620 is located in the center area of the first light source 1610, and the third light source 1630 is arranged around the second light source 1620. This is only an example. In other implementations, the second light source 1620 can also be located at other positions of the first light source 1610, for example, at the left or right edge of the first light source 1610, or at the upper or lower edge of the first light source 1610, or have other relative positional relationships with the first light source 1610. The position of the third light source 1630 can be similarly configured. This disclosure does not limit the size, number of light-emitting zones, or arrangement of the second and third light sources 1620 and 1630. Similar to FIG15 , FIG16 does not limit the structure, shape, or size of the light-emitting zones within the different light sources. The third light source can also employ the aforementioned parallel scanning method and / or the aforementioned inter-group scanning method.
[0103] In the light source arrangement shown in Figures 15 and 16, the first light sources 1510 and 1610 can correspond to the edge field of view, such as the sky, where there are fewer objects, so the detection distance can be relatively smaller; for example, the ground, where the distance to the objects is closer, so the detection distance can be relatively smaller. The closer the detection distance of the edge area, the more detection time can be reserved for the central field of view, thereby achieving longer-distance detection of the area of interest. In other implementations, if the area of interest is not in the middle, the position of the second light source 1520 and 1620, or the third light source 1630, can be adjusted so that the area of interest has a longer-distance detection capability. The position of the second light source or the third light source can be adjusted according to the area of interest, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.
[0104] The following uses the light source shown in Figure 15 as an example to describe several scanning methods in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The light source shown in Figure 16 can be similarly expanded. The first light source scans in a manner that is the same as or similar to the parallel scanning and / or inter-group scanning in the aforementioned embodiment. The second light source scans in a manner that is the same as or similar to the parallel scanning and / or inter-group scanning in the aforementioned embodiment. The number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group in the first light source can be the same as or different from the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group in the second light source. Similarly, in Figure 16, some or all of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source scan in a manner that is the same as or similar to the parallel scanning and / or inter-group scanning in the aforementioned embodiment. The number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group in the first light source, the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group in the second light source, and the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group in the third light source can be all or part of the same, or all different.
[0105] Please refer to Figure 17, which shows a schematic diagram of another light source scanning method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 17, the light source includes a first light source and a second light source. The light-emitting area group of the second light source includes more light-emitting areas than the light-emitting area group of the first light source. Figure 17 uses five light-emitting areas as an example. In other embodiments, there may be more or fewer light-emitting areas. In addition, the light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area groups of the first light source on the left and right sides of the row where the second light source is located are adjacent, while the light-emitting areas included in the other light-emitting area groups of the first light source are not adjacent.
[0106] Please refer to Figure 18, which shows a schematic diagram of a scanning method of another light source provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 18, the light source may have a structure as shown in Figure 15. In the example shown in Figure 18, the light-emitting area group of the first light source includes two light-emitting areas, the two light-emitting areas are adjacent, and are scanned in a column-by-column order from top to bottom. The light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the second light source are not adjacent, and the light-emitting area group includes eight light-emitting areas. As described in the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the light-emitting area group of the first light source and the light-emitting area group of the second light source may also include more or fewer light-emitting areas, and the arrangement method and the like are not limited.
[0107] In the above embodiment of non-uniform detection, when inter-group scanning is performed on adjacent areas of different light sources, motion blur may also occur. The inter-group scanning method of the above embodiment can be referred to to reduce the probability of motion blur. For example, the scanning times of the luminous areas (luminous area groups) adjacent to the first light source in the REA area and the second light source in the non-REA area are similar, for example, the time difference between the time windows is less than or equal to the second time threshold (referred to as the second time threshold here to distinguish it from other time thresholds). For another example, the scanning times of the adjacent areas (luminous area groups) of different REA areas (e.g., the second light source and the third light source) are similar, for example, the time difference between the time windows is less than or equal to the third time threshold (referred to as the third time threshold here to distinguish it from other time thresholds). For example, the spacing distance between at least one first luminous area in the first luminous area group and at least one third luminous area in the third luminous area group is less than or equal to the second distance threshold, and the time difference between the first time window of the first luminous area group and the third time window of the third luminous area group is less than or equal to the second time threshold. For another example, the distance between at least one third light-emitting area in the third light-emitting area group and at least one fourth light-emitting area in the fourth light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a third distance threshold, and the time difference between the third time window of the third light-emitting area group and the fourth time window of the fourth light-emitting area group is less than or equal to the third time threshold. The first distance threshold, the second distance threshold, and the third distance threshold can be all equal, partially equal, or all different; the first time threshold, the second time threshold, and the third time threshold can be all equal, partially equal, or all different. The first light-emitting area group, the third light-emitting area group, and the fourth light-emitting area group belong to different light sources. For example, the first light-emitting area group can belong to the first light source, the third light-emitting area group can belong to the second light source, and the fourth light-emitting area group can belong to the third light source.
[0108] A laser emitting device may include one or more light sources. When a laser emitting device includes multiple light sources, the ranging capabilities of different light sources may differ, or in other words, the maximum detection ranges may differ. The maximum detection range may indicate the maximum distance that a laser radar can detect when the light source emits laser light. The maximum detection range may be related to parameters such as the intensity and number of laser pulses emitted by the light source. The maximum detection range of a first light source is a first value. The maximum detection range of a second light source is a second value. The maximum detection range of a third light source is a third value. The first, second, and third values may differ at least in part. For example, the first value may be less than the second value. Another example is that the first value may be less than the second value, and the second value may be less than the third value. The fields of view of different light sources may be the same or different. For example, the fields of view of different light sources may at least not completely overlap, such as not overlapping at all or partially overlapping. In another example, the field of view of one light source may be a subset of the field of view of another light source. For example, if first light source 1510 has a larger field of view than second light source 1520, the field of view of second light source 1520 is a subset of the field of view of first light source 1510. For another example, the first light source 1610 has a larger field of view than the second light source 1620 and the third light source 1630. The fields of view of the second light source 1620 and the third light source 1630 are subsets of the field of view of the first light source. The fields of view of the second light source 1620 and the third light source 1630 can be the same or different. For example, the field of view of the second light source 1620 is a subset of the field of view of the third light source 1630.
[0109] The light sources included in the laser emitting device can all adopt the above-mentioned parallel scanning method and / or inter-group scanning method. The specific implementation can refer to the description of any of the above embodiments. The time window size of the light-emitting area groups of different light sources can be the same or different. The number of light-emitting areas included in the light-emitting area groups of different light sources can be the same or different. The number of light-emitting areas scanned in the light-emitting area groups of different light sources can be the same or different, and the laser pulse intensity can be the same or different. In one implementation, to achieve a longer detection range for the REA area (e.g., the detection area corresponding to the second light source or the third light source described above), higher-intensity laser pulses and longer laser pulse intervals can be used. For example, the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the second light source 1520 or 1620 is greater than the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the first light source 1510 or 1610. In one implementation, the number of third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group is greater than the number of first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group. For another example, the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the second light source 1620 is greater than the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the third light source 1630. The number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the third light source 1630 is greater than the number of light-emitting areas in the light-emitting area group of the first light source 1610. In one implementation, the third light source includes a fourth light-emitting area group, and the number of fourth light-emitting areas in the fourth light-emitting area group is greater than the number of first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group and less than the number of third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group.
[0110] Based on the same or similar technical concept, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a control method that can be executed by the above control circuit or control and processing system. The control method can be a control method for light source emission, a control method for laser radar detection, or a control method for laser radar. As shown in Figure 19, the control method includes:
[0111] S191: Determine the first control instruction.
[0112] S192: Send a first control instruction to the laser emitting device. This first control instruction can be used to control the laser emitting device's driver circuit to drive at least one light source. This implements the aforementioned parallel scanning and / or inter-group scanning. For example, at least two light-emitting areas within a light-emitting area group of at least one light source emit laser light within a single time window. For details on how to implement scanning, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the preceding embodiments and will not be repeated here.
[0113] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to Figure 13, the first control instruction can control the driving transistor E1 of the row driving circuit and the driving transistor E2 of the column driving circuit, and change the state of the corresponding trigger signal by controlling the conduction and cutoff of the driving transistor to drive the light source.
[0114] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG19 , the above method further includes:
[0115] S193: Determine the second control instruction.
[0116] S194: Sending a second control instruction to the laser receiving device. When the first light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device emits laser light within the first time window, the second control instruction can be used to control at least one first detection area of the laser receiving device to activate within the first time window. The at least one first detection area corresponds to the first light-emitting area group. The second control instruction can control the detection circuit of the laser receiving device to activate the at least one detection area of the laser receiving device.
[0117] Similarly, when the first control instruction controls the second light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device to emit laser light within the second time window, the second control instruction can control at least one second detection area of the laser receiving device to activate within the second time window, and the at least one second detection area corresponds to the second light-emitting area group. When the first control instruction controls the third light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device to emit laser light within the third time window, the second control instruction can control at least one third detection area of the laser receiving device to activate within the third time window, and the at least one third detection area corresponds to the third light-emitting area group. More corresponding light-emitting area groups and detection areas are similarly configured.
[0118] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a device for controlling light emission of a light source, comprising a unit or means for executing the steps of any of the above methods for controlling light emission of a light source.
[0119] The division of the control device's units can be a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or physically separated. The control device's functions can be implemented by a processor invoking software. For example, a system includes a processor connected to a memory storing instructions. The memory invokes the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods for controlling light source illumination. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), and the memory can be memory within the control device or external to the control device. Alternatively, the control device's functions can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, which can be implemented through the design of the hardware circuits. The hardware circuit can be understood as one or more processors. For example, the hardware circuit can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which implements the functions of some or all of the above units by designing the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. For another example, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD), which can include a large number of logic gates. The logical relationships between the logic gates are configured using a configuration file to implement the above control device's functions. Alternatively, the above implementations can be combined, with some functions of the control device being implemented by the processor calling programs and some functions being implemented by hardware circuits. The components of the control device can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system on chip (SOC).
[0120] For example, please refer to Figure 20, which is a structural diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The control device can be the above-mentioned control circuit or control and processing system. The control device can be a control device for light source emission, a control device for laser radar detection, or a control device for laser radar. As shown in Figure 20, the control device 2000 for light source emission includes a processor 2010 and a first interface 2020. The processor 2010 can be used to determine a first control instruction and send the first control instruction to the laser emitting device through the first interface 2020. The first control instruction can be used to control the driving circuit of the laser emitting device to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device. The control device 2000 includes a second interface 2030. The processor 2010 can be used to determine a second control instruction and send the second control instruction to the laser receiving device through the second interface 2030. The second control instruction can be used to control the detection circuit of the laser receiving device to drive at least one detection area of the laser receiving device. For example, when a first control instruction controls the first light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device to emit laser light within a first time window, a second control instruction can control at least one first detection area of the laser receiving device to activate within the first time window, where the at least one first detection area corresponds to the first light-emitting area group. The laser emitting device and the laser receiving device can be described in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.
[0121] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor may be a circuit having a signal processing capability. For example, the processor may be a circuit having the capability to read and execute instructions, such as a CPU, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). For another example, the processor may implement its functions through the logical relationship of a hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the hardware circuit may be fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by an ASIC or PLD, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the processor loads a configuration document to implement the process of configuring the hardware circuit, which may be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement its functions.
[0122] In addition, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon, wherein when the instructions are called by a processor, any one of the control methods in the above embodiments is executed. For example, the computer-readable storage medium can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, a laser disc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.
[0123] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program (or computer program product), comprising instructions, which, when called by a processor, execute any one of the control methods in the above embodiments.
[0124] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant description of other embodiments. In addition, the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed.
Claims
1. A laser emitting device, characterized in that: include: a first light source and a driving circuit; The first light source includes a first light emitting area group, and the first light emitting area group includes at least two first light emitting areas; The driving circuit is used to drive the first light source, wherein the driving circuit drives the at least two first light-emitting areas of the first light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a first time window.
2. The laser emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving circuit is used to drive the at least two first light-emitting areas to emit lasers in different time sequences within the first time window.
3. The laser emitting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first light source includes a first light emitting area array, in which the at least two first light emitting areas are not adjacent to each other.
4. The laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first light source includes a first light-emitting area array, and the at least two first light-emitting areas are located in the same row or column of the first light-emitting area array.
5. The laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first light source further includes a second light emitting area group, and the second light emitting area group includes at least two second light emitting areas; The driving circuit is further configured to drive the at least two second light-emitting areas in the second light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a second time window.
6. The laser emitting device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving circuit is used to drive the at least two second light-emitting areas to emit laser light in different time sequences within the second time window.
7. The laser emitting device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: A time difference between the first time window and the second time window is less than or equal to a first time threshold, and a spacing distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one second light-emitting area in the second light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a first distance threshold.
8. The laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The laser emitting device further includes a second light source, and the maximum detection distance of the second light source is greater than the maximum detection distance of the first light source.
9. The laser emitting device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second light source includes a third light emitting area group, and the third light emitting area group includes at least two third light emitting areas; The driving circuit is further configured to drive the second light source, wherein the driving circuit drives the at least two third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group to emit laser light within a third time window.
10. The laser emitting device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The driving circuit is used to drive the at least two third light-emitting areas to emit lasers in different time sequences within the third time window.
11. The laser emitting device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The number of third light-emitting areas in the third light-emitting area group is greater than the number of first light-emitting areas in the first light-emitting area group.
12. The laser emitting device according to claims 9-11, characterized in that: A time difference between the first time window and the third time window is less than or equal to a second time threshold, and a spacing distance between at least one first light-emitting area in the first light-emitting area group and at least one third light-emitting area in the third light-emitting area group is less than or equal to a second distance threshold.
13. The laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The driving circuit drives the at least two first light-emitting areas to alternately emit laser light within the first time window; or, The driving circuit drives the at least two first light-emitting areas to randomly emit laser light within the first time window.
14. A method for controlling light emission of a light source, characterized in that: include: determining a first control instruction; The first control instruction is sent to the laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and the driving circuit of the laser emitting device is controlled by the first control instruction to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device.
15. The control method according to claim 14, characterized in that: Also includes: determining a second control instruction; The second control instruction is sent to the laser receiving device. When the first light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device emits laser within the first time window, the second control instruction is used to control at least one first detection area of the laser receiving device to start within the first time window, and the at least one first detection area corresponds to the first light-emitting area group.
16. A light source control device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a first interface, the processor being used to determine a first control instruction and to send the first control instruction to the laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 through the first interface, wherein the first control instruction is used to control the driving circuit of the laser emitting device to drive at least one light source of the laser emitting device.
17. The control device according to claim 16, characterized in that Also includes: Second interface; The processor is also used to determine a second control instruction and send the second control instruction to the laser receiving device through the second interface, wherein the second control instruction is used to control the detection circuit of the laser receiving device to drive at least one detection area of the laser receiving device, wherein when the first control instruction controls the first light-emitting area group of the laser emitting device to emit laser within the first time window, the second control instruction controls at least one first detection area of the laser receiving device to start within the first time window, and the at least one first detection area corresponds to the first light-emitting area group.
18. An optical detection device, characterized in that: include: A laser emitting system, comprising a laser emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, for emitting laser light; The laser receiving system includes a laser receiving device for receiving the echo of the laser reflected by the object and converting the echo into an echo signal; A control and processing system is used to determine information about the object based on the echo signal.
19. A terminal device, characterized in that: Comprising the optical detection device as claimed in claim 16.
20. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the control method according to claim 14 is performed.
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