Laser radar control method and laser radar

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a laser radar control method and a laser radar. The laser radar comprises a laser array and a detector array, forming a plurality of detection channels; the plurality of detection channels comprise a first detection channel and a second detection channel; the first detection channel comprises at least one first laser and at least one first detector; and the second detection channel comprises at least one second laser and at least one second detector. The control method comprises: at least on the basis of at least one exposure of a first detection channel, determining at least one of an output signal of a first detector or an output signal of a second detector; and on the basis of at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector, determining at least one of exposure parameters of the first detection channel or exposure parameters of a second detection channel. The present disclosure can achieve feedback control of exposure parameters of a current detection channel or another detection channel on the basis of an output signal of the current detection channel or another detection channel, and is applicable to local exposure or global exposure, so that crosstalk between detection channels, high reflectivity-induced ghosting, and high reflectivity-induced broadening can be efficiently suppressed, and the signal-to-noise ratio and frame rate of the laser radar can be improved, improving the accuracy of detection results of the laser radar.

Description

Laser radar control method and laser radar Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of laser radar, and in particular to a control method of a laser radar and a laser radar. Background Art

[0002] LiDAR (LiDAR) is a radar system that uses laser beams to detect target characteristics such as position and velocity. It is an advanced detection method that combines laser technology with photoelectric detection technology. Due to its advantages such as high resolution, good concealment, strong resistance to active interference, excellent low-altitude detection performance, small size, and light weight, LiDAR is widely used in autonomous driving, transportation communications, drones, intelligent robots, resource exploration, and other fields.

[0003] LiDAR can include a laser array and a detector array, forming multiple detection channels. A detection channel includes one or more lasers and one or more detectors. Improving LiDAR's detection performance, for example, by reducing crosstalk between different detection channels, controlling the exposure of detection channels, and suppressing high-reflection broadening, are technical challenges that need to be addressed in this field.

[0004] The contents of the background technology section are merely the technologies known to the inventors and do not necessarily represent the existing technologies in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to one or more problems existing in the prior art, the present disclosure provides a control method for a laser radar.

[0006] The laser radar includes a laser array and a detector array, forming multiple detection channels, wherein the multiple detection channels include a first detection channel and a second detection channel. The first detection channel includes at least one first laser and at least one first detector, and the second detection channel includes at least one second laser and at least one second detector.

[0007] The control method includes: determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel; and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector.

[0008] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0009] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector is lower than a second threshold, increasing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0010] Optionally, the control method further includes: repeatedly determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector, and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector, until the determined at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector meets a preset condition.

[0011] Optionally, the output signal of the first detector exceeding the first threshold comprises: at least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeding a first amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a first width threshold.

[0012] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the second detector, wherein when the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0013] Optionally, the output signal of the second detector exceeding the third threshold comprises: at least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeding a third amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a third width threshold.

[0014] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a fourth threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the second laser.

[0015] Optionally, the first detection channel is adjacent to the second detection channel; the first detection channel includes multiple first lasers, and the second detection channel includes multiple second lasers; the multiple first lasers are arranged in one or more rows; and the multiple second lasers are arranged in one or more rows.

[0016] Optionally, the control method includes: controlling one or more rows of lasers of at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to perform exposure sequentially or synchronously.

[0017] Optionally, the multiple detection channels include a third detection channel, and the third detection channel includes at least one third laser and at least one third detector; the control method includes: controlling the third detection channel and at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to be simultaneously selected.

[0018] Optionally, the exposure parameters include at least one of the light-emitting moment of the laser or the opening time window of the detector.

[0019] Optionally, determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector includes: determining the output signal of the first detector.

[0020] Optionally, determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the object distance based on the output signal of the first detector; and determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector based on the object distance.

[0021] Optionally, determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector includes: adjusting at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector.

[0022] Optionally, determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining at least one of the exposure parameters of subsequent rounds or the current round of the first detection channel; or determining at least one of the exposure parameters of subsequent rounds or the current round of the second detection channel.

[0023] Optionally, the control method further includes: determining a current detection result of the first detection channel according to an output signal of the first detector determined by multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel.

[0024] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar, which includes a transmitter, a detector and a controller. The transmitter includes a laser array, and the transmitter is configured to emit a light beam. The detector includes a detector array, and the detector is configured to receive the echo of the light beam reflected on an object and convert the echo into an electrical signal. The controller is coupled to the transmitter and the detector. The laser array and the detector array constitute a plurality of detection channels, and the plurality of detection channels include a first detection channel and a second detection channel, the first detection channel includes at least one first laser and at least one first detector, and the second detection channel includes at least one second laser and at least one second detector. The controller is configured to perform the following operations: determine at least one of the output signal of the first detector and the output signal of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel; and determine at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector.

[0025] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0026] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, and when the output signal of the first detector is lower than a second threshold, increasing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0027] Optionally, the controller is further configured to perform the following operations: repeatedly determine at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector, and determine at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector, until the determined at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector meets a preset condition.

[0028] Optionally, the output signal of the first detector exceeding the first threshold comprises: at least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeding a first amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a first width threshold.

[0029] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the second detector, wherein when the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the first laser.

[0030] Optionally, the output signal of the second detector exceeding the third threshold comprises: at least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeding a third amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a third width threshold.

[0031] Optionally, the exposure parameters include the luminous intensity of the laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a fourth threshold, reducing the luminous intensity of the second laser.

[0032] Optionally, the first detection channel is adjacent to the second detection channel; the first detection channel includes multiple first lasers, and the second detection channel includes multiple second lasers; the multiple first lasers are arranged in one or more rows; and the multiple second lasers are arranged in one or more rows.

[0033] Optionally, the controller is further configured to perform the following operations: controlling one or more rows of lasers of at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to perform exposure sequentially or synchronously.

[0034] Optionally, the multiple detection channels include a third detection channel, and the third detection channel includes at least one third laser and at least one third detector; the controller is also configured to perform the following operations: control the third detection channel and at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to be simultaneously selected.

[0035] Optionally, the exposure parameters include at least one of the light-emitting moment of the laser or the opening time window of the detector.

[0036] Optionally, the operation of determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector includes: determining the output signal of the first detector.

[0037] Optionally, the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining the object distance based on the output signal of the first detector; and determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector based on the object distance.

[0038] Optionally, the operation of determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector includes: adjusting at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector.

[0039] Optionally, the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel includes: determining at least one of the exposure parameters of subsequent rounds or the current round of the first detection channel; or determining at least one of the exposure parameters of subsequent rounds or the current round of the second detection channel.

[0040] Optionally, the controller is configured to perform the following operations: determine the current detection result of the first detection channel according to the output signal of the first detector determined by multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel.

[0041] Optionally, the laser includes at least one of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser or an edge emitting laser, and the detector includes at least one of a single photon avalanche diode, an avalanche photodiode or a silicon photomultiplier tube.

[0042] Optionally, the laser radar further includes a transmitting optical component and a receiving optical component, the light beam is emitted to the outside of the laser radar through the transmitting optical component, and the echo is incident on the detector through the receiving optical component.

[0043] The control method of the laser radar disclosed in the present invention determines at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel, and determines at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel according to at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector. It can determine the exposure parameters of the present detection channel or other detection channels according to the detection results of the present detection channel or other detection channels, and realize feedback control of the exposure parameters of the present detection channel or other detection channels. It is suitable for local exposure or global exposure, can effectively suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening phenomena between detection channels, can improve the signal-to-noise ratio and frame rate of the laser radar, and improve the accuracy of the laser radar detection results.

[0044] The present disclosure also provides a laser emitting assembly with a stacked structure, which enables the laser to achieve high-efficiency and high-power light emission.

[0045] The laser emission assembly includes a laser chip, a switch chip, and a first driver chip. The laser chip integrates multiple lasers arranged in a two-dimensional array; the switch chip integrates multiple first switches; the multiple lasers include lasers, and the multiple first switches include a first switch; the lasers are connected to the first switches; the first driver chip is connected to the switch chip and is configured to control the conduction or disconnection of the first switch; the switch chip is stacked between the laser chip and the first driver chip.

[0046] Optionally, the first driver chip includes a plurality of first drivers, wherein the plurality of first drivers include a first driver, the first switch is connected to the first driver, and the first driver is configured to control the on or off of the first switch.

[0047] Optionally, the laser comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser; the first switch comprises a gallium nitride transistor; and the first driver is connected to a gate of the gallium nitride transistor.

[0048] Optionally, the laser chip includes metal contacts, which are located on a surface opposite to a light-emitting surface of the laser chip, and the laser chip is electrically connected to the switch chip via the metal contacts.

[0049] Optionally, the switch chip includes a via hole, and the first driver chip is electrically connected to the switch chip through the via hole.

[0050] The present disclosure also provides another laser emitting component with a stacked structure, the laser emitting component including a laser chip and multiple second driver chips; the laser chip integrates multiple lasers, and the multiple lasers are arranged in a two-dimensional array; the multiple second driver chips are connected to the laser chip, and the multiple second driver chips include a second driver chip, and the second driver chip integrates multiple second switches; at least one second switch in the second driver chip is connected to at least one second switch in other second driver chips; the multiple driver chips are stacked, and the laser chip is stacked on the multiple second driver chips.

[0051] Optionally, the laser includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser; the plurality of second switches include a second switch, and the second switch includes a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

[0052] Optionally, at least one of the plurality of second driver chips further includes a plurality of second drivers, and the plurality of second drivers are configured to control the on or off of the second switch.

[0053] Optionally, at least one second switch in the second driver chip is connected in parallel with at least one second switch in other second driver chips; the multiple second driver chips include multiple second switch groups, the multiple second switch groups include a second switch group, the second switch group includes multiple second switches in parallel; the laser emission assembly includes at least one light-emitting path, the light-emitting path includes the laser and the second switch group, and the laser is connected to the second switch group.

[0054] Optionally, the plurality of second switches in the same second switch group are configured to be turned on or off synchronously.

[0055] Optionally, the second driver chip includes a via hole, and the second driver chip is electrically connected to the laser chip through the via hole.

[0056] The present disclosure also provides another laser emitting component with a stacked structure, the laser emitting component including a laser chip and a third driver chip; the laser chip integrates multiple lasers, and the multiple lasers are arranged in a two-dimensional array; the third driver chip is connected to the laser chip, and the third driver chip integrates multiple third switches and multiple third drivers; wherein the multiple third switches include a third switch, the third switch is connected to the multiple lasers, and the laser chip is stacked on the third driver chip.

[0057] Optionally, the laser includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser; and the third switch includes a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

[0058] Optionally, among the plurality of lasers connected to the third switch, one of the cathode and the anode thereof is connected to the third switch.

[0059] The present disclosure also relates to a transmitting module of a laser radar, which comprises the laser transmitting assembly as described above, and the laser transmitting assembly is configured to be connected to a power supply.

[0060] Optionally, the transmitting module further includes a voltage limiter, which is connected to both ends of the first switch or the second switch or the third switch in the laser transmitting assembly, and the voltage limiter is configured to limit the voltage across both ends of the first switch or the second switch or the third switch to be less than a preset voltage, and the preset voltage is less than the voltage of the power supply.

[0061] Optionally, the voltage limiter includes a resistor or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

[0062] Optionally, the transmitting module further includes a bootstrap capacitor; the bootstrap capacitor is configured to be connected between a first end of the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch and a second preset voltage source.

[0063] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar, which includes a transmitting module, a receiving module and a processor as described above; the transmitting module is configured to transmit a detection beam; the receiving module is configured to receive an echo generated after the detection beam is reflected on an object and generate an electrical signal; the processor is connected to the receiving module and is configured to determine at least one of the distance and reflectivity of the object based on the electrical signal.

[0064] The present disclosure can shorten the length of the connecting wires in the light-emitting circuit, reduce the resistance in the light-emitting circuit, increase the upper limit of the current allowed to flow through the laser, improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser in the light-emitting path, and increase the light-emitting power of the laser, so that the laser can achieve high-efficiency and high-power light emission by stacking the first driver chip, the switch chip and the laser chip. The present disclosure also provides a transmitter module for a laser radar, a laser radar, and a control method for a laser radar. On the one hand, in the implementation of the present disclosure, the light-emitting cavity included in the laser chip can be used as the smallest unit to be driven, so that each light-emitting cavity included in the laser chip can be independently controlled, and the laser chip can be driven in a refined manner, thereby improving the performance of the laser radar. On the other hand, the implementation of the present disclosure is conducive to the compact layout of the transmitter module in the laser radar, which is suitable for small radar system applications, and has a low manufacturing cost and is easy to expand the transmitter module by stacking with the laser chip.

[0065] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a transmitter module for a laser radar is provided, characterized in that it includes: a laser chip including a plurality of light-emitting cavities; a laser driver chip including a plurality of fourth switches, the laser driver chip being connected to the laser chip, the laser driver chip being configured to drive the laser chip to emit laser light, at least one of the plurality of fourth switches being connected to at least one of the plurality of light-emitting cavities, and the fourth switch being configured to be turned on or off; and a fifth switch being configured to be connected to the laser driver chip, wherein when the fifth switch is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser light.

[0066] The transmitter module according to any of the above aspects is characterized in that the laser radar also includes a receiver module, which includes a plurality of receivers configured to receive echoes, wherein the light-emitting cavity corresponds to one or more of the plurality of receivers, and the on or off state of the fourth switch is determined at least based on the echo received by the receiver corresponding to the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch.

[0067] The transmitter module according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the laser chip is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser chip.

[0068] The transmitter module according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the fourth switch is implemented as a Si-MOS switch.

[0069] The transmitter module according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the fifth switch is implemented as a GaN switch.

[0070] The transmitter module according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that a plurality of the fourth switches are connected in parallel, and a plurality of the parallel fourth switches are connected in series with the fifth switch.

[0071] The transmitter module according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the transmitter module comprises a plurality of the fifth switches, wherein the fifth switches are connected in series with part of the plurality of the fourth switches.

[0072] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a laser radar is provided, characterized in that it includes: a transmitter module configured to emit a light beam, the transmitter module including: a laser chip including a plurality of light-emitting cavities; a laser driver chip including a plurality of fourth switches, the laser driver chip being connected to the laser chip, the laser driver chip being configured to drive the laser chip to emit laser light, at least one of the plurality of fourth switches being connected to at least one of the plurality of light-emitting cavities; and a fifth switch being configured to be connected to the laser driver chip; and a receiver module including a plurality of receivers configured to receive echoes, wherein the light-emitting cavities correspond to one or more of the plurality of receivers; and a controller being configured to output signals to the transmitter module to control the conduction or disconnection of the plurality of fourth switches and the fifth switch.

[0073] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the signal includes a first signal and a second signal, the fourth switch is configured to be turned on or off in response to the first signal, and the fifth switch is configured to be turned on or off in response to the second signal.

[0074] When the fifth switch is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser light.

[0075] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the first signal of the fourth switch is determined based at least on the echo received by the receiver corresponding to the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch.

[0076] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the fourth switch is implemented as a Si-MOS switch.

[0077] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the fifth switch is implemented as a GaN switch.

[0078] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the laser chip is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser chip.

[0079] The laser radar according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the multiple fourth switches are connected in parallel, and the multiple parallel fourth switches are connected in series with the fifth switch.

[0080] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a laser radar as described in any of the above aspects is provided, the method comprising: determining the signal based at least on the echo received by the receiver module; and outputting the signal to the transmitter module by a controller.

[0081] As a method according to any of the above aspects, it is characterized in that the signal includes a first signal and a second signal, and the method further includes: outputting the first signal to the laser driver chip, and in response to the first signal, the fourth switch is configured to be turned on or off; and outputting the second signal to the fifth switch, and in response to the second signal, the fifth switch is configured to be turned on or off, wherein when the fifth switch is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser.

[0082] The method according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the method further comprises: determining the first signal based at least on an echo received by a receiver corresponding to the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch.

[0083] The method according to any one of the above aspects is characterized in that the fourth switch is configured to be turned on or off before the fifth switch is turned on. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0084] To 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, identify other drawings based on 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.

[0085] FIG1a is a schematic diagram showing the principle of ghosting in a point cloud.

[0086] FIG1b shows a schematic diagram of a point cloud where ghosts are generated.

[0087] FIG1c shows a schematic diagram of an example of a lidar global exposure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] FIG1 d shows a schematic diagram of a lidar global exposure example according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0089] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] FIG3 shows a flowchart of an example of a method for controlling a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] FIG4 a shows a schematic diagram of controlling exposure parameters of a first detection channel based on an output signal of a first detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0092] FIG4 b shows a schematic diagram of controlling the exposure parameters of the second detection channel according to the output signal of the second detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0093] FIG4 c shows a schematic diagram of controlling the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the second detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] FIG4 d shows a schematic diagram of controlling the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0095] FIG5 a shows a schematic diagram of an example of row exposure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0096] FIG5 b is a schematic diagram showing an example of row exposure according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] FIG5 c is a schematic diagram showing an example of row exposure according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] FIG6 a shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser array at a certain light-emitting moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0099] FIG6 b shows a schematic diagram of an example of a detector array at a certain receiving moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0100] FIG6 c shows a schematic diagram of a laser array at another light-emitting moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0101] FIG6 d shows a schematic diagram of a detector array at another receiving moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0102] FIG. 7 a shows a schematic diagram of an example of synchronized exposure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0103] FIG. 7 b shows a schematic diagram of an asynchronous exposure example according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0104] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a lidar example according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0105] 9a to 9c show optical path diagrams of examples of laser radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0106] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0107] FIG11 shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0108] FIG12 shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0109] FIG13 shows a schematic diagram of a laser emitting assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0110] FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0111] FIG15 shows a schematic diagram of a switch chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0112] FIG16 shows a schematic diagram of a first driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] FIG17 shows a connection diagram of a laser, a first switch, and a first driver in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] FIG18 shows a schematic diagram of a laser emitting assembly according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0115] FIG19 shows a schematic diagram of a second driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0116] FIG20 shows a schematic diagram of a second driver chip according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0117] FIG21 shows a schematic diagram of the connection between a laser and a second switch group according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0118] FIG22 shows a circuit connection diagram of a second switch group according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0119] FIG23 shows a schematic diagram of a laser emitting assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0120] FIG. 24 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0121] FIG. 25 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0122] FIG26 shows a schematic diagram of a third driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0123] FIG. 27 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between multiple lasers and a third switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0124] FIG28 is a schematic diagram showing the corresponding relationship between multiple lasers and a third switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0125] FIG29 shows a schematic diagram of a transmitting module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0126] FIG30 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a transmitting module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0127] FIG31 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a transmitting module according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0128] FIG32 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a transmitting module according to some further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0129] FIG33 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a transmitting module according to some further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0130] Figure 34 shows a schematic diagram of a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0131] FIG35 shows an example of a laser chip driving solution;

[0132] FIG36 shows an example of a transmitter module for a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0133] FIG37 shows a schematic diagram of another example of a transmitter module for a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0134] FIG38 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0135] FIG39 shows a flowchart of an example of a lidar control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0136] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0137] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the components or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0138] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections; mechanical, electrical, or intercommunication connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal connectivity between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0139] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0140] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for realizing different structures of the present disclosure. In order to simplify the present disclosure, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present disclosure provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0141] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, and are not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0142] LiDAR can include multiple lasers and multiple detectors, which can form multiple detection channels. Each detection channel can detect a direction within the LiDAR detection field of view. When there are highly reflective objects (for example, objects with a reflectivity greater than 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99%, etc.) in the LiDAR application scenario, such as traffic signs such as highway signs, license plates, taillights, etc., crosstalk between different detection channels is likely to occur, resulting in high-reflectivity ghosting.

[0143] Figure 1a illustrates the principle behind ghosting in a point cloud. As shown in Figure 1a, the light beam emitted by the second detection channel, channel 2, detects a highly reflective object in its detection direction. Reflected by the highly reflective object, the resulting echo signal is amplified, causing the first detection channel, channel 1, operating in parallel, to also receive an interfering echo signal from the second detection channel, channel 2. Due to the higher intensity of the interfering echo signal, channel 1 mistakenly interprets the interfering echo as originating from its own detection direction, mistakenly believing it has detected an object where none actually exists (for example, the location indicated by the dotted circle in Figure 1a), resulting in ghosting in the point cloud.

[0144] Figure 1b shows a schematic diagram of a point cloud that produces ghosting. As shown in Figure 1b, after the LiDAR detects a highly reflective object, the generated point cloud image of the highly reflective object (e.g., the rectangular dashed box in Figure 1b) will diffuse outward (e.g., the circled area in Figure 1b), causing the image size of the highly reflective object in the point cloud to increase, resulting in a phenomenon called high-reflectivity broadening (expansion).

[0145] In some embodiments, the multiple detection channels of the laser radar can operate independently; in other embodiments, the multiple detection channels of the laser radar can operate in parallel. Parallel operation can be in the time dimension. For example, multiple detection channels are activated within the same time range, which can be regarded as multiple detection channels operating in parallel. When all detection channels operate in parallel, it is called global exposure. Figure 1c shows a schematic diagram of an example of global exposure of a laser radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1c, the laser radar may include a laser array 110 and a detector array 120. The laser array 110 and the detector array 120 may constitute multiple detection channels. The laser radar may also include a transmitting optical component M1 and a receiving optical component M2. When the laser radar is globally exposed, the light beam emitted by the laser 111 is reflected by the objects OB1 and OB2, and is received by the detector 121 to generate a point cloud image OB1' and a point cloud image OB2'. As can be seen from Figure 1c, the point cloud image OB1' shows a high-reflection broadening phenomenon, and it can be determined that the object OB1 is a high-reflection object. It should be noted that Figure 1c illustrates global exposure of the LiDAR. In other embodiments, Figure 1c may also illustrate local exposure of the LiDAR. When some detection channels of the LiDAR operate in parallel, this is called local exposure. For example, Figure 1c may also illustrate the parallel exposure of some adjacent detection channels.

[0146] For LiDAR, especially those with multiple detection channels, crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening can all affect the accuracy of LiDAR detection results. When a LiDAR is globally exposed or when several adjacent detection channels are exposed in parallel, crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening are exacerbated by the parallel operation of multiple detectors across multiple detection channels, impacting the accuracy of LiDAR detection results.

[0147] Figure 1d shows a schematic diagram of an example of global exposure of a laser radar according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. When the laser radar is globally exposed, the exposure parameters of the detection channels corresponding to the high-reflection areas can be adaptively adjusted through local exposure control to suppress crosstalk between detection channels and high-reflection broadening. Independently controlling the exposure parameters of part (for example, one or several) of the detection channels of the laser radar is called local exposure control. As shown in Figure 1d, after local exposure control (for example, the light shaded part in Figure 1d), the point cloud image OB1' of the object OB1 and the point cloud image OB2' of the object OB2 are clearer than the point cloud images of the global exposure without local exposure control in the example of Figure 1c, and the high-reflection broadening is effectively suppressed, which can improve the accuracy of the laser radar detection results.

[0148] The present disclosure provides a control method for a laser radar. The laser radar includes a laser array and a detector array, which constitute multiple detection channels. The multiple detection channels include a first detection channel and a second detection channel. The first detection channel includes at least one first laser and at least one first detector, and the second detection channel includes at least one second laser and at least one second detector. The control method includes: determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel; and determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector. The control method of the present disclosure can determine the exposure parameters of the detection channel or other detection channels based on the detection results of the detection channel or other detection channels, and perform feedback control on the exposure parameters of the detection channel or other detection channels. It is applicable to local exposure or global exposure, can effectively suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening between detection channels, can improve the signal-to-noise ratio and frame rate of the laser radar, and improve the accuracy of the laser radar detection results.

[0149] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG3 shows a flow chart of an example of a control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 and FIG3, the laser radar 100 includes a laser array 110 and a detector array 120. The laser array 110 and the detector array 120 constitute multiple detection channels. The multiple detection channels include a first detection channel channel 1 and a second detection channel channel 2. The first detection channel channel 1 includes at least one first laser 111 and at least one first detector 121 (for example, FIG2 shows one first laser 111 and one first detector 121). The second detection channel channel 2 includes at least one second laser 112 and at least one second detector 122 (for example, FIG2 shows one second laser 112 and one second detector 122). The control method 200 includes steps S210 and S220. In step S210, at least one of the output signal of the first detector 121 or the output signal of the second detector 122 is determined based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel channel 1. In step S220 , at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel channel 1 or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel channel 2 is determined according to at least one of the output signal of the first detector 121 or the output signal of the second detector 122 .

[0150] In this disclosure, the term "determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel" should be understood broadly. For example, it can be understood to mean determining a current value or a target value of at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel, determining a control strategy, executing the control strategy, etc. The control strategy may include adjusting the exposure parameter or maintaining the exposure parameter.

[0151] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector can be determined based on one or more exposures of the first detection channel. Exposure parameters for the first detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the first detector. Exposure parameters may include the laser's luminous intensity, the energy emitted by the laser, the number of laser pulses, and the pulse width. The following uses the laser's luminous intensity as an example. When the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser can be reduced. When the output signal of the first detector falls below a second threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser can be increased. As shown in Figure 4a, the first detection channel 1 can include one or more first lasers 111 and one or more first detectors 121. The first laser 111 can emit a light beam. The first detector 121 can receive the echo reflected from the incident object, convert the echo into an electrical signal, and output it. Based on the output signal of the first detector 121, the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel 1 can be determined. Based on the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel 1, the exposure parameters for the first detection channel 1 can be determined. When the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the echo intensity received by the first detector 121 is high, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel 1 is high. The luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be reduced to suppress high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening and reduce power consumption. When the output signal of the first detector 121 is lower than the second threshold, it is determined that the echo intensity received by the first detector 121 is low, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel 1 is low or the distance is far. The luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range-finding capability of the laser radar. When the output signal of the first detector 121 meets the preset conditions (for example, the output signal of the first detector 121 is not higher than the first threshold and not lower than the second threshold), the luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be maintained, so that the laser radar operates stably and maintains robustness. Based on the output signal of this detection channel (for example, the first detection channel), the detection result of this detection channel can be determined. According to the detection result of this detection channel, the object reflectivity of this detection channel can be determined. According to the object reflectivity of this detection channel, the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be determined. The control strategy of the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be determined. Feedback control of the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be realized. Local exposure control of the laser radar can be realized. High-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening phenomena can be effectively suppressed. The signal-to-noise ratio can be improved. The accuracy of the laser radar detection results can be improved.When the lidar is globally exposed, each detection channel can determine the exposure parameters of its own detection channel based on the detection results of its own detection channel and perform feedback control. This can not only suppress high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection phenomena, reduce crosstalk between detection channels, improve the signal-to-noise ratio, and improve the accuracy of lidar detection results, but also increase the frame rate. One global exposure can generate one frame of point cloud, which can improve the detection efficiency of the lidar.

[0152] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector exceeding the first threshold includes: the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeding at least one of the first amplitude threshold or the width exceeding the first width threshold. For example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the first amplitude threshold. In another example, the width of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the first width threshold. In another example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the first amplitude threshold and the width exceeds the first width threshold. When the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeds at least one of the first amplitude threshold or the width exceeds the first width threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser can be reduced to suppress high reflection.

[0153] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector being lower than the second threshold includes: at least one of the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector being lower than the second amplitude threshold or the width being lower than the second width threshold. For example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 is lower than the second amplitude threshold. In another example, the width of the output signal of the first detector 121 is lower than the second width threshold. In another example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 is lower than the second amplitude threshold and the width is lower than the second width threshold. When at least one of the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is lower than the second amplitude threshold or the width is lower than the second width threshold, the light intensity of the first laser can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0154] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector is not higher than the first threshold and not lower than the second threshold, including: the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is within the range of the second amplitude threshold and the first amplitude threshold, or the width is within at least one of the ranges of the second width threshold and the first width threshold. For example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is within the range of the second amplitude threshold and the first amplitude threshold. For another example, the width of the output signal of the first detector is within the range of the second width threshold and the first width threshold. For another example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is within the range of the second amplitude threshold and the first amplitude threshold, and the width is within the range of the second width threshold and the first width threshold. When the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is within the range of the second amplitude threshold and the first amplitude threshold, or the width is within at least one of the ranges of the second width threshold and the first width threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser can be maintained without adjustment, so that the laser radar operates stably and maintains robustness.

[0155] In some embodiments, the laser of the lidar or a laser group consisting of multiple lasers can be independently controlled. For example, the laser or the laser group can be independently addressed. For example, the laser or the laser group can have an independent conduction path, and by controlling the connection or disconnection of the conduction path, the independent control of the laser or the laser group can be achieved. For example, the laser or the laser group can have an independent drive channel, and the independent control of the laser or the laser group can be achieved through the independent drive channel. By independently controlling the laser or the laser group, the local exposure area of ​​the lidar can be flexibly controlled, thereby improving the dynamic adjustment capability of the lidar. In some embodiments, the laser group can include one row (column) or multiple rows (columns) of lasers. It should be noted that the multiple lasers in the laser group can belong to the same detection channel or different detection channels, and can be set according to needs.

[0156] In some embodiments, independent control of a laser or a group of lasers may include independent control of whether the laser emits light or not, and independent control of exposure parameters of the laser or the group of lasers, etc. The exposure parameters of the laser or the group of lasers may include the pulse width, pulse number, pulse interval, emission time, pulse intensity, and measuring frequency of the probe light emitted by the laser.

[0157] In addition, the operating parameters of the laser can be changed by changing the applied voltage or current of the laser or laser group or the on-resistance of the switch controlling the laser or laser group. For example, the luminous intensity of the laser can be increased by increasing the applied voltage or current of the laser or laser group or reducing the on-resistance of the switch controlling the laser or laser group. For another example, the luminous intensity of the laser can be reduced by reducing the applied voltage or current of the laser or laser group or increasing the on-resistance of the switch controlling the laser or laser group. In some embodiments, the control of the laser or laser group can also be achieved by means of an external liquid crystal optical switch, spatial light modulation, etc. In practical applications, it can be flexibly set according to demand.

[0158] In some embodiments, the output signal of the second detector can be determined based on one or more exposures of the second detection channel. The exposure parameters of the second detection channel are determined based on the output signal of the second detector. The exposure parameters may include the luminous intensity of the laser, the energy emitted by the laser, the number of pulses emitted by the laser, the pulse width, etc. The following is an introduction using the luminous intensity of the laser as an example. As shown in Figure 4b, the second detection channel channel2 may include one or more second lasers 112 and one or more second detectors 122. The second laser 112 can emit a light beam. The second detector 122 can receive the echo reflected by the light beam incident on the object, convert the echo into an electrical signal and output it. Based on the output signal of the second detector 122, the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2 can be determined, and based on the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2, the exposure parameters of the second detection channel channel2 can be determined. When the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., a first threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is high, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2 is high. The luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be reduced to suppress high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening and reduce power consumption. When the output signal of the second detector 122 is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., a second threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is low, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2 is low or the distance is far. The luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range-finding capability of the laser radar. When the output signal of the second detector 122 meets a preset condition (e.g., the output signal of the second detector 122 is not higher than the first threshold and not lower than the second threshold), the luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be maintained to ensure stable operation and maintain robustness of the laser radar. Based on the output signal of this detection channel (for example, the second detection channel), the detection result of this detection channel can be determined. According to the detection result of this detection channel, the object reflectivity of this detection channel can be determined. According to the object reflectivity of this detection channel, the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be determined. The control strategy of the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be determined. Feedback control of the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be implemented. Local exposure control of the lidar can be implemented, which is similar to the above-mentioned situation of determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel channel1 based on the output signal of the first detector 121, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] In some embodiments, the output signal of the second detector can be determined based on one or more exposures of the first detection channel. The exposure parameters of the first detection channel are determined based on the output signal of the second detector. The exposure parameters may include the luminous intensity of the laser, the emission energy of the laser, the number of pulses emitted by the laser, the pulse width, etc. When the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser can be reduced. When the output signal of the second detector is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., the second threshold), the luminous intensity of the first laser can be increased. The following description uses the luminous intensity of the laser as an example. As shown in Figure 4c, the first detection channel channel1 may include one or more first lasers 111 and one or more first detectors 121. The second detection channel channel2 may include one or more second lasers 112 and one or more second detectors 122. The first laser 111 may emit a light beam. The second detector 122 may receive the echo reflected by the light beam incident on the object, convert the echo into an electrical signal, and output it. Based on the output signal of the second detector 122, the detection result of the second detection channel channel 2 can be determined. Based on the detection result of the second detection channel channel 2, the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel 1 can be determined. Based on the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel 1, the exposure parameter of the first detection channel channel 1 can be determined. When the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds the third threshold, it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is high, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel 2 is high. Since the second detection channel channel 2 is adjacent to the first detection channel channel 1, it can be inferred that the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel 1 is high. It is inferred that the echo intensity received by the first detector 121 is high, which can easily cause crosstalk to detectors in other channels (for example, the second detector 122). Therefore, the luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be reduced to suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening. When the output signal of the second detector 122 is lower than a preset threshold (for example, the second threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is low, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2 is low or the distance is far. Since the second detection channel channel2 is adjacent to the first detection channel channel1, it can be inferred that the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel channel1 is low or the distance is far. It is inferred that the echo intensity received by the first detector 121 is low, and the luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the distance measurement capability.When the output signal of the second detector 122 meets the preset conditions (for example, the output signal of the second detector 122 is not higher than the third threshold and not lower than the second threshold), the luminous intensity of the first laser 111 can be maintained, so that the laser radar operates stably and maintains robustness. Based on the output signals of other detection channels (for example, the second detection channel), the detection results of other detection channels can be determined. According to the detection results of other detection channels, the detection results of the current detection channel (for example, the first detection channel) can be determined. It can be determined whether the object reflectivity of the current detection channel is too high so that the echo intensity is too high, causing the detectors of other detection channels to be crosstalked, or whether the object reflectivity of the current detection channel is too low so that the echo intensity is too low to accurately identify the object information. The exposure parameters of the current detection channel can be determined, the control strategy of the exposure parameters of the current detection channel can be determined, feedback control of the exposure parameters of the current detection channel can be implemented, local exposure control of the laser radar can be implemented, crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening between detection channels can be effectively suppressed, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved, and the accuracy of the laser radar detection results can be improved.

[0160] In some embodiments, based on the detection results of other detection channels, the exposure parameters of the detection channel are determined, which can be used for local exposure control of the laser radar. For example, based on the exposure results of one or more lasers in one row (or column) or multiple rows in other detection channels, the exposure parameters of the next row (or column) or multiple rows and the next one or more lasers in the detection channel can be determined to implement feedback control of the exposure parameters of the detection channel and local exposure control of the laser radar. For example, the other detection channels include m rows of lasers and n rows of detectors, and the detection channel includes a row of lasers and b rows of detectors. The exposure parameters of the a-th row of lasers can be determined by the output signal of the n-th row of detectors. Based on the signal strength output by the n-th row of detectors, the exposure parameters of the a-th row of lasers can be increased, decreased or maintained, where a, b, m, and n are all positive integers.

[0161] In other embodiments, exposure parameters for a detection channel are determined based on the detection results of other detection channels, which can also be used for global exposure control of the LiDAR. When the LiDAR is globally exposed, each detection channel can determine its own exposure parameters based on the detection results of other detection channels and perform feedback control. This not only suppresses high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection phenomena, improves the signal-to-noise ratio, and increases the accuracy of LiDAR detection results, but also increases the frame rate. A single global exposure can generate a frame of point cloud, which can increase the scanning speed and frame rate of the LiDAR.

[0162] In some embodiments, the output signal of the second detector exceeding the third threshold includes: the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeding at least one of the third amplitude threshold or the width exceeding the third width threshold. For example, the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds the third amplitude threshold. In another example, the width of the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds the third width threshold. In another example, the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds the third amplitude threshold and the width exceeds the third width threshold. When the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeds at least one of the third amplitude threshold or the width exceeds the third width threshold, the light intensity of the first laser can be reduced to suppress crosstalk and high reflection.

[0163] In some embodiments, the output signal of the second detector being below the second threshold includes: the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector being below the second amplitude threshold, or the width being below the second width threshold. When the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector is below the second amplitude threshold, or the width is below the second width threshold, the emission intensity of the first laser can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range finding capability. This is similar to the example of the output signal of the first detector being below the second threshold, and will not be further described here.

[0164] In some embodiments, the output signal of the second detector being no higher than the third threshold and no lower than the second threshold includes: the amplitude of the output signal of the second detector being within a range between the second amplitude threshold and the third amplitude threshold, or the width being within at least one of a range between the second width threshold and the third width threshold. This is similar to the aforementioned example of the output signal of the first detector being no higher than the first threshold and no lower than the second threshold, and is not further described here.

[0165] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector can be determined based on one or more exposures of the first detection channel. Exposure parameters for the second detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the first detector. Exposure parameters may include the laser's luminous intensity, the energy emitted by the laser, the number of pulses emitted by the laser, the pulse width, and so on. The following uses the laser's luminous intensity as an example. When the output signal of the first detector exceeds a fourth threshold, the luminous intensity of the second laser can be reduced. When the output signal of the first detector falls below a preset threshold (e.g., a second threshold), the luminous intensity of the second laser can be increased. As shown in FIG4D , the first detection channel channel 1 may include one or more first lasers 111 and one or more first detectors 121. The second detection channel channel 2 may include one or more second lasers 112 and one or more second detectors 122. The first laser 111 may emit a light beam. The first detector 121 may receive the echo reflected by the incident light beam from an object, convert the echo into an electrical signal, and output it. The detection result of the first detection channel channel 1 can be determined based on the output signal of the first detector 121. When the second detection channel, channel 2, is adjacent to the first detection channel, channel 1 (for example, the second detection channel, channel 2, is adjacent to the first detection channel, channel 1), the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel, channel 2, can be inferred based on the detection result of the first detection channel, channel 1. Based on the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel, channel 2, the exposure parameters of the second detection channel, channel 2, can be pre-determined. When the output signal of the first detection channel, channel 1, exceeds the fourth threshold, it is determined that the echo intensity received by the first detection channel, channel 1, is high, and the reflectivity of the object detected by the first detection channel, channel 1, is high. Because the first detection channel, channel 1, is adjacent to the second detection channel, channel 2, it can be inferred that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel, channel 2, is high. It is also inferred that the echo intensity received by the second detector, 122, is high, which may easily cause crosstalk to detectors in other channels (for example, the first detector, 121). Therefore, the emission intensity of the second laser, 112, can be reduced in advance to prevent crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening. After the emission intensity of the second laser, 112, is pre-reduced, the exposure parameters of the second laser, 112, can be re-determined based on the output signal of the second detector, 122. As shown in Figure 4b, for example, when the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds a preset threshold (for example, a first threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is high, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel2 is high. The luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be further reduced to suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening phenomena.For another example, when the output signal of second detector 122 is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., the second threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by second detector 122 is low, indicating that the object detected by second detection channel 2 has a low reflectivity or is at a long distance. Therefore, the emission intensity of second laser 112 can be increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range-finding capability of the lidar. When the output signal of first detector 121 is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., the second threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by first detector 121 is low, indicating that the object detected by first detection channel 1 has a low reflectivity or is at a long distance. Since first detection channel 1 is adjacent to second detection channel 2, it can be inferred that the object detected by second detection channel 2 has a low reflectivity or is at a long distance. Therefore, it is inferred that the echo intensity received by second detector 122 is low. Therefore, the emission intensity of second laser 112 can be increased in advance to attempt to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range-finding capability. After the emission intensity of second laser 112 is increased in advance, the exposure parameters of second laser 112 can be determined based on the output signal of second detector 122. As shown in FIG4b , for example, when the output signal of the second detector 122 is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., the second threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is low, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel 2 is low or the distance is far. The luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be further increased to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range-finding capability of the laser radar. For another example, when the output signal of the second detector 122 exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., the first threshold), it is determined that the echo intensity received by the second detector 122 is high, and it is determined that the reflectivity of the object detected by the second detection channel channel 2 is high. The luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be reduced to suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening. When the output signal of the first detector 121 meets a preset condition (e.g., the output signal of the first detector 121 is not higher than the fourth threshold and not lower than the second threshold), the luminous intensity of the second laser 112 can be maintained to ensure stable operation and maintain robustness of the laser radar.Based on the output signal of the detection channel (for example, the first detection channel), the detection result of the detection channel can be determined. According to the detection result of the detection channel, the detection results of other detection channels (for example, the second detection channel) can be determined. It can be determined whether the reflectivity of the object in the other detection channels is too high so that the echo intensity is too high, causing the detector of the detection channel to be crosstalked, or whether the reflectivity of the object in the other detection channels is too low so that the echo intensity is too low to accurately identify the object information. The exposure parameters of the other detection channels can be determined, and the control strategy of the exposure parameters of the other detection channels can be determined. Feedback control of the exposure parameters of the other detection channels can be implemented, local exposure control of the laser radar can be implemented, crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening between the detection channels can be effectively suppressed, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved, and the accuracy of the laser radar detection results can be improved. Based on the detection results of other detection channels, the exposure parameters of the detection channel are determined, which can be used for local exposure control of the laser radar, and can also be used for global exposure control of the laser radar.

[0166] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector exceeding the fourth threshold includes: the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeding at least one of the fourth amplitude threshold or the width exceeding the fourth width threshold. For example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the fourth amplitude threshold. In another example, the width of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the fourth width threshold. In another example, the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector 121 exceeds the fourth amplitude threshold and the width exceeds the fourth width threshold. When the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector exceeds at least one of the fourth amplitude threshold or the width exceeds the fourth width threshold, the light intensity of the second laser can be reduced.

[0167] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector being lower than the second threshold includes at least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the first detector being lower than the second amplitude threshold or a width of the output signal of the first detector being lower than the second width threshold. When the output signal of the first detector is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., the second threshold), the light intensity of the second laser may be increased.

[0168] In some embodiments, the output signal of the first detector is not higher than the fourth threshold and not lower than the second threshold, including: the amplitude of the output signal of the first detector is within the range between the second amplitude threshold and the fourth amplitude threshold, or the width is within at least one range between the second width threshold and the fourth width threshold. Similar to the example in which the output signal of the second detector is not higher than the third threshold and not lower than the second threshold, details will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the specific numerical values ​​and size relationships of the various thresholds mentioned in this disclosure are not limited in this disclosure and will depend on actual circumstances. In some embodiments, the second threshold may be smaller than the first threshold, the second threshold may be smaller than the third threshold, and the second threshold may be smaller than the fourth threshold. The thresholds here may include at least one of the amplitude threshold or the width threshold.

[0169] In some embodiments, at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector can be repeatedly determined based on multiple exposures of the first detection channel, or based on multiple exposures of the second detection channel, or based on one or more exposures of the first detection channel and one or more exposures of the second detection channel. At least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel can be determined based on at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector. For example, the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel can be determined multiple times based on each determination of at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector. For another example, the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel can be determined based on the average value or cumulative result of the multiple determinations of the output signal of the first detector, or based on the average value or cumulative result of the multiple determinations of the output signal of the second detector. For another example, weights can be set for the output signal of the first detector and the output signal of the second detector, respectively, and at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel can be comprehensively determined based on the repeatedly determined output signals of the first detector and the output signals of the second detector. This is done until at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector meets a preset condition. Satisfying the preset conditions may include the output signal of the detector being no higher than a preset threshold (e.g., a first threshold, a third threshold, a fourth threshold, etc.) and no lower than a preset threshold (e.g., a second threshold, etc.). Based on multiple detection results of the detection channel, the exposure parameters of the detection channel can be determined, and feedback control of the exposure parameters of the detection channel can be implemented. This can achieve local exposure control or global exposure control of the lidar, suppress crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting, and high-reflection broadening between detection channels, improve the signal-to-noise ratio, and improve the accuracy of the lidar detection results.

[0170] In some embodiments, the current detection result of the first detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the first detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel. Similarly, the current detection result of the second detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the second detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the second detection channel. In other embodiments, the current detection result of the second detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the first detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel. The current detection result of the first detection channel can be determined based on the output signal of the second detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the second detection channel. Furthermore, the current detection result of the first detection channel or the current detection result of the second detection channel can be determined comprehensively based on the output signal of the first detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel and the output signal of the second detector determined from multiple exposures performed by the second detection channel. In other words, the detection result of a detection channel can be determined based on multiple detection results performed by the detection channel itself, multiple detection results performed by other detection channels, or a combination of multiple detection results performed by the detection channel and other detection channels. Based on the multiple detection results performed by at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels, the detection result of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels can be accurately determined. The detection results can include object point cloud data, object speed, object distance, object reflectivity, etc.

[0171] In some embodiments, at least one of the exposure parameters for subsequent rounds or the current round of the first detection channel can be determined based on at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector; or at least one of the exposure parameters for subsequent rounds or the current round of the second detection channel can be determined. Exposure parameters for subsequent rounds of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels can be determined based on the detection results of the current round of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels, thereby implementing feedback control of the exposure parameters for subsequent rounds of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels. Exposure parameters for the current round of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels can be determined based on the detection results of the previous round of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels, thereby implementing feedback control of the exposure parameters for the current round of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels. The exposure parameters of at least one of the detection channels or other detection channels can be accurately determined, and feedback control of the exposure parameters can be accurately implemented, thereby accurately implementing local exposure control or global exposure control of the lidar.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first detection channel may be adjacent to the second detection channel. For example, the distance between the first detection channel and the second detection channel is less than a preset value. The first detection channel may include multiple first lasers and multiple first detectors. The second detection channel may include multiple second lasers and multiple second detectors. The distance between the first detection channel and the second detection channel may include the distance between the first laser of the first detection channel and the second laser of the second detection channel, or the distance between the first detector of the first detection channel and the second detector of the second detection channel. In some embodiments, the first detection channel may be adjacent to the second detection channel. The multiple first lasers may be arranged in one or more rows. The multiple second lasers may be arranged in one or more rows. The one or more rows of first lasers may form a laser group. The one or more rows of second lasers may form a laser group. The multiple first detectors may be arranged in one or more rows. The multiple second detectors may be arranged in one or more rows. In some embodiments, the one or more rows of lasers in at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel may be controlled to perform exposure sequentially or synchronously. This exposure mode may be referred to as a row exposure mode, which may include row-by-row exposure or skipped row exposure. One or more rows of detectors in at least one of the first or second detection channels can be controlled to receive echoes from a laser beam reflected from an object. The columns are similar to the rows and are not further described here. The following description uses rows as an example.

[0173] Figure 5a shows a schematic diagram of an example of row exposure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5a, a first detection channel, channel 1, may be adjacent to a second detection channel, channel 2. The first detection channel, channel 1, may include a row of first lasers 111 and multiple first detectors (not shown), while the second detection channel, channel 2, may include a row of second lasers 112 and multiple second detectors (not shown). Optionally, a row of lasers in the same detection channel may be exposed sequentially or synchronously. For example, a row of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, may be exposed sequentially or synchronously. For example, referring to Figure 5a, a row of multiple (e.g., five) first lasers 111 may be exposed sequentially or synchronously. Similarly, a row of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2, may be exposed sequentially or synchronously. Optionally, lasers in different detection channels may be exposed sequentially in rows. This can suppress crosstalk between different detection channels. For example, a row of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, may be exposed sequentially with a row of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2. For example, referring to Figure 5a, after a row of first lasers 111 of the first detection channel channel1 is exposed, a row of second lasers 112 of the second detection channel channel2 is exposed. Alternatively, after a row of second lasers 112 of the second detection channel channel2 is exposed, a row of first lasers 111 of the first detection channel channel1 is exposed. Optionally, lasers of different detection channels can be exposed synchronously. The scanning speed and frame rate can be improved. For example, a row of first lasers 111 of the first detection channel channel1 can be exposed synchronously with a row of second lasers 112 of the second detection channel channel2. When a row of lasers is exposed, multiple detectors can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the laser incident on the object, which can improve the dynamic range of the detector. Multiple detectors and lasers can belong to the same detection channel or to different detection channels. For example, when a row of first lasers 111 of the first detection channel channel1 is exposed, one or more first detectors of the first detection channel channel1 (this detection channel) can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object, and one or more second detectors of the second detection channel channel2 (other detection channels) can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object. One or more first detectors of the first detection channel channel1 and one or more second detectors of the second detection channel channel2 can also be activated to jointly receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object.For another example, when a row of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel channel 2 is exposed, one or more second detectors in the second detection channel channel 2 can be activated to receive echoes reflected from an object when the light beam emitted by the second laser 112 is incident on the object. One or more first detectors in the first detection channel channel 1 can also be activated to receive echoes reflected from an object when the light beam emitted by the second laser 112 is incident on the object. One or more first detectors in the first detection channel channel 1 and one or more second detectors in the second detection channel channel 2 can also be activated to jointly receive echoes reflected from an object when the light beam emitted by the second laser 112 is incident on the object. When the echoes of a row of laser beams are received by multiple detectors, the exposure parameters of at least one detection channel in the first detection channel channel 1 or the second detection channel channel 2 can be determined based on the output signals of the multiple detectors. The detection results of the multiple detectors can accurately determine the exposure parameters of at least one detection channel in the current detection channel or other detection channels, thereby accurately implementing feedback control of the exposure parameters and accurately implementing local exposure control or global exposure control of the lidar.

[0174] Figure 5b shows a schematic diagram of a row exposure example according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5b, the first detection channel channel1 and the second detection channel channel2 are adjacent. The first detection channel channel1 may include multiple rows (for example, 3 rows) of first lasers 111 and multiple first detectors (not shown in the figure), and the second detection channel channel2 may include multiple rows (for example, 3 rows) of second lasers 112 and multiple second detectors (not shown in the figure). Optionally, multiple rows of lasers in the same detection channel can be exposed sequentially. For example, the multiple rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel channel1 can be exposed sequentially, and the multiple rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel channel2 can also be exposed sequentially. The sequential exposure method can include row-by-row sequential exposure, also known as row rolling shutter exposure. Taking the first detection channel channel1 as an example, which includes three rows of first lasers 111, referring to Figure 5b, the first lasers 111 in rows 1 to 3 can be exposed sequentially from top to bottom in units of rows. The sequential exposure method can also include skipped row sequential exposure, that is, exposure is performed using an intermittent skipped row scanning method. Taking the first detection channel channel1 including 3 rows of first lasers 111 as an example, referring to Figure 5b, after the first row of the first lasers 111 is exposed, the third row of the first lasers 111 is exposed, while the second row of the first lasers 111 is not exposed. It should be noted that the introduction here is based on the example of one row interval, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of rows of lasers in the detection channel, the order of row-by-row sequential exposure, and the number of interval rows of skip-row sequential exposure can all be adjusted according to actual conditions. When multiple rows of lasers in the same detection channel are sequentially exposed, multiple detectors can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the laser incident on the object to improve the dynamic range of the detector. Multiple detectors can belong to the same detection channel as the multiple rows of lasers exposed sequentially, or they can belong to different detection channels. For example, when multiple rows of first lasers 111 of the first detection channel channel1 are exposed in time sequence, one or more first detectors of the first detection channel channel1 (this detection channel) can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object, and one or more second detectors of the second detection channel channel2 (other detection channels) can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object. One or more first detectors of the first detection channel channel1 and one or more second detectors of the second detection channel channel2 can also be activated to jointly receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the first laser 111 incident on the object.

[0175] Optionally, multiple rows of lasers in the same detection channel can be exposed synchronously. The synchronous exposure method can include synchronous exposure of all rows of lasers. For example, multiple rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel channel1 can be exposed synchronously, and multiple rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel channel2 can also be exposed synchronously. Taking the first detection channel channel1 including 3 rows of first lasers 111 as an example, referring to Figure 5b, for example, rows 1 to 3 of first lasers 111 can be exposed synchronously. The synchronous exposure method can also include synchronous exposure of some rows of lasers. Taking the first detection channel channel1 including 3 rows of first lasers 111 as an example, referring to Figure 5b, for example, rows 1 and 3 of lasers are exposed synchronously, or rows 1 and 2 of lasers are exposed synchronously, or rows 2 and 3 of lasers are exposed synchronously, and so on. It should be noted that the synchronous exposure of two rows of lasers is used as an example for introduction here, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of rows of lasers in the detection channel and the number of synchronous exposure rows can be adjusted according to actual conditions. When multiple laser lines are synchronously exposed in the same detection channel, multiple detectors can be activated to receive the echoes reflected from the object when the laser beams are incident on the object, thereby improving the dynamic range of the detectors. Multiple detectors can belong to the same detection channel as the synchronously exposed multiple laser lines, or they can belong to different detection channels.

[0176] Optionally, multiple rows of lasers in different detection channels can be exposed sequentially. For example, one or more rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel channel1 can be exposed sequentially with one or more rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel channel2. For example, referring to Figure 5b, after multiple rows (for example, 2 rows or 3 rows) of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel channel1 are exposed sequentially, multiple rows (for example, 2 rows or 3 rows) of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel channel2 are exposed sequentially. The sequential exposure here can be similar to the aforementioned line-by-line sequential exposure or line-skipping sequential exposure. When multiple rows of lasers in different detection channels are exposed sequentially, multiple detectors can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beam emitted by the laser incident on the object to improve the dynamic range of the detector. Multiple detectors can belong to the same detection channel as the multiple rows of lasers exposed sequentially, or they can belong to different detection channels.

[0177] Optionally, multiple rows of lasers in different detection channels can be exposed synchronously. For example, one or more rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, can be exposed synchronously with one or more rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2. The multiple rows can be all rows or a portion of the rows. For example, referring to FIG5b , two or three rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, can be exposed synchronously with two or three rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2. For another example, referring to FIG5a and FIG5b , one row of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, can be exposed synchronously with two or three rows of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2. Furthermore, multiple rows of first lasers 111 in the first detection channel, channel 1, can also be exposed synchronously with one row of second lasers 112 in the second detection channel, channel 2. When multiple rows of lasers in different detection channels are exposed synchronously, multiple detectors can be activated to receive echoes reflected from an object when the laser beams are incident thereon, thereby improving the dynamic range of the detectors. The multiple detectors may belong to the same detection channel as the multiple rows of lasers for synchronous exposure, or may belong to different detection channels.

[0178] It should be noted that Figures 5a and 5b exemplarily illustrate the situation where the first detection channel channel1 and the second detection channel channel2 both include 1 row or 3 rows of lasers, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The first detection channel channel1 and the second detection channel channel2 may include lasers of other numbers of rows, and the number of rows of lasers of the two and the number of lasers per row may be the same or different. The first detection channel channel1 and the second detection channel channel2 may include one or more columns of lasers, and the number of columns of lasers of the two and the number of lasers per column may be the same or different. The first detection channel channel1 and the second detection channel channel2 may include one or more lasers, and the number and arrangement of the lasers of the two may be the same or different. These are all within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0179] In some embodiments, the multiple detection channels of the laser radar may include a third detection channel. The third detection channel may include at least one third laser and at least one third detector. The control method includes: controlling the third detection channel and at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to be simultaneously selected. For example, when determining the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the output signal of the first detector, the first detection channel and the third detection channel may be simultaneously selected for exposure. For another example, when determining the exposure parameters of the first detection channel based on the output signal of the second detector, the second detection channel and the third detection channel may be simultaneously selected for exposure. By selecting the third detection channel, the scanning speed and frame rate of the laser radar can be improved, which is conducive to the rapid generation of point clouds. Optionally, the multiple detection channels of the laser radar may also include more detection channels, for example, a fourth detection channel, a fifth detection channel, a sixth detection channel, etc. By selecting more detection channels, the scanning speed and frame rate can be further improved.

[0180] FIG5c shows a schematic diagram of a row exposure example according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. Multiple rows of lasers can perform sequential exposure row by row (e.g., row rolling exposure). Multiple rows of lasers can belong to different detection channels. As shown in FIG5c , the laser array 110 includes 6 rows of lasers, and the detector array 120 includes 6 rows of detectors. The 6 rows of lasers and the 6 rows of detectors can constitute 6 detection channels, each detection channel including 1 row of lasers and 1 row of detectors. The 1st to 6th rows of lasers can be exposed sequentially from top to bottom in rows. Optionally, 1 row of detectors can be activated respectively to receive the echo reflected by the light beams emitted by the 1st to 6th rows of lasers incident on the object. For example, the 1st row of detectors can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beams emitted by the 1st row of lasers incident on the object. The exposure parameters of the 1st row of lasers can be determined based on the output signal of the 1st row of detectors. For another example, the 2nd row of detectors can be activated to receive the echo reflected by the light beams emitted by the 2nd row of lasers incident on the object. The exposure parameters of the 2nd row of lasers can be determined based on the output signal of the 2nd row of detectors. In this way, the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be determined according to the detection results of this detection channel, feedback control of the exposure parameters of this detection channel can be achieved, local exposure control or global exposure control of the laser radar can be achieved, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening phenomena can be suppressed, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved, and the accuracy of the laser radar detection results can be improved.

[0181] Optionally, multiple rows of detectors can be activated to receive echoes reflected from objects emitted by the beams from the first to sixth rows of lasers, thereby improving the dynamic range of the detectors. For example, rows of detectors from the first to third rows can be activated to receive echoes reflected from objects emitted by the beams from the second row of lasers. The exposure parameters of the second row of lasers can be determined based on the output signals of the first row of detectors, the third row of detectors, or a combination of the output signals from rows 1 to 3. In this way, the exposure parameters of a detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of other detection channels, enabling feedback control of the exposure parameters of the detection channel and achieving local exposure control of the lidar. Optionally, the exposure parameters of the current detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of the previous detection channel. For example, the exposure parameters of the third row of lasers can be determined based on the output signals from the second row of detectors. In this way, the exposure parameters of the current detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of other detection channels, enabling feedback control of the exposure parameters of the detection channel and achieving local exposure control of the lidar.

[0182] Optionally, the exposure parameters for the next detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of the current detection channel. For example, the exposure parameters for the fourth row of lasers can be determined based on the output signals of the third row of detectors. In this way, the exposure parameters of other detection channels can be determined based on the detection results of the current detection channel, enabling feedback control of the exposure parameters of other detection channels and achieving local exposure control of the lidar. When multiple rows of lasers in different detection channels perform row-by-row sequential exposure, the exposure parameters for the Xth detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of the Xth detection channel, the X-1th detection channel, or the X+1th detection channel, where X is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The exposure parameters for the X+1th detection channel can also be determined based on the detection results of the Xth detection channel. Feedback control of exposure parameters can be implemented between rows of different detection channels. Similarly, feedback control of exposure parameters can be implemented between columns of different detection channels, and feedback control of exposure parameters between single or multiple lasers in different detection channels can be implemented, achieving local or global exposure control of the lidar.

[0183] As previously mentioned, the exposure parameters for a detection channel can be determined based on the detection results of that detection channel or other adjacent detection channels. Alternatively, the exposure parameters for other detection channels can be determined based on the detection results of that detection channel. When both the detectors of the current detection channel and other adjacent detection channels are activated, echoes from both the current detection channel and other detection channels can be received by more detectors, improving the dynamic range of the detectors.

[0184] In some embodiments, whether the detection channel or other detection channels have detected a high-reflective object can be determined based on the detection results of the detector (for example, the size of the spot area formed by the echo on the detector or the number or proportion of the triggered detectors, etc.). For example, under normal circumstances, when the laser of the Xth detection channel emits light, the detector of the Xth detection channel receives the echo of the Xth detection channel. When the echo of the Xth detection channel is received by the detector of the X-1th or X+1th detection channel, it means that the echo energy of the Xth detection channel is high, and it can be determined that the Xth detection channel has detected a high-reflective object. Based on the optical crosstalk of the uplink and downlink, it can be inferred that the X-1th detection channel and the X+1th detection channel may also have detected a high-reflective object. For example, when an object (for example, object OB2 or OB1 in Figure 5c) is determined to be a high-reflective object based on the output signal of the detector in the Xth row, it can be inferred that the output signals of the detectors in the X-1th row and the X+1th row may also have detected a high-reflective object. The exposure parameters of at least one of the Xth detection channel, the X-1th detection channel or the X+1th detection channel (for example, the luminous intensity of the laser, the pulse width emitted by the laser, etc.) can be adjusted, crosstalk, high-reflection ghosting and high-reflection broadening phenomena between different detection channels can be suppressed, and point cloud broadening and ghosting caused by weather and other reasons can also be suppressed. Feedback control of exposure parameters between rows of different detection channels can be achieved, feedback control of local exposure of the laser radar can be achieved, and the accuracy of the laser radar detection results can be improved.

[0185] In other embodiments, multiple rows of lasers may belong to the same detection channel. As shown in FIG5c , the laser array 110 includes 6 rows of lasers, and the detector array 120 includes 6 rows of detectors. The 6 rows of lasers and the 6 rows of detectors may constitute a detection channel. When multiple rows of lasers in the same detection channel perform sequential exposure line by line, the exposure parameters of the Yth row of lasers may be determined based on the output signal of the Yth row of detectors, or the exposure parameters of the Yth row of lasers may be determined based on the output signal of the Y-1th row of detectors, or the exposure parameters of the Yth row of lasers may be determined based on the output signal of the Y+1th row of detectors, where Y is a positive integer. In addition, the exposure parameters of the Y+1th row of lasers may also be determined based on the output signal of the Yth row of detectors. Feedback control of exposure parameters between rows within the same detection channel may be achieved, crosstalk, high-reflection broadening, high-reflection ghosting, etc. between rows within the same detection channel may be suppressed, local exposure control of the laser radar may be achieved, and the accuracy of the laser radar detection results may be improved.

[0186] The above describes the "row exposure" example. According to at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector, one or more rows of lasers of at least one detection channel in the first detection channel or the second detection channel can be controlled to be exposed sequentially or synchronously, and feedback control of exposure parameters between rows of the same detection channel can be achieved, or feedback control of exposure parameters between rows of different detection channels can be achieved. One or more rows of lasers can be controlled as a whole, or each laser can be controlled individually, thereby achieving global or local exposure feedback control of the laser radar, suppressing crosstalk between different detection channels, suppressing high-reflection ghosting, suppressing high-reflection broadening, and improving the detection dynamic range of the laser radar and the accuracy of detection results (for example, distance or reflectivity, etc.). Similarly, feedback control of exposure parameters between columns of the same detection channel or different detection channels, and between single or multiple lasers can be achieved to achieve global or local exposure feedback control of the laser radar, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] In some embodiments, the laser may include a semiconductor laser such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge-emitting laser (EEL), a distributed feedback laser (DFB), a fiber laser, or a similar device.

[0188] Figure 6a shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser array at a certain light-emitting moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6c shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser array at another light-emitting moment according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 6a and 6c, a dotted box represents a detection channel channel, and the figure illustrates 16 detection channels, and the 16 detection channels are arranged in a 4*4 two-dimensional array. A circle represents a laser P. A detection channel includes 9 lasers, and the 9 lasers are arranged in a 3*3 array. Dark circles represent emitting lasers, and light circles represent non-emitting lasers. For convenience, the 9 lasers in each detection channel can be numbered as lasers P1 to P9, respectively.

[0189] In some embodiments, the exposure of each detection channel can be completed by multiple local exposure combinations. During each local exposure, one or more lasers inside the detection channel can be gated, and all lasers in the detection channel can be traversed to complete the exposure of the detection channel. For example, as shown in Figure 6a, in order to complete the exposure of a detection channel channel, a laser in a 3*3 array can be gated each time, and 9 lasers can be gated in sequence to complete the exposure of the detection channel channel. For another example, the exposure of the detection channel channel can be performed by gating multiple (for example, 2, 3, etc.) lasers in a 3*3 array each time, and traversing and completing 9 lasers to complete the exposure of the detection channel channel. When traversing the lasers in the detection channel, it can be gated in a certain order (for example, from left to right, from top to bottom, etc.), or it can be randomly gated. In order to complete the exposure of a detection channel, each local exposure can gate a laser to reduce the crosstalk between the lasers, or it can synchronously gate multiple lasers to improve the scanning rate. The distance between the lasers that are gated in sequence or gated synchronously should be greater than a certain threshold to reduce crosstalk between the lasers.

[0190] In some embodiments, a single exposure of multiple detection channels can be completed by multiple local exposures. During each local exposure, one or more lasers within each detection channel can be synchronously selected, and all lasers within the detection channel can be traversed to complete a single exposure of multiple detection channels. For example, as shown in Figures 6a and 6c, in order to complete a single exposure of 16 detection channels, the laser P1 in the 3*3 array in each detection channel can be synchronously selected, and then the laser P2 in the 3*3 array in each detection channel can be synchronously selected, and then the laser P3 in the 3*3 array in each detection channel can be synchronously selected. In this way, the lasers P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, and P9 in the 3*3 array in each detection channel can be synchronously selected in sequence to complete a single exposure of 16 detection channels. In other words, a single exposure of multiple detection channels can be achieved by synchronously exposing multiple detection channels and sequentially exposing each detection channel. Multiple detection channels complete one or more exposures to generate a frame of point cloud. The simultaneous exposure of multiple detection channels and the sequential exposure within each detection channel can shorten the scanning time of the laser radar, improve the scanning rate and frame rate of the laser radar, and reduce the crosstalk between the detection channels. Optionally, the exposure of multiple detection channels at one time can also be achieved by synchronously exposing multiple detection channels and synchronously exposing some lasers within each detection channel. For example, when 16 detection channels are synchronously exposed, multiple lasers (for example, 2 lasers P1 and P9) within each detection channel can be synchronously selected. The simultaneous exposure of multiple detection channels and the synchronous exposure within each detection channel can further shorten the scanning time of the laser radar and further improve the scanning rate and frame rate of the laser radar. When multiple detection channels are synchronously exposed, the distance between the lasers synchronously exposed in different detection channels and the distance between the lasers synchronously exposed or exposed successively in the same detection channel can be greater than a certain threshold, thereby reducing the crosstalk between lasers in different detection channels or the same detection channel.

[0191] In some embodiments, the detector may include a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), an avalanche photodiode (APD), a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), or a similar device.

[0192] Figure 6b shows a schematic diagram of an example of a detector array at a certain receiving moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6d shows a schematic diagram of an example of a detector array at another receiving moment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 6b and 6d, a small square represents a detector Q. The detector framed by a thick rectangular frame represents an activated detector. A detector framed by a thick rectangular frame represents a detector activated when a laser (for example, the laser P1 in Figure 6a) is exposed. The dark dots represent the light spot area Q1 formed when the echo of the light beam emitted by the laser is reflected by the object and is incident on the detector. For example, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, the echo of the light beam emitted by the laser P1 in each detection channel after being reflected by the object can be incident on the detector to form the light spot area Q1. For another example, as shown in Figures 6c and 6d, the echo of the light beam emitted by the laser P2 in each detection channel after being reflected by the object can be incident on the detector to form the light spot area Q2. In some embodiments, more detectors (for example, a 10*10 detector array in the figure) can be activated in at least one direction of the row or column to expand the receiving area of ​​the echo, so that the echo of the light beam emitted by the laser can be received by more detectors, which can improve the dynamic range of the detector and thus improve the dynamic range of the lidar. The energy distribution in the spot area is uneven and has a Gaussian distribution. There will be an order of magnitude decrease from the center of the spot to the edge of the spot. Such an energy distribution is conducive to identifying highly reflective objects. The echo reflected by the highly reflective object will be widened. By activating more detectors to expand the receiving area of ​​the echo, it is conducive to identifying highly reflective objects. For example, the size of the spot area can be used to determine whether the lidar has detected a highly reflective object. When the spot area is greater than a certain threshold, it means that there are more saturated detectors. It can be determined that the lidar has detected a highly reflective object, and the exposure parameters of the laser (for example, luminous intensity, pulse width, etc.) can be adjusted to suppress the high reflection phenomenon. For example, the output signal of the detector at the edge of the spot area can be used to determine whether the lidar has detected a highly reflective object. When the output signal of the detector at the edge exceeds a certain threshold, it means that the echo energy is high. It can be determined that the lidar has detected a highly reflective object, and the exposure parameters of the laser (for example, luminous intensity, pulse width, etc.) can be reduced to suppress the high-reflection phenomenon.

[0193] In some embodiments, when different lasers are exposed, different detectors can be selected to adjust the receiving area of ​​the light spot. For example, when laser P1 is exposed, the detector shown in Figure 6b (for example, the detector with a thick frame in Figure 6b) can be activated to receive the echo of laser P1. For another example, when laser P2 is exposed, the detector shown in Figure 6d (for example, the detector with a thick frame in Figure 6d) can be activated to receive the echo of laser P2. The detectors of different detection channels can be completely different or partially overlap. For example, the detectors of adjacent detection channels can partially overlap. By selecting different detectors to adjust the receiving area of ​​the light spot, the light spot area can be located at the center (for example, the geometric center or the weight center) of the receiving area, so that the energy distribution of the light spot area is a Gaussian-like distribution, which is convenient for identifying highly reflective objects, determining the exposure parameters of the detection channel, and realizing local exposure control or global exposure control of the lidar.

[0194] In some embodiments, the laser radar may be a solid-state laser radar. For a solid-state laser radar, each of the laser radar's multiple detection channels completes one or more exposures to generate a frame of point cloud. In some embodiments, the laser radar may be a mechanical rotary laser radar. For a mechanical rotary laser radar, its rotor rotates one or more times around its axis of rotation to generate a frame of point cloud. In some embodiments, the laser radar may be a semi-solid-state laser radar, such as a laser radar that uses a scanner such as a rotating mirror or a galvanometer mirror. For a semi-solid-state laser radar, its scanner completes one or more cycles of scanning to generate a frame of point cloud.

[0195] By controlling the sequential exposure of the lasers in at least one LiDAR detection channel, crosstalk between different detection channels or within the same detection channel can be reduced. This reduced crosstalk allows for global exposure control of the LiDAR, improving its scanning speed and frame rate. By controlling the synchronous exposure of the lasers in at least one LiDAR detection channel, the scanning speed and frame rate can also be increased. Thanks to LiDAR's high frame rate design, the exposure of one or more detection channels in the next frame or frames can be controlled based on the point cloud data from the previous frame or frames. This exposure mode is known as inter-frame feedback exposure mode. Based on the object reflectivity information detected in the previous frame or frames, the exposure parameters of one or more rows (columns) or multiple rows (columns) of one or more detection channels can be adjusted for the next frame or frames. This enables feedback control of exposure parameters at the transmitter, improving the dynamic detection range of the LiDAR and suppressing high-reflection broadening. LiDAR's high frame rate and short inter-frame intervals minimize object movement during the inter-frame interval, reducing motion blur and distortion, and improving the accuracy of object velocity measurement.

[0196] The dynamic range of the entire LiDAR system is determined by the transmit dynamic range and receive dynamic range. In some embodiments, the detector includes a SPAD. SPADs are single-photon devices with limited detection dynamic range. Feedback control of the laser's exposure parameters can improve the dynamic range of the transmit end and alleviate the dynamic range limitations of the receive end, thereby increasing the dynamic range of the entire LiDAR system and enhancing the LiDAR's detection performance.

[0197] In some embodiments, each laser of a lidar can begin exposure with initial exposure parameters. During the exposure process, if the echo signal of a detection channel in the detector array is found to be saturated (for example, a portion of the point cloud is overexposed), since the lasers can be independently controlled, the exposure parameters of the lasers in that detection channel or adjacent detection channels can be adjusted (for example, by reducing the laser's luminous intensity, shortening the laser's pulse width, etc.) to suppress crosstalk, high-reflection broadening, and high-reflection ghosting. If the echo signal intensity of a detection channel in the detector array is found to be low (for example, a portion of the point cloud is underexposed), the exposure parameters of the lasers in that detection channel or adjacent detection channels can be adjusted (for example, by increasing the laser's luminous intensity, increasing the laser's pulse width, etc.) to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and range finding performance. If the echo signal intensity of a detection channel in the detector array meets preset conditions (for example, a region of the point cloud is moderately exposed), the exposure parameters of the lasers in that detection channel or adjacent detection channels can be maintained (for example, by maintaining the laser's luminous intensity, pulse width, etc.) to maintain detection performance. Different exposure parameter controls can be implemented for different areas, so that the lidar can achieve different detection performance in different detection areas and meet the different needs of different detection areas.

[0198] In some embodiments, each laser of the lidar can start exposure from the initial exposure parameters. During the exposure process, if it is found that the echo signal of a detection channel in the detector array is in a saturated state (for example, part of the point cloud is overexposed), since the laser can be controlled independently, the exposure parameters of the laser of the detection channel or the adjacent detection channel in the next frame or multiple frames can be adjusted (for example, reducing the luminous intensity of the laser, reducing the pulse width of the laser emission, etc.) to suppress crosstalk, high-reflection broadening and high-reflection ghosting. If it is found that the echo signal intensity of a detection channel in the detector array is low (for example, part of the point cloud is underexposed), the exposure parameters of the laser of the detection channel or the adjacent detection channel in the next frame or multiple frames can be increased (for example, increasing the luminous intensity of the laser, increasing the pulse width of the laser emission, etc.) to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and distance measurement performance. If the echo signal strength of a detection channel in the detector array meets preset conditions (for example, moderate exposure in a region of the point cloud), the exposure parameters of the laser in that detection channel or an adjacent detection channel can be maintained for the next frame or frames (for example, maintaining the laser's luminous intensity and pulse width) to maintain detection performance. Inter-frame feedback control can also be used to control high-reflection broadening and crosstalk between different detection channels.

[0199] During the exposure parameter feedback control process, the laser radar can adjust the exposure parameters of only the detection channels or lasers in adjacent detection channels in the detector array whose echo signals change significantly through local exposure feedback control. The exposure parameters of the detection channels or lasers in adjacent detection channels whose echo signals do not change significantly can remain unchanged, which can save the laser radar's power consumption, storage space and data processing time.

[0200] In some embodiments, the LiDAR can achieve a very high frame rate (e.g., 1000fps, 2000fps, 5000fps, 10000fps, 100000fps, or 50000fps), and the output frame rate can be adjusted according to user needs. For example, multiple exposures can be superimposed to form a frame, thereby converting the output frame rate of the LiDAR into a frame rate (e.g., 60fps, 20fps, or 10fps) synchronized with other sensors (e.g., cameras). This can improve the efficiency of fusion of the LiDAR detection results with other sensors. Superimposing multiple exposures to form a frame is also beneficial for filtering ambient light, which can reduce the interference of ambient light on the LiDAR detection results.

[0201] In some embodiments, the laser radar can operate in a synchronized exposure mode. In the synchronized exposure mode, multiple detection channels in the laser array are exposed synchronously, and the detectors of the multiple detection channels need to be turned on and wait for a certain time (for example, 1 microsecond, 2 microseconds or 4 microseconds) to wait for the echo reflected from the target at each distance. Since the distance of the external object is unknown, in order to achieve the farthest detection distance of the laser radar, the time the detector is turned on and waited is based on the time it takes for the photon to travel back and forth between the laser radar and the object at the farthest detection distance of the laser radar (for example, 100 meters, 150 meters, 200 meters, 250 meters, 300 meters or 400 meters, etc.).

[0202] Figure 7a illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of synchronized exposure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7a, during synchronized exposure of the first and second detection channels, the first laser 111 and the second laser 112 emit light in parallel. Because object C1 is closer than object C2, the first detector 121 first receives the echo reflected by the closer object C1 at time 1. The second detector 122 then receives the echo reflected by the farther object C2 at time 2. The time window during which the detector array 110 is on can be greater than or equal to time 2. In synchronized exposure mode, the farther the object is, the longer the detector's on-time window becomes, and the more detection data generated and stored. Of the data generated and stored by the detectors, only a small portion is valid (e.g., data generated by the object's echo); the rest is noise (e.g., ambient light data, stray light data, etc.). This impacts the efficient utilization of the lidar's storage and processing resources, and also affects the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected echoes.

[0203] In some embodiments, the lidar can operate in an asynchronous exposure mode. In this mode, the exposure parameters of the detection channel can be determined based on the previously detected target position. The exposure parameters can include at least one of the laser emission time or the detector's on-time window.

[0204] Optionally, the output signal of the first detector can be determined based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel, or based on at least one exposure of the second detection channel, or based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel and at least one exposure of the second detection channel. The distance to the object is determined based on the output signal of the first detector. Based on the distance to the object, at least one of the emission time of the first laser or the activation time window of the first detector can be determined. Figure 7b shows a schematic diagram of an asynchronous exposure example according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, for a close-range object C1, the emission time of the first laser 111 can be delayed, and for a distant object C2, the emission time of the first laser 111 can be advanced. By controlling the detection channel corresponding to the close-range object to be exposed later and the detection channel corresponding to the distant object to be exposed earlier, the detectors of different detection channels can receive valid echoes at the same or similar time points, thereby reducing the waiting time of the detectors and allowing the detectors to determine valid data through shorter exposure time segments. This reduces the amount of data generated by the detectors, reduces the storage and processing resources required for the detection data, and improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected echoes.

[0205] In some embodiments, determining at least one of the emission time of the first laser or the activation time window of the first detector includes adjusting at least one of the emission time of the first laser or the activation time window of the first detector. For example, at least one of the emission time of the first laser or the activation time window of the first detector can be adjusted based on the distance of the object. When the object is far away, the emission time of the first laser can be advanced, the activation time window of the first detector can be shortened, or the activation time of the time window of the first detector can be advanced. When the object is close, the emission time of the first laser can be delayed, the activation time window of the first detector can be shortened, or the activation time of the time window of the first detector can be delayed.

[0206] By controlling the laser timing exposure of at least one detection channel of the laser radar, the crosstalk between different detection channels or the crosstalk within the same detection channel can be reduced. Since the crosstalk is reduced, the laser radar can be globally exposed and the scanning speed and frame rate of the laser radar can be improved. By controlling the synchronous exposure of the laser of at least one detection channel of the laser radar, the scanning speed and frame rate of the laser radar can also be improved. Since the frame rate of the laser radar is high, the interval between frames is relatively short, and the movement of the object during the interval between frames is small, the time or opening time window of the light emission of the detection channel or the adjacent detection channel in the next frame or multiple frames can be determined by the distance of the object detected by the detection channel or the adjacent detection channel in the previous frame or multiple frames.

[0207] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar. FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser radar 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the laser radar 300 includes a transmitter TX, a detector RX, and a controller 130. The transmitter TX includes a laser array 110. The transmitter TX is configured to emit a light beam light. The detector RX includes a detector array 120. The detector RX is configured to receive an echo echo reflected by the light beam light on the object OB and convert the echo into an electrical signal. The controller 130 is coupled to the transmitter TX and the detector RX. The laser array 110 and the detector array 120 constitute a plurality of detection channels channel. The plurality of detection channels include a first detection channel channel1 and a second detection channel channel2. The first detection channel channel1 includes at least one first laser 111 and at least one first detector 121. The second detection channel channel2 includes at least one second laser 121 and at least one second detector 122. The controller 130 can perform operations S210 and S220.

[0208] Operation S210: Determine at least one of an output signal of a first detector and an output signal of a second detector based on at least one exposure of a first detection channel.

[0209] Operation S220: Determine at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector.

[0210] In some embodiments, the controller 130 may include a control circuit, a central processing unit (CPU), and may also include other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, and similar devices.

[0211] In some embodiments, the laser radar may include a laser radar that transmits and receives coaxially; in other embodiments, the laser radar may include a laser radar that transmits and receives non-coaxially.

[0212] 9a to 9c show optical path diagrams of examples of laser radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0213] Figure 9a illustrates the optical path for a non-coaxial LiDAR transmitter and receiver. As shown in Figures 8 and 9a, the transmitter TX includes a laser array 110 and a transmitting optical assembly M1, and the detector RX includes a detector array 120 and a receiving optical assembly M2. The transmitted light beam "light" can be emitted to the exterior of the LiDAR via the transmitting optical assembly M1, and the echo "echo" can be incident on the detector array 120 via the receiving optical assembly M2. In some embodiments, the transmitter TX and the detector RX can be optically isolated as needed.

[0214] Figure 9b illustrates the application optical path of a side-axis transceiver lidar. As shown in Figures 8 and 9b, the coaxial transceiver application optical path includes a transmitter TX comprising a laser array 110 and a detector RX comprising a detector array 120. The lidar also includes a beam splitter 140. Beam splitter 140 can separate the transceiver and receiver light paths. The beam splitter can include a partially transmissive lens or film, a polarization beam splitter / combiner, or a centrally-opened reflector. The lidar can also include a collimating lens 150 (or lens assembly).

[0215] Figure 9c shows the application optical path of a laser radar based on a diffractive optical element (DOE) 160 or an optical crystal. As shown in Figures 8 and 9c, the diffractive optical element 160 can be arranged downstream of the optical path of the laser array 110 for spatial modulation of the light beam. The diffractive optical element or optical crystal can be a passive element (for example, a grating) to achieve light beam modulation. The diffractive optical element or optical crystal can also be an active element for spatial modulation of the light beam. For example, an electrically excited photoelectric crystal (for example, a liquid crystal) is used to achieve control of the propagation direction of the light beam.

[0216] In some embodiments, the controller 130 may implement any embodiment of any one or more lidar control methods described above.

[0217] The present disclosure also relates to a device. Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of an example device 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 10, device 400 may include a processor 410 and a memory 420. Memory 420 may include computer-executable instructions stored therein. When executed by processor 410, these executable instructions may implement any steps or optional steps of control method 200 in any of the above embodiments.

[0218] In some embodiments, the device may include but is not limited to a lidar, a vehicle controller, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable device, the cloud, a manufacturer's server, a computer, etc.

[0219] In some embodiments, the processor may include a CPU, and may also include other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, and the like.

[0220] In some embodiments, the memory may include random access memory (RAM) or non-volatile memory. Further, the memory may include at least one of phase-change random access memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), read-only memory (ROM), and electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

[0221] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, including computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement any one or more of the above-mentioned laser radar control methods 200.

[0222] The present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more storage media containing program code. Computer-usable storage media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and may be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information may be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to: PRAM, SRAM, DRAM, other types of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

[0223] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a laser emitting assembly having a stacked structure is provided. The laser emitting assembly of the present disclosure enables the laser to achieve high-efficiency and high-power light emission.

[0224] The electrical model of a laser can be equivalent to a diode model. The laser's luminous power can characterize the overall driving capability of the driver and laser. The laser's luminous power is positively correlated with the current passing through the laser. Increasing the upper limit of the current flowing through the laser can increase the laser's maximum luminous power. The circuit model that drives the laser to emit light can be equivalent to a model in which the power supply controls the on or off state of the laser through a switch. Switching the switch from the off state to the on state can drive the laser to emit light pulses. The connection lines between the various devices in the laser light-emitting circuit have resistance, such as the resistance of the connection line between the switch and the laser, the resistance of the connection line inside the laser chip, and the internal resistance of the switch driver. The resistance of the connection line may limit the upper limit of the current in the laser light-emitting circuit. The current density capability of the switch in the laser light-emitting circuit may also limit the upper limit of the current in the laser light-emitting circuit, limiting the maximum luminous power of the laser.

[0225] In an addressable two-dimensional laser array, as the number of addressable light-emitting regions increases, the wiring connecting each light-emitting region may grow, increasing the resistance in the light-emitting circuit, thereby limiting the upper limit of current in the laser emission circuit and the maximum light-emitting power of the laser. Increasing the number of light-emitting regions also reduces the area of ​​each light-emitting region, reducing the area of ​​the driver circuit containing the switch corresponding to each light-emitting region, reducing the current density capability of the switch, and thus limiting the upper limit of current in the laser emission circuit and the maximum light-emitting power of the laser. To increase the upper limit of current in the laser emission circuit and meet the high-power emission requirements of the light-emitting regions, the resistance introduced by the wiring in the laser emission circuit can be reduced, and the current density capability of the driver circuit that independently drives each light-emitting region can also be increased.

[0226] Figure 11 shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that Figure 11 only shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array, and the multiple lasers 1101 / 1601 in Figure 11 can be arranged in one dimension or in two dimensions. As shown in Figure 11, the anode of the laser 1101 / 1601 is connected to the power supply HV, the cathode of the laser is connected to the switch K, and the switch K is connected to the switch drive circuit Q. For example, the switch K can be a field effect tube, and the gate G (Grid) of the switch K can be connected to the switch drive circuit Q. The switch drive circuit can control the conduction or disconnection of the switch, and thus control whether the laser emits light. The switch drive circuit can be a switch driver, or it can be other circuits that can control the conduction or disconnection of the switch.

[0227] Figure 12 shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that Figure 12 only shows a circuit connection diagram of a laser array. The multiple lasers in Figure 12 (such as L11 to L44) can be arranged in one dimension or in two dimensions. The cathodes of all or some of the lasers in the laser array can share the same cathode bus, and the anodes of the lasers sharing the same cathode bus can be connected to different anode buses. For example, lasers L11, L21, L31, and L41 are connected to the cathode bus CA1, and the anodes are connected to the anode bus AN1, the anode bus AN2, the anode bus AN3, and the anode bus AN4, respectively. Multiple lasers can also share the same anode bus, and the cathodes of the lasers sharing the same anode bus can be connected to different cathode buses, respectively. For example, lasers L11, L12, L13, and L14 are connected to the anode bus AN1, and the cathodes are connected to the cathode bus CA1, the cathode bus CA2, the cathode bus CA3, and the cathode bus CA4, respectively. The cathodes of the lasers sharing the same cathode bus are connected to the same switch K. The anodes of lasers sharing a common anode bus are connected to the same switch K. By turning on switch K on the anode bus side and switch K on the cathode bus side, the corresponding connected lasers can emit light. Switch K can be connected to a switch drive circuit Q. For example, switch K can be a field-effect transistor, and the gate G of switch K can be connected to the switch drive circuit Q. The switch drive circuit can control the on / off state of the switch, thereby controlling whether the laser emits light. The switch drive circuit can be a switch driver or other circuit capable of controlling the on / off state of the switch.

[0228] The laser array of the present disclosure can activate the lasers through single-side addressing, such as the circuit connection diagram shown in Figure 11, or can activate the lasers through bipolar addressing, such as the circuit connection diagram shown in Figure 12. The laser array can be a one-dimensional laser array or a two-dimensional laser array, and the present disclosure does not limit the number of lasers.

[0229] The present disclosure provides a laser emitting component with a stacked structure, which includes a laser chip, a switch chip and a first driver chip. The laser chip is integrated with a plurality of lasers, and the plurality of lasers are arranged in a two-dimensional array. The switch chip is integrated with a plurality of first switches. The plurality of lasers include a laser, and the plurality of first switches include a first switch. The first switch is connected to the laser. The first driver chip is connected to the switch chip and is configured to control the conduction or disconnection of the first switch. The switch chip is stacked between the laser chip and the first driver chip. The present disclosure can shorten the length of the connecting line in the light-emitting circuit, reduce the resistance in the light-emitting circuit, increase the upper limit of the current allowed to flow through the laser, improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser in the light-emitting path, and improve the light-emitting power of the laser, so that the laser can achieve high-efficiency and high-power light-emitting.

[0230] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of a stacked laser emitting assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 15 shows a schematic diagram of a switch chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of a first driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 17 shows a schematic diagram of the connection between a laser, a first switch, and a first driver according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 13 to 17, laser emitting assembly 11000 includes a laser chip 1100, a switch chip 1200, and a first driver chip 1300. Laser chip 1100 integrates multiple lasers 1101 arranged in a two-dimensional array. Switch chip 1200 integrates multiple first switches 1201, which are connected to lasers 1101. First driver chip 1300 is connected to switch chip 1200 and is configured to control the conduction or disconnection of first switches 1201. Switch chip 1200 is stacked between laser chip 1100 and first driver chip 1300.

[0231] In some embodiments, the laser chip 1100 includes a metal contact C1. The metal contact C1 is located on the surface of the laser chip 1100 opposite the light-emitting surface. In other words, the metal contact C1 is located on the surface of the laser chip 1100 near the switch chip 1200. The laser chip 1100 can be electrically connected to the switch chip 1200 via the metal contact C1. In other embodiments, the metal contact C1 can also be provided on the surface of the switch chip 1200 near the laser chip 1100, thereby electrically connecting the switch chip 1200 to the laser chip 1100.

[0232] In some embodiments, the switch chip 1200 may include a via (not shown in the figure), and the first driver chip 1300 may be electrically connected to the switch chip 1200 through the via. For example, the switch chip 1200 may include a metal contact C1. The metal contact C1 may be provided on the surface of the switch chip 1200 opposite to the laser chip 1100. The switch chip 1200 may be connected to the first driver chip 1300 located on its lower side through the metal contact C1 and the lead passing through the via, or the switch chip 1200 may be electrically connected to the first driver chip 1300 through the metal contact C2 by pouring conductive metal into the via and forming a metal contact C2 on the surface of the switch chip 1200 close to the first driver chip 1300. It should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the specific number and distribution of the metal contacts, which can be flexibly arranged according to needs.

[0233] In the laser emission component disclosed herein, the laser chip can be stacked vertically with the switch chip and the first driver chip, which can shorten the length of the connecting wires in the light-emitting circuit, reduce the resistance in the light-emitting circuit, reduce the adverse effects of the resistance introduced by the connecting wires, increase the upper limit of the current allowed to flow through the laser, increase the maximum light-emitting power of the laser, and improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency in the laser light-emitting circuit.

[0234] In some embodiments, a plurality of lasers 1101 may constitute a two-dimensional laser array, such as the M*N array shown in Figure 14, where M and N are positive integers. All or part of the lasers 1101 in the two-dimensional laser array may be controlled individually. In some embodiments, the two-dimensional laser array may include a plurality of laser groups, each of which may include at least one laser 1101, and each of which may be controlled individually. The laser 1101 may be a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The laser L may be emitted perpendicular to the top surface of the laser chip 1100. A plurality of VCSELs may constitute a two-dimensional VCSEL array.

[0235] In some embodiments, the switch chip 1200 may comprise III-V semiconductor materials, such as GaN, GaAs, GaSb, InAs, InSb, InAsSb, InGaAs, AlGaSb, InAlSb, AlGaAsSb, GaInAsSb, etc., which have high conductivity, can improve the current density capability of the first switch 1201, can reduce the equivalent resistance of the first switch, can increase the upper limit of the current in the laser light-emitting circuit, increase the maximum light-emitting power of the laser, and improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser. For example, the first switch 1201 may be a gallium nitride transistor. When the switch chip 1200 (or the laser emitting assembly 11000) is applied to a laser radar, it can improve the range-finding performance of the laser radar and reduce the total power consumption of the laser radar.

[0236] In some embodiments, the switch chip 1200 may include a metal oxide semiconductor material, such as a silicon-based semiconductor material. For example, the first switch 1201 may be a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). For example, the first switch 1201 may be an N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor or a P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor. The first switch 1201 may function as a low-side switch or a high-side switch.

[0237] In some embodiments, the switch chip 1200 integrates a plurality of first switches 1201, and the plurality of first switches 1201 can be arranged in a two-dimensional array, such as the M*N array shown in FIG15 , where M and N are positive integers. The first switch 1201 can be connected to at least one laser 1101. For example, the first switches 1201 are connected to the lasers 1101 in a one-to-one correspondence, with each first switch 1201 being connected to one of the lasers 1101 to control the operation of its corresponding laser 1101. When the first switch 1201 is controlled to be turned on, the corresponding laser 1101 passes current and emits light. For another example, the first switch 1201 can be connected to a plurality of lasers 1101, and when the first switch 1201 is controlled to be turned on, the plurality of lasers connected thereto are driven to emit light.

[0238] In some embodiments, the first driver chip 1300 may include multiple first drivers 1301 (or driver circuits). The first driver chip 1300 is, for example, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. The first driver 1301 is connected to the first switch 1201 to control the on / off state of the first switch 1201. The first driver 1301 may be a gate driver and connected to the gate G of the first switch 1201. For example, the first switch 1201 may be a gallium nitride transistor and connected to the gate of the gallium nitride transistor. For another example, the first switch 1201 may be a MOSFET and connected to the gate of the MOSFET. When the first driver 1301 controls the first switch 1201 to be on, the laser 1101 connected to the first switch 1201 can emit light. When the first driver 1301 controls the first switch 1201 to be off, the laser 1101 connected to the first switch 1201 does not emit light. Optionally, the first driver 1301 may also be connected to the source or drain of the first switch 1201 , which may be flexibly configured according to actual conditions in practical applications, and all of these are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0239] In some embodiments, the first driver chip 1300 may include a plurality of first drivers 1301. The plurality of first drivers 1301 may be arranged in a two-dimensional array, such as the M*N array shown in FIG16 , where M and N are positive integers. The first driver 1301 may be connected to at least one first switch 1201. For example, the first driver 1301 may be connected to the first switches 1201 in a one-to-one correspondence, with each first driver 1301 being connected to one of the first switches 1201 for controlling the on or off state of the first switch 1201 to which it is connected. For another example, the first driver 1301 may be connected to a plurality of first switches 1201 for controlling the on or off state of the plurality of first switches 1201 to which it is connected.

[0240] Figure 17 shows a schematic diagram of the connection of a laser, a first switch, and a first driver in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 17, the anode of laser 1101 is connected to a high-voltage source HV, and the cathode is connected to first switch 1201, and is grounded through first switch 1201. First driver 1301 is connected to gate G of first switch 1201 and controls the on and off of first switch 1201. When first driver 1301 controls first switch 1201 to turn on, laser 1101 connected to it emits light. When first driver 1301 controls first switch 1201 to turn off, laser 1101 connected to it does not emit light.

[0241] In some embodiments, the laser chip, the switch chip, and the first driver chip can all be partitioned. For example, a laser can serve as a light-emitting partition, a first switch can serve as a switch partition, and a first driver can serve as a driver partition. For example, a driver partition can be connected to a switch partition, and a switch partition can be connected to a light-emitting partition. For another example, a driver partition can be connected to a switch partition, and a switch partition can be connected to multiple light-emitting partitions. For another example, a driver partition can be connected to multiple switch partitions, and a switch partition can be connected to one or more light-emitting partitions. The first driver of the driver partition can control the independent drive or overall drive of the laser of the corresponding light-emitting partition by controlling the conduction or disconnection of the first switch of the corresponding switch partition.

[0242] To improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser, the resistance of the connection lines between the various components in the laser light-emitting circuit can be reduced. By stacking the switch chip above the first driver chip, the drive circuit can be shortened, reducing the resistance of the connection lines in the laser light-emitting path, reducing the energy loss caused by the connection line resistance in the laser light-emitting circuit, and improving the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser. Reducing the connection line resistance in the laser light-emitting circuit can also increase the upper limit of the current allowed to pass through the laser, increasing the maximum light-emitting power of the laser.

[0243] In order to further increase the maximum luminous power of the laser, the driving current provided to the laser can be increased. However, due to the large number of luminous partitions of the laser chip and the small area of ​​a single luminous partition, the requirements for the current density capability of a single switch partition that independently drives a single luminous partition under the stacking structure are greatly increased. The laser emitting component disclosed in the present invention can increase the area of ​​the first switch in a single switch partition of the switch chip by stacking the switch chip and the first driver chip, improve the current density capability of the first switch, increase the current upper limit in the laser light-emitting circuit, increase the maximum luminous power of the laser, and realize high-efficiency, high-power luminescence of an addressable two-dimensional laser array, so that the light pulse waveform emitted by the laser is sharper, which is beneficial to improving the detection performance of the laser radar, such as the ranging capability, anti-interference capability, and accuracy of the detection results.

[0244] As shown in Figure 17, to increase the current of the light-emitting sub-area (e.g., laser 1101), the anode of laser 1101 is connected to a high-voltage source HV (e.g., 30V, 40V, etc.). To ensure normal operation of the circuit, the first driver 1301 needs to have a high voltage resistance. Some first driver chips 1300 use MOSFETs from silicon-based CMOS chips as the laser switch. MOSFETs typically have low current density capabilities under high voltages. The current density of a MOSFET is negatively correlated with its voltage resistance. The higher the voltage resistance of the MOSFET, the lower the current density, the lower the upper limit of the current that the MOSFET can pass, the lower the upper limit of the current that can flow through the laser, and the lower the maximum luminous power of the laser. The current density of the MOSFET is lower than the current density required by a laser (e.g., a VCSEL) at its highest luminous power. When the switch sub-area and the light-emitting sub-area have the same area, the current density of the MOSFET is approximately 25% of that of the laser. Given the same area, the MOSFET's higher equivalent resistance limits the maximum current that can flow through the laser, reducing the laser's electro-optical conversion efficiency and limiting the laser's maximum luminous power. Compared with silicon-based CMOS chips, under the same voltage resistance requirements, the gallium nitride transistors used in the switch chips in some embodiments of the present disclosure have a higher current density and better high voltage resistance, which can meet the voltage resistance requirements and current density requirements at the same time, reduce the contradiction between the driving current capability and voltage resistance of the first driver chip, make up for the problem of insufficient driving current of the first driver chip, increase the upper limit of the current allowed to flow through the laser, improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser in the light-emitting path, and increase the maximum light-emitting power of the laser, so that the laser can achieve high-efficiency and high-power light emission.

[0245] The present disclosure also provides another laser emission assembly having a stacked structure. The laser emission assembly includes a laser chip and multiple second driver chips. The laser chip integrates multiple lasers, and the multiple lasers are arranged in a two-dimensional array. Multiple second driver chips are connected to the laser chip. The second driver chip integrates multiple second switches. At least one second switch in a second driver chip is connected to at least one second switch in another second driver chip. The multiple second driver chips are stacked, and the laser chip is stacked on the multiple second driver chips.

[0246] Figure 18 shows a schematic diagram of another laser emission assembly with a stacked structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 19 shows a schematic diagram of a second driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 20 shows a schematic diagram of a second driver chip according to other embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 21 shows a schematic diagram of the connection between a laser and a second switch group according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 22 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit connection of the second switch group according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 14, 18 to 22, the laser emission assembly 1200 assembly 12000 includes a laser chip 1100 and multiple second driver chips 1400 (four second driver chips are shown in Figure 18 as an example, in other embodiments, the number of second driver chips can also be other numbers greater than or equal to 2). Multiple second driver chips 1400 are stacked, and the laser chip 1100 is stacked on the multiple second driver chips 1400. The laser chip 1100 integrates multiple lasers 1101, and the multiple lasers 1101 are arranged in a two-dimensional array, such as the M*N array shown in Figure 14, where M and N are positive integers. Multiple second driver chips 1400 are connected to the laser chip 1100. Multiple second switches 1401 are integrated into the second driver chips 1400. At least one second switch 1401 in a second driver chip 1400 is connected to at least one second switch 1401 in another second driver chip 1400. At least one second switch 1401 in a second driver chip 1400 is connected to at least one second switch 1401 in another second driver chip 1400 to form a second switch group 1401B.

[0247] In some embodiments, the second driver chip 1400 includes a plurality of second switches 1401 , and the plurality of second switches 1401 may be arranged in a two-dimensional array, such as the M*N array shown in FIG19 , where M and N are positive integers.

[0248] In some embodiments, the second driver chip 1400 may be a MOSFET chip, such as a silicon-based MOSFET chip. The second switch 1401 may include a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). For example, the second switch 1401 may be an N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor or a P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor. The second switch 1401 may function as a low-side switch or a high-side switch. The laser 1101 may be a VCSEL. The laser light L may be emitted perpendicular to the top surface of the laser chip 1100.

[0249] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20 , at least one of the plurality of second driver chips 1400 may further include multiple second drivers 1402 (or driver circuits). For example, one or more of the plurality of second driver chips 1400 may include multiple second switches 1401 and multiple second drivers 1402, while the remaining second driver chips 1400 may only include multiple second switches 1401 but not second drivers 1402. For another example, each of the plurality of second driver chips 1400 may include multiple second switches 1401 and multiple second drivers 1402. Referring to FIG19 , when the second driver chip 1400 includes only the second switches 1401 but not the second drivers 1402, the second driver chip 1400 may include a III-V semiconductor material such as GaN. The second switch 1401 may be a gallium nitride transistor, similar to the switch chip 1200 and first switch 1201 shown in FIG15 . 20 , when the second driver chip 1400 includes a second switch 1401 and a second driver 1402, the second driver chip 1400 may be a MOSFET chip or a silicon-based CMOS chip, and the second switch 1401 may be a MOSFET. The second driver 1402 is connected to the second switch 1401. The second driver 1402 is configured to control the on / off state of the second switch 1401. The second driver 1402 may be a gate driver. The second driver 1402 may be connected to the gate G of the second switch 1401 to control the on / off state of the second switch 1401. Optionally, the second driver 1402 may also be connected to the source or drain of the second switch 1401. In actual applications, this may be flexibly configured based on actual conditions.

[0250] In some embodiments, at least one second switch 1401 in a second driver chip 1400 is connected in parallel with at least one second switch 1401 in another second driver chip 1400. Multiple second driver chips 1400 include at least one second switch group 1401B, each second switch group 1401B including multiple parallel-connected second switches 1401. Laser emitting assembly 1200 includes at least one light-emitting path, which includes a laser 1101 and a second switch group 1401B, with the laser connected to the second switch group 1401B.

[0251] For example, Figure 21 shows the light emission path corresponding to one of the lasers, and Figure 22 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit connection of the second switch group. As shown in Figures 21 and 22, a laser 1101 is connected to a second switch group 1401B, which is in turn connected to a second driver 1402. Second switch group 1401B includes a plurality of, for example, four, parallel second switches 1401. These four second switches 1401 can be from four second driver chips 1400. In this light emission path, second switch group 1401B is connected in series with laser 1101, for example, connected to the cathode of laser 1101. The four second switches 1401 in second switch group 1401B form a shunt structure that can collectively share the current flowing through laser 1101, increasing the upper limit of the current allowed to pass through laser 1101 and enabling high-efficiency, high-power laser light emission.

[0252] It should be noted that the multiple second switches in the second switch group can come from all the second driver chips in the laser emission assembly, or from some of the second driver chips in the laser emission assembly. For example, the laser emission assembly includes 3 second driver chips, the second switch group can include 3 second switches, and the 3 second switches can come from 3 second driver chips respectively. For another example, the laser emission assembly includes 5 second driver chips, the second switch group can include 3 second switches, and the 3 second switches can come from 3 second driver chips respectively, etc. The present disclosure does not limit the number of second driver chips, nor does it limit the specific number and source of the second switches in the second switch group, which can be flexibly adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0253] In some embodiments, multiple second switches of the same second switch group are configured to be turned on or off synchronously. In the same light-emitting path, multiple parallel second switches corresponding to one laser can be turned on or off synchronously. For example, in the light-emitting path illustrated in FIG21 , the four second switches 1401 of the second switch group 1401B can be turned on or off synchronously. In this light-emitting path, the four parallel second switches 1401 corresponding to the laser 1101 can be turned on or off synchronously. Here, only one second switch group 1401B including four second switches is used as an example, which does not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0254] In one light emitting path, the second switch group 1401B may be connected to the second driver 1402 , and the second driver 1402 may control the plurality of second switches 1401 in the second switch group 1401B to be turned on or off synchronously.

[0255] For example, in one light-emitting path, multiple second switches 1401 from the same second switch group 1401B can be connected to the same second driver 1402. The second driver 1402 can be connected to the gates of the multiple second switches 1401 connected in parallel, and can control the multiple second switches 1401 connected in parallel to be turned on or off synchronously, thereby controlling whether the laser 1101 connected to the multiple second switches 1401 connected in parallel emits light.

[0256] For another example, in a light-emitting path, multiple second switches 1401 from the same second switch group 1401B can each be connected to a different second driver 1402. One second switch 1401 can be connected to one second driver 1402. Each second driver 1402 can be connected to the gate of its corresponding second switch 1401. Each second driver 1402 controls the on / off state of its corresponding second switch 1401. Multiple second drivers 1402 control the simultaneous on / off state of multiple second switches 1401 in the second switch group 1401B.

[0257] For another example, in a light-emitting path, multiple second switches 1401 from the same second switch group 1401B can be partially connected to the same second driver 1402 and partially connected to other second drivers 1402. Each second driver 1402 can be connected to the gate of its corresponding second switch 1401. Each second driver 1402 can control the on or off state of its corresponding second switch 1401. The multiple second drivers 1402 control the multiple second switches 1401 in the second switch group 1401B to be turned on or off synchronously.

[0258] In some embodiments, the second driver chip 1400 may include a via. The second driver chip 1400 may be electrically connected to the laser chip 1100 through the via. For example, the second driver chip 1400 shown in FIG18 includes a via (not shown), through which a lead 1 may be passed, or a conductive metal may be poured into the via to form a metal contact C on the surface of the second driver chip 1400. An electrical connection may be formed between the laser chip 1100 and the corresponding second driver chip 1400 through the lead 1 or the metal contact C. It is understood that the surface of the laser chip 1100 close to the second driver chip 1400 (the surface opposite the light-emitting surface) may also include a metal contact C to electrically connect to the second driver chip 1400.

[0259] In some embodiments, the number of stacked second driver chips can be appropriately adjusted based on the current requirements of the laser chip and the current supply capabilities of the second driver chip. The more stacked second driver chips there are, the smaller the equivalent resistance of the multiple second switches connected in parallel, the greater the upper limit of current allowed to flow through the laser, the higher the maximum luminous power of the laser, and the higher the electro-optical conversion efficiency. By increasing the number of stacked second driver chips, the problem of insufficient driving current in a single layer of second driver chips can be compensated, achieving high-efficiency, high-power light emission in a two-dimensional laser array.

[0260] The present disclosure also provides another laser emitting assembly with a stacked structure. The laser emitting assembly includes a laser chip and a third driver chip. The laser chip integrates multiple lasers, which are arranged in a two-dimensional array. The third driver chip is connected to the laser chip, and the third driver chip integrates multiple third switches and multiple third drivers. The third switch connects to multiple lasers, and the laser chips are stacked on the third driver chip.

[0261] Figure 23 shows a schematic diagram of a stacked laser emitting assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 24 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to other embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 25 shows a schematic diagram of a laser chip according to yet other embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 26 shows a schematic diagram of a third driver chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 27 shows a schematic diagram of the connection between multiple lasers and a third switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 28 shows a schematic diagram of the corresponding relationship between multiple lasers and a third switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 23 to 28, the laser emitting assembly 13000 includes a laser chip 1600 and a third driver chip 1500. The laser chip 1600 integrates multiple lasers 1601, which are arranged in a two-dimensional array. The third driver chip 1500 is connected to the laser chip 1600, and the third driver chip 1500 integrates multiple third switches 1501 and multiple third drivers 1502. The third switch 1501 connects to the multiple lasers 1601. The laser chip 1600 is stacked on the third driving chip 1500 .

[0262] In some embodiments, the third driver chip 1500 may be a MOSFET chip, such as a silicon-based MOSFET chip. The third switch 1501 may be arranged in a two-dimensional array. The third switch 1501 may include a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). For example, the third switch 1501 may be an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor. The third switch 1501 may function as a low-side switch or a high-side switch. The laser 1601 may be arranged in a two-dimensional array. The laser 1601 may be a VCSEL. The laser light L may be emitted perpendicular to the top surface of the laser chip 1600.

[0263] In some embodiments, a plurality of lasers may be connected to the same third switch. In the plurality of lasers connected to the same third switch, one of the cathode and the anode thereof is connected to the same third switch.

[0264] For example, as shown in Figures 24 and 26, among the multiple lasers 1601 connected to the same third switch 1501, the multiple lasers 1601 can share a common anode, and the cathodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501. For another example, the multiple lasers 1601 can share a common cathode, and the anodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501. By turning on the third switch 1501, the multiple lasers 1601 connected to the same third switch 1501 can emit light simultaneously.

[0265] In some embodiments, the plurality of lasers connected to the same third switch have one of their cathodes and anodes connected to the third switch.

[0266] For example, as shown in Figures 25 and 26, among multiple lasers 1601 connected to the same third switch 1501, the cathodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501, and the anodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to different anode buses. Taking an M*N laser array as an example, where M and N are positive integers, the cathodes of every four lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501, and the anodes of these four lasers 1601 can be connected to four anode buses, respectively. Only four lasers are used as an example here, and this does not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. By activating the anode buses and the third switch 1501 of the lasers 1601, individual control of the lasers 1601 can be achieved.

[0267] For another example, among multiple lasers 1601 connected to the same third switch 1501, the anodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501, and the cathodes of the multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to different cathode buses. Taking an M*N laser array as an example, where M and N are positive integers, the anodes of a column of M lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501, and the cathodes can be connected to M cathode buses respectively. By activating the cathode buses of the lasers 1601 and the third switches 1501, individual control of the lasers 1601 can be achieved.

[0268] The third switch 1501 is connected to a third driver 1502. The third driver 1502 can control the conduction or disconnection of the third switch 1501 to which it is connected. The third driver 1502 can be a gate driver and can be connected to the gate G of the third switch 1501 to control the conduction or disconnection of the third switch 1501, thereby controlling whether a single laser 1601 among multiple lasers 1601 connected to the same third switch 1501 emits light or not. Optionally, the third driver 1502 can also be connected to the source or drain of the third switch 1501. In actual applications, this can be flexibly configured according to actual conditions.

[0269] Figure 27 shows a schematic diagram of the connection between multiple lasers and a third switch according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 27, the cathodes of multiple (for example, 4) lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch 1501, and the anodes of multiple (for example, 4) lasers 1601 can be individually connected to different anode buses HV1, HV2, HV3, and HV4. It should be noted that Figure 27 only takes 4 lasers as an example and does not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. The lasers connected to the same third switch can be all lasers in the laser array or some lasers. Different lasers that are not connected to the same third switch can be connected to the same anode bus or to different anode buses. Figure 27 shows a connection method in which multiple lasers 1601 share a common cathode. Multiple lasers 1601 can also adopt a common anode connection method, and the anodes of multiple lasers 1601 can be connected to the same third switch, and the cathodes are individually connected to different cathode buses.

[0270] In the laser emitting assembly 1200 of the embodiments of Figures 18 to 22 , each second switch 1401 in the second driver chip 1400 corresponds to one laser 1101, and the area of ​​one second switch 1401 corresponds to the area of ​​one laser 1101. For an M*N two-dimensional laser array, if one second switch 1401 corresponds to one laser 1101, the number of second switches 1401 in the second driver chip 1400 is M*N, where M and N are positive integers.

[0271] In the laser emission assembly 13000 of the embodiments of Figures 23 to 28 , one third switch 1501 in the third driver chip 1500 can correspond to four lasers 1601, and the area of ​​one third switch 1501 corresponds to the sum of the areas of the four lasers 1601. For an M*N two-dimensional laser array, if one third switch 1501 corresponds to four lasers 1601, that is, every four lasers 1601 share one third switch 1501, then the number of third switches 1501 in the third driver chip 1500 is (M / 4)*N, where M and N are positive integers. Sharing one switch for multiple lasers can reduce the number of switches in the driver chip, increase the occupied area of ​​each switch, and improve the current density of the switch. When one third switch corresponds to more lasers, the area of ​​one third switch corresponds to the sum of the areas of more lasers. The third driver chip requires fewer third switches, which can further increase the occupied area of ​​the switch and further improve the current density of the switch. Reducing the number of switches not only improves the current driving capability of the third driver chip, but also reduces costs. Increasing the area occupied by a switch can increase the current density of the switch, increase the upper limit of the current allowed to flow through the laser, improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser in the light-emitting path, and increase the maximum light-emitting power of the laser, so that the laser can emit light with high power and high efficiency.

[0272] In summary, the laser emission assembly 11000 / 12000 / 13000 disclosed in the present invention has been introduced. In practical applications, a suitable laser emission assembly can be selected according to different needs. By stacking multiple layers of chips, the length of the connecting wire of the laser emission assembly can be shortened by an order of magnitude, such as from the order of mm to the order of 0.1 mm, which greatly reduces the adverse effects of the parasitic effects of the connecting wires (for example, parasitic resistance, parasitic inductance, etc.), can improve the driving capability, increase the upper limit of the current flowing through the laser, improve the electro-optical conversion efficiency and maximum luminous power of the laser, reduce the crosstalk of the circuit, and help improve the luminous quality of the laser and help reduce the occupied area of ​​the laser emission assembly.

[0273] The present disclosure also relates to a transmitting module of a laser radar. Figure 29 shows a schematic diagram of a transmitting module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 29, the transmitting module 14000 includes any one of the laser transmitting assemblies 11000 / 12000 / 13000 as described above. The laser transmitting assembly 11000 / 12000 / 13000 is configured to be connected to a power supply (such as HV as shown in Figure 30). The transmitting module of the present disclosure, by adopting the above-mentioned laser transmitting assembly, can improve the maximum luminous power and electro-optical conversion efficiency of the transmitting module and reduce the occupied area of ​​the transmitting module.

[0274] Figure 30 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the transmitting module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 30, the anode of the laser 1101 / 1601 is connected to the power supply HV, and the cathode is connected to the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501. Before the laser 1101 / 1601 emits light, the voltage drop borne by the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501 is HV. In order to increase the luminous intensity (or luminous power) of the laser, the power supply HV can be set to a higher value, but the withstand voltage requirement for the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501 will be increased, which will limit the current capacity (current density) of the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a preset bias voltage can be provided to the laser to reduce the voltage drop borne by the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501, thereby lowering the requirements for the voltage resistance of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 and improving the current density of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501.

[0275] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the launch module may further include a voltage limiter, which may be connected to both ends of the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch in the laser launch assembly. The voltage limiter is configured to limit the voltage across both ends of the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch to less than a preset voltage, and is configured to limit the preset voltage to less than the voltage of the power supply. Figures 31 and 32 respectively illustrate voltage limiters according to different embodiments of the present disclosure, which will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 31 and 32.

[0276] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG31 , the voltage limiter may include a resistor 14444. Resistor 14444 is connected in parallel across the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501. When the laser 1101 / 1601 is not emitting light, the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 is disconnected, and current flows through resistor 14444. Resistor 14444 divides the voltage with the laser 1101 / 1601, so that the voltage across resistor 14444 is less than a preset voltage, and the voltage across the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 is less than a preset voltage, and the preset voltage is less than the power supply voltage HV. It should be noted that the specific size of the preset voltage is related to the voltage resistance of the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch, and can be determined according to actual conditions. When the laser is not emitting light, the current in the circuit is less than the current required for the laser to emit light. When laser 1101 / 1601 emits light, first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501 is turned on, and its on-resistance is very low. Current flows through first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501, further reducing the voltage across first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501. By providing resistor 14444, the voltage across first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501 can be reduced, thereby lowering the withstand voltage requirements for first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501, improving its current density capability, and increasing the upper limit of current flowing through laser 1101 / 1601. This increases the upper limit of current in the transmitter module, thereby improving the maximum luminous power and electro-optical conversion efficiency of the transmitter module. Optionally, resistor 14444 can be an adjustable resistor.

[0277] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG32 , the voltage limiter may include a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) 14445. MOSFET 14445 is connected in parallel across first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501. By controlling the gate voltage of MOSFET 14445, the resistance between the source and drain of MOSFET 14445 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the voltage across first switch 1201, second switch 1401, or third switch 1501. The principles behind this are similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIG31 and will not be further described here.

[0278] By setting a voltage limiter, as shown in Figures 31 and 32, when a preset bias voltage is provided to the laser 1101 / 1601 so that it is biased near the voltage threshold Vth (the laser, such as a VCSEL, does not emit light below the voltage threshold Vth), the voltage drop Vov that can be borne by the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501 is (HV-Vth). Compared with the case where no preset bias voltage is provided to the laser, the voltage drop borne by the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501 can be reduced from HV to (HV-Vth). Reducing the voltage drop of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 can reduce the withstand voltage requirement of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501, thereby increasing the current density of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501, improving the current driving capability of the light-emitting circuit, increasing the current flowing through the laser, and increasing the maximum light-emitting power and electro-optical conversion efficiency of the laser, so that the laser can emit light with high power and high efficiency.

[0279] When the first, second, or third switch is not conducting, the voltage limiter can limit the voltage across the laser to less than a voltage threshold Vth, preventing the laser from emitting light before the first, second, or third switch is conducting. It should be noted that the specific value of the voltage threshold Vth is related to the voltage withstand capability of the laser and can be determined based on actual conditions.

[0280] In some embodiments, the transmitter module 14000 may also include a bootstrap capacitor. The operating principle of the bootstrap capacitor is based on the characteristic that the voltage across the capacitor cannot change suddenly. When the voltage across the capacitor is maintained at a certain level, by increasing the voltage at the negative terminal of the capacitor, the voltage at the positive terminal will maintain the original voltage difference with the negative terminal, which effectively "lifts" the voltage at the positive terminal. This bootstrap process causes the capacitor discharge voltage to superimpose on the power supply voltage, thereby raising the voltage level of the entire system.

[0281] Figure 33 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a transmitting module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 33, the transmitting module 14000 includes a bootstrap capacitor C. The bootstrap capacitor C can be connected between the first end of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 (such as end a in the figure) and the second preset voltage source Vb. It should be noted that the "first end" here can be the end of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 away from the laser 1101 / 1601 (such as end a in the figure). It should be understood that the "first end" can also be the end of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 close to the laser 1101 / 1601 (such as end b in the figure). The "connection" here can be connected through other devices (for example, switches K1 and K2 shown in Figure 33, switches K1 and K2 can be either conductive or disconnected). Optionally, the "connection" here can also be a direct connection without other devices, depending on the actual situation.

[0282] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 33, one end of the bootstrap capacitor C is connected to the first end (end a) of the first switch 1201 or the second switch 1401 or the third switch 1501 through switch K1, and the other end of the bootstrap capacitor is connected to the second preset voltage source Vb through switch K2. The transmitting module 14000 may also include switches K3, K4, and K5. Switch K3 connects the cathode of the laser emitting assembly 11000 / 12000 / 13000, and the laser emitting assembly 11000 / 12000 / 13000 is grounded through switch K3. Switches K4 and K5 can be connected to the left and right ends of the bootstrap capacitor C. It is understandable that the switches K1 and K4 in Figure 33 can be replaced with a single-pole double-throw switch, and switches K2 and K5 can also be replaced with a single-pole double-throw switch.

[0283] When the switch K3 is turned on, similar to FIG30 , the peak current value of the laser 1101 / 1601 is (HV-Vth) / R, where R is the total resistance in the light emitting path.

[0284] When switches K2 and K4 are on and switches K1 and K5 are off, the preset voltage source Vb can charge the bootstrap capacitor C. After reaching steady state, the voltage between the left and right terminals of the bootstrap capacitor C reaches Vb. When switches K1 and K5 are on, the right terminal of the bootstrap capacitor C is grounded. Due to the characteristic that the voltage across the capacitor cannot change suddenly, the voltage at the left terminal of the bootstrap capacitor C becomes -Vb. When the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501 is turned on and the laser 1101 / 1601 is driven to emit light, the bootstrap capacitor C can provide a reverse pulse -Vb to the laser 1101 / 1601, so that the transient voltage difference of the laser 1101 / 1601 in the light-emitting path is HV-(-Vb)=(HV+Vb), and the transient current value of the laser 1101 / 1601 in the light-emitting path is: (HV+Vb-Vth) / R, R=Rsw+Rlaser+Rline, where R is the total resistance in the light-emitting path, Rsw is the equivalent resistance of the first switch 1201, the second switch 1401, or the third switch 1501, Rlaser is the equivalent resistance after the laser is turned on, and Rline is the equivalent resistance of the connecting line in the circuit. Without increasing the withstand voltage of the switch, the transient negative pulse scheme can be used to increase the transient current of the laser, the peak current of the laser, and the maximum luminous power of the laser.

[0285] The present disclosure also provides a laser radar. Figure 34 shows a schematic diagram of a laser radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 34, the laser radar 15000 includes a transmitting module 14000, a receiving module 15300 and a processor 15600 as described above. The transmitting module 14000 includes any one of the laser transmitting assemblies 11000 / 12000 / 13000 as described above. The transmitting module 14000 is configured to transmit a detection beam Light. The receiving module 15300 is configured to receive the echo Light' generated after the detection beam Light is reflected on the object OB, and generate an electrical signal. The processor 15600 is connected to the receiving module 15300 and is configured to determine at least one of the distance and reflectivity of the object OB based on the electrical signal.

[0286] In some embodiments, the processor 15600 is further connected to the transmitting module 14000 and configured to control the operation of the transmitting module 14000. In some embodiments, the processor 15600 can also be configured to control the operation of the laser transmitting assembly 11000 / 12000 / 13000.

[0287] Optionally, the receiving module 15300 may include one or more detectors (not shown), and the multiple detectors may be arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. The detectors may include one or more of a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), and an avalanche photodiode (APD).

[0288] Optionally, processor 15600 includes a central processing unit (CPU), and may also include other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., depending on actual conditions.

[0289] Optionally, the laser radar disclosed in the present invention may be a solid-state laser radar or a mechanical scanning laser radar.

[0290] The laser radar disclosed herein, by adopting the above-mentioned transmitting module, can improve the current driving capability, realize high-power, high-efficiency, narrow-pulse laser emission, improve the laser radar's detection performance such as ranging capability, accuracy, and anti-interference capability, and reduce the size of the laser radar.

[0291] It should be noted that although several modules of the laser radar are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules described above can be implemented in one module. Conversely, the features and functions of a module described above can be further divided into multiple modules to be concretized. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a transmitter module for a laser radar, a laser radar, and a control method for a laser radar are provided.

[0292] LiDAR uses a transmitter module to emit laser light and a receiver module to receive the echo, enabling object detection. The laser transmitter module includes a laser chip and a laser driver module, which is connected to the laser chip to drive the laser chip to emit laser light.

[0293] As shown in FIG35 , laser chip 010 includes one or more lasers 012, each of which includes multiple parallel-connected light-emitting cavities 014. Driver module 020 includes switch 022 and driver 024. Switch 022 is turned on in response to a signal provided by driver 024. Thus, laser chip 010 can emit laser light in response to the drive of driver module 020. Since laser chip 010 causes multiple light-emitting cavities 014 to emit laser light simultaneously in response to the drive of driver module 020, laser chip 010 becomes the smallest driven unit.

[0294] Therefore, in order to improve the scanning mode of the lidar and enhance the performance of the lidar, a driving solution that can independently control each laser or light-emitting cavity is needed.

[0295] The present disclosure proposes a transmitter module for a laser radar, comprising: a laser chip including multiple light-emitting cavities; a laser driver chip including multiple fourth switches, the laser driver chip being connected to the laser chip and configured to drive the laser chip to emit laser light, at least one of the multiple fourth switches being connected to at least one of the multiple light-emitting cavities and configured to be turned on or off; and a fifth switch being configured to be connected to the laser driver chip, wherein when the fifth switch is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser light. The transmitter module for a laser radar disclosed in the present disclosure can use one or more light-emitting cavities included in the laser chip as the minimum unit to be driven to achieve refined driving of the laser chip. On the other hand, at least the fourth switch of the transmitter module for a laser radar provided in the present disclosure can be integrated into the laser driver chip, which is conducive to the compact layout of the transmitter module in the laser radar, suitable for small radar system applications, low manufacturing cost and easy to expand the transmitter module by stacking with the laser chip.

[0296] FIG36 shows a schematic block diagram of an example of a transmitter module 220 for a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0297] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter module 220 for the laser radar may include a laser driver chip 222, which may include a plurality of light-emitting cavities (e.g., light-emitting cavities 2222A-2222F shown in FIG36). The light-emitting cavity may be a resonant cavity structure that generates and amplifies laser light. Although six light-emitting cavities are shown in FIG36, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the laser driver chip 222 may include any number of light-emitting cavities, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100, or more light-emitting cavities.

[0298] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter module 220 for the laser radar may further include a laser driver chip 224, which is connected to the laser driver chip 222 and configured to drive the laser driver chip 222 to emit laser light. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the laser driver chip 224 may include a plurality of fourth switches (e.g., fourth switches 2242A-2242D shown in FIG. 36 ), with at least one of the plurality of fourth switches 2242A-2242D in the laser driver chip 224 being connected to at least one of the plurality of light-emitting cavities 2222A-2222F in the laser driver chip 222. For example, as shown in FIG. 36 , the fourth switch 2242A is connected to the light-emitting cavity 2222B, the fourth switch 2242B is connected to the light-emitting cavities 2222C and 2222D, and the fourth switch 2242C is connected to the light-emitting cavities 2222E and 2222F. Although four fourth switches are shown in FIG36 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and that the laser driver chip 224 may include any number of fourth switches, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100, or more fourth switches. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the manner in which the fourth switches are connected to the light-emitting cavities is not limited to that shown in FIG36 . For example, the fourth switches may be connected to more light-emitting cavities than shown in FIG36 , or two or more different fourth switches may be connected to the same light-emitting cavity. In some embodiments, one of the plurality of fourth switches is configured to be on or off; in other embodiments, at least some of the plurality of fourth switches are configured to be on or off; and in yet other embodiments, each of the plurality of fourth switches is configured to be on or off. For example, the fourth switch 2242A shown in FIG36 can be configured to be on, and the fourth switches 2242B-2242D can be configured to be off; in other light-emitting modes (not shown), the fourth switches 2242A and 2242B are configured to be on, and the fourth switches 2242C and 2242D are configured to be off; in still other light-emitting modes (not shown), the fourth switches 2242A-2242D are all configured to be on or off.

[0299] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter module 220 for the laser radar may further include a fifth switch 226, which is configured to be connected to the laser driver chip 224, and can realize the control of the laser driver chip 224. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the fifth switch 226 is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser. For example, in some light-emitting modes, as shown in FIG36, when the fourth switch 2242A is configured to be turned on, and when the fifth switch 226 is turned on, the light-emitting cavity 2222B connected to the fourth switch 2242A emits laser; in other light-emitting modes, when the fourth switches 2242A and 2242B are configured to be turned on, and when the fifth switch 226 is turned on, the light-emitting cavity 2222B connected to the fourth switch 2242A and the light-emitting cavity 2222B connected to the fourth switch 2242A emit laser. The light-emitting cavities 2222C and 2222D connected to phase B emit lasers; in some other light-emitting modes, when the fourth switches 2242A-2242D are all configured to be turned on, and when the fifth switch 226 is turned on, the light-emitting cavity 2222B connected to the fourth switch 2242A, the light-emitting cavities 2222C and 2222D connected to the fourth switch 2242B, and the light-emitting cavities 2222E and 2222F connected to the fourth switch 2242C all emit lasers.

[0300] In the transmitter module 220 for the laser radar disclosed in the present invention, a two-stage switch is provided to perform refined driving on the light-emitting cavity in the laser chip, thereby achieving higher resolution and further reducing the power consumption of the laser chip.

[0301] Figure 37 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example transmitter module (e.g., transmitter module 230) for a lidar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0302] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter module 230 includes a laser chip 232, a laser driver chip 234 connected to the laser chip 232, and a fifth switch 236. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fifth switch 236 may be disposed outside the laser driver chip 234. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the fifth switch 236 may be integrated into the laser driver chip 234.

[0303] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the laser chip 232 includes a plurality of light-emitting cavities 2301, which can be divided into a plurality of different light-emitting regions (e.g., light-emitting regions 2322A, 2322B, 2322C, etc., as shown in FIG37). Light-emitting regions 2322A, 2322B, 2322C, etc. can include one or more light-emitting cavities 2301. It should be noted that although FIG37 shows that each light-emitting region includes six light-emitting cavities, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A light-emitting region can include any number of light-emitting cavities, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100, or more light-emitting cavities. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that although FIG37 shows that each light-emitting region includes the same number of light-emitting cavities, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The light-emitting regions can also be implemented such that at least some of the light-emitting regions include a different number of light-emitting cavities than the remaining light-emitting regions.

[0304] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a light-emitting area may include a plurality of light-emitting cavities connected in parallel; in other embodiments of the present disclosure, a light-emitting area may include a plurality of light-emitting cavities connected in series.

[0305] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the laser chip 232 may be implemented as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) chip, and the semiconductor resonant cavity of the VCSEL chip may serve as the light-emitting cavity 2301 referred to in the present disclosure.

[0306] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as shown in FIG37 , the laser driver chip 234 includes fourth switches 2342A-2342C. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth switches 2342A-2342C can be connected in parallel, with the fourth switch 2342A connected to the first light-emitting region 2322A of the laser chip 232, the fourth switch 2342B connected to the second light-emitting region 2322B of the laser chip 232, and the fourth switch 2342C connected to the third light-emitting region 2322C of the laser chip 232. Since the light-emitting regions 2322A-2322C include one or more light-emitting cavities 2301, as shown in FIG37 , the fourth switch 2342A is connected to six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting region 2322A, the fourth switch 2342B is connected to six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting region 2322B, and the fourth switch 2342C is connected to six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting region 2322C. Thus, the light-emitting area 2322A can be controlled by configuring the fourth switch 2342A to be on or off, thereby driving the six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting area 2322A to emit lasers; the light-emitting area 2322B can be controlled by configuring the fourth switch 2342B to be on or off, thereby driving the six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting area 2322B to emit lasers; and the light-emitting area 2322C can be controlled by configuring the fourth switch 2342C to be on or off, thereby driving the six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting area 2322C to emit lasers.

[0307] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, since the fourth switches 2342A-2342C are connected to one or more light-emitting cavities 2301 in the laser chip 232, when one or more light-emitting cavities 2301 are in operation, the peak current flowing through the fourth switches is relatively low, thereby enabling the use of smaller switching devices. Based on this, the fourth switches 2342A-2342C can be integrated on the laser driver chip, and the connection between the fourth switches 2342A-2342C and the corresponding one or more light-emitting cavities 2301 in the laser chip 232 is achieved through inter-chip connections. As an example embodiment, the fourth switches 2342A-2342C can be implemented using silicon MOS (Si-MOS) switches.

[0308] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as shown in FIG37 , the transmitter module 230 for the laser radar may further include a fifth switch 236 , which may be configured to be connected to the laser driver chip 234 to achieve overall control of the laser chip 232 . In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fifth switch 236 may be further connected to one or more of the plurality of fourth switches 2342A-2342C. For example, as shown in FIG37 , the fifth switch 236 may be configured to be connected to three fourth switches 2342A-2342C. When the fourth switches 2342A-2342C are configured to be turned on or off, the entire laser chip can be controlled by turning the fifth switch 226 on and off. In some light-emitting modes, for example, the fourth switches 2342A and 2342C shown in FIG37 are configured to be on and the fourth switch 2342B is configured to be off. When the fifth switch is turned on, the six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting area 2322A connected to the fourth switch 2342A and the six light-emitting cavities 2301 in the light-emitting area 2322C connected to the fourth switch 2342C emit laser; the six light-emitting cavities in the light-emitting area 2322B connected to the fourth switch 2342B do not emit laser.

[0309] In some implementations of the present disclosure, since the fifth switch 236 is connected to the laser driver chip 234 to achieve overall control of the laser chip 232, the peak current flowing through the fifth switch is relatively large (for example, in some light-emitting modes, the peak current flowing through the fifth switch can be as high as 100-200 amperes (A)). Therefore, it is required to select a switching device with stronger current carrying capacity and lower loss to implement the fifth switch. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the fifth switch can be implemented using a fast switch. As an example of an implementation, a gallium nitride (GaN) switch can be used to implement the fifth switch 236 according to the present disclosure. As an example, the gallium nitride switch can include a GaN-based power transistor. Compared with Si-based transistors, the gallium nitride switch has a faster response speed, stronger current carrying capacity, and lower loss.

[0310] Since the response speed of the fifth switch is relatively fast, the requirements for the response speed of the fourth switch can be reduced. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth switch can be implemented using a slow switch. When configuring the light-emitting mode, a relatively ample time (for example, hundreds of nanoseconds) can be obtained to configure the on or off state of the fourth switch. After completing the configuration of the fourth switch, the emission of laser pulses can be achieved by turning on the fifth switch. By configuring the fifth switch to the off state, the laser can be controlled to stop emitting light. The response speed of the fifth switch is relatively fast, which is conducive to controlling the waveform of the laser pulse emitted by the laser.

[0311] As used in this disclosure, a fast switch may refer to a switching device (e.g., a GaN switch) with a faster response speed (e.g., a few nanoseconds or tens of nanoseconds), while a slow switch may refer to a switching device (e.g., a Si-MOS switch) with a slower response speed (e.g., hundreds of nanoseconds or more).

[0312] Although the above description refers to the case of a single laser chip, those skilled in the art will appreciate that expansion to multiple laser chips can be achieved by utilizing the connection means between the laser chip and the laser driver chip. In the case where a laser radar includes multiple laser chips or a laser chip includes multiple lasers, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more groups of parallel fourth switches and one or more fifth switches may be provided for each laser chip (or each laser). The one or more groups of parallel fourth switches are integrated into the laser driver chip and may be implemented as silicon MOS switches, and the fifth switch may be implemented as a GaN switch outside the laser driver chip.

[0313] The present disclosure also proposes a laser radar that can achieve refined driving of laser chips. In some embodiments, the laser radar may include a mechanical rotating laser radar; in other embodiments, the laser radar may include a solid-state laser radar; in yet other embodiments, the laser radar may include a semi-solid laser radar, and the semi-solid laser radar may include a scanning device, which may include, for example, a rotating mirror, a galvanometer, or a MEMS mirror. Figure 38 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a laser radar 240 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 38, the laser radar 240 includes a transmitter module 242, a receiver module 244, and a controller 246. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the various "modules" described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more physical components in whole or in part. As another embodiment, a "module" may include one or more hardware components and one or more software components. For example, a transmitter module may include a light-emitting circuit, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an edge emitting laser (EEL), a distributed feedback laser (DFB), a fiber laser, or a similar light-emitting device. For example, the receiver module may include an optical receiving circuit, a photodiode, a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), an avalanche photodiode (APD), a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, etc. In addition, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the "controller" described in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented as a processor, a computer, or any form of hardware component. As another embodiment, the "controller" may include one or more hardware components and one or more software components.

[0314] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmitter module 242 is configured to emit a light beam. As shown in FIG38 , the transmitter module 242 includes a laser chip 2422, which includes a plurality of light-emitting cavities 242221-24222N (where N represents an integer greater than 1); a laser driver chip 2424, which includes a plurality of fourth switches 242421-24242M (where M represents an integer greater than 1); and a fifth switch 2426, which is configured to be connected to the laser driver chip 2424. According to an implementation of the present disclosure, the laser driver chip 2424 is connected to the laser chip 2422, and the laser driver chip 2424 is configured to drive the laser chip 2422 to emit laser light. As shown in FIG. 38 , in some implementations of the present disclosure, the fourth switch 242421 in the laser driver chip 2424 is connected to the light-emitting cavity 242221 in the laser chip 2422 , and the fourth switch 242422 is connected to the light-emitting cavities 242223 and 242224 .

[0315] Transmitter module 242 is similar to transmitter module 220 described above with reference to FIG. 36 and transmitter module 230 described with reference to FIG. 37 , and will not be described again herein. The number of light-emitting cavities included in laser chip 2422, the number of fourth switches included in laser driver chip 2424, and the connections between the fourth switches and the light-emitting cavities are not limited to those shown in FIG. 38 ; laser chip 2422 may include another number of light-emitting cavities, laser driver chip 2424 may include another number of fourth switches, and the fourth switches may be connected to another number of light-emitting cavities. Furthermore, different fourth switches may be connected to the same or different light-emitting cavities.

[0316] As shown in FIG38 , the receiver module 244 includes a plurality of receivers 24421-2442K (where K represents an integer greater than 1), which are configured to receive echoes. It should be noted that although FIG38 shows that the receiver module 244 includes thirty-six receivers, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the receiver module may include a greater or lesser number of receivers, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100, or more receivers. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the plurality of light-emitting cavities 24222A-24222N of the laser chip 2422 corresponds to one of the plurality of receivers 24421-2442K. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the plurality of light-emitting cavities 24222A-24222N of the laser chip 2422 corresponds to one of the plurality of receivers 24421-2442K. In still other embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple light-emitting cavities of the plurality of light-emitting cavities 24222A-24222N of the laser chip 2422 corresponds to one of the plurality of receivers 24421-2442K. As an example, light-emitting cavity 242221 shown in FIG. 38 corresponds to receiver 24421. As another example, light-emitting cavity 242222 corresponds to receivers 24422 and 24423. As yet another example, light-emitting cavities 242223 and 242224 correspond to receiver 24423. It should be noted that the correspondence between a light-emitting cavity and a receiver means that the echo generated by the light emitted by the laser light-emitting cavity is received by the receiver. For example, receiver 24421 receives the echo corresponding to the laser light emitted by its corresponding light-emitting cavity 242221, receivers 24422 and 24423 each receive the echo corresponding to the laser light emitted by their corresponding light-emitting cavity 242222, and receiver 24423 receives the echo corresponding to the laser light emitted by its corresponding light-emitting cavities 242223 and 242224. In addition, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the corresponding methods described in the above examples. One light-emitting cavity can correspond to any number of receivers. For example, one light-emitting cavity can correspond to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100 or more receivers; or, any number of light-emitting cavities can correspond to one receiver, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 100 or more light-emitting cavities can correspond to one receiver.As an example, a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) chip includes multiple SPAD receivers, and the laser includes multiple light-emitting cavities. A single laser corresponds to 40 receivers, and each light-emitting cavity corresponds to one or more of these 40 receivers. In addition, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, different light-emitting cavities may correspond to the same or different receivers. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, different receivers may correspond to the same or different light-emitting cavities.

[0317] 38 , the controller 246 is connected to the transmitter module 242 and configured to output signals to the transmitter module 242. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the controller 246 may control the on / off switching of the plurality of fourth switches 242421-24242M and the fifth switch 2426 by outputting signals to the transmitter module 242.

[0318] In some implementations of the present disclosure, the controller 246 may output a first signal to the transmitter module 242 to control the on / off switching of the fourth switches 242421-24242M, and may output a second signal to the transmitter module 242 to control the on / off switching of the fifth switch 2426. For example, the fourth switches 242421-24242M are configured to be on or off in response to the first signal, and the fifth switch 2426 is configured to be on or off in response to the second signal. When the fifth switch is on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be on emits laser light.

[0319] In some implementations of the present disclosure, the first signal of the fourth switch 242421-24242M is determined based on at least an echo received by a receiver corresponding to the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the controller 246 may be connected to the receiver module 244 and configured to determine the first signal based on the echo received by the receivers 24421-2442K. As an example, the first signal provided by the controller 246 to the fourth switch 242421 may be based on the echo received by the receivers 24422 and 24423, and the fourth switch 242421 may be configured to be turned on or off in response to the first signal. As another example, the first signal provided to the fourth switch 242422 may be based on the echo received by the receiver 24423, and the fourth switch 242422 may be configured to be turned on or off in response to the first signal.

[0320] The present disclosure also provides a method for controlling a laser radar according to the present disclosure (eg, the laser radar 240 described above with reference to FIG 38 ). Next, turning to FIG 39 , a laser radar control method 2500 in some embodiments of the present disclosure is described.

[0321] As shown in FIG39 , method 2500 begins at block 2502 . At block 2502 , a signal is determined based at least on an echo received by a receiver, and the transmitter module emits a light beam under control of the signal. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the operations performed at block 2502 may further include, at block 25022 , outputting an initial control signal to the transmitter module. In some implementations of the present disclosure, some of the fourth switches are configured to be on in response to the initial control signal, while the remaining fourth switches are configured to be off in response to the initial control signal, and the fifth switch is configured to be on in response to the initial signal, thereby causing the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be on to emit laser light. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, all of the fourth switches are configured to be on in response to the initial control signal, and the fifth switch is configured to be on in response to the initial control signal, thereby causing the entire transmitter module (or corresponding laser chip) to emit a light beam. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the operations performed at block 2502 may further include: processing the echo received by the receiver module to determine, at block 25024, a signal to be provided to the transmitter module based at least on the echo. In some implementations of the present disclosure, when some of the fourth switches are configured to be conductive in response to an initial control signal, and when the fifth switch is configured to be conductive in response to an initial signal, the light-emitting cavities connected to the fourth switches configured to be conductive emit laser light, and the receivers corresponding to these light-emitting cavities receive corresponding echoes. In other implementations of the present disclosure, when all of the fourth switches are configured to be conductive in response to an initial control signal, and when all of the fifth switches are configured to be conductive in response to an initial control signal, all of the receivers corresponding to the entire transmitter module can receive corresponding echoes.

[0322] Subsequently, method 2500 proceeds to block 2504, where a signal is output to the transmitter module. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal determined and output in method 2500 may include a first signal and a second signal, and the operation performed at block 2504 may further include: outputting a first signal to the laser driver chip at block 25042, wherein a plurality of fourth switches are configured to be turned on or off in response to the first signal; and outputting a second signal to a fifth switch at block 25044, wherein the fifth switch is configured to be turned on or off in response to the second signal. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the fifth switch is turned on, the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch configured to be turned on emits laser light.

[0323] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the operation performed at block 25024 may further include: at 25024a, determining a first signal based at least on an echo received by a receiver corresponding to the light-emitting cavity connected to the fourth switch.

[0324] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth switch is configured to be on or off before the fifth switch is turned on. Thus, a slow switch with a slower response speed can be used to implement the fourth switch, and a switch device with a faster response speed can be used to implement the fifth switch, so that the slow response characteristic of the slow switch can be utilized to first configure the fourth switch to be on or off (because the slow switch reacts slowly, it will not turn on immediately after being configured, so there is ample time to configure the fourth switch), and after the fourth switch is configured, the fifth switch is configured, which can further reduce manufacturing costs and shorten the lidar configuration time. Configuring the fifth switch to the off state can control the laser to stop emitting light. The fifth switch has a faster response speed, which is beneficial for controlling the waveform of the laser pulse emitted by the lidar.

[0325] Program code can be applied to input instructions to perform the functions described herein and generate output information. Output information can be applied to one or more output devices in a known manner. For the purposes of this application, the controller may include any system / module with a processor, such as, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller (microcontroller), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a microprocessor (microprocessor). The program code can be implemented with a high-level procedural programming language or an object-oriented programming language to communicate with the controller.

[0326] One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a machine-readable medium that represent various logic within a processor, which when read by a machine causes the machine to fabricate logic for performing the techniques described herein.

[0327] It should be noted that although several components of the lidar are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more components described above can be implemented in a single component. Conversely, the features and functions of a single component described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple components.

[0328] It should be noted that this specification provides method operation steps such as embodiments or schematic diagrams, but based on routine or non-creative work, more or fewer operation steps may be included. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is only one way of executing the steps among many, and does not represent the only execution order. When implemented in actual systems or device products, the methods shown in the embodiments or flowcharts can be executed sequentially or in parallel.

[0329] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely examples of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned examples, those skilled in the art will be able to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned examples or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the principles of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A control method for a laser radar, wherein the laser radar includes a laser array and a detector array, forming multiple detection channels, wherein the multiple detection channels include a first detection channel and a second detection channel, wherein the first detection channel includes at least one first laser and at least one first detector, and the second detection channel includes at least one second laser and at least one second detector, the control method comprising: determining at least one of an output signal of the first detector or an output signal of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel; and At least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel is determined based on the at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector.

2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light emission intensity of a laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the first detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser is reduced.

3. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light intensity of a laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the first detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector is lower than a second threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser is increased.

4. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: Repeatedly determine at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector, and determine at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector, until the determined at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector meets a preset condition.

5. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold value, comprising: The output signal of the first detector has at least one of an amplitude exceeding a first amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a first width threshold.

6. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light intensity of a laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameters of the first detection channel are determined according to the output signal of the second detector, wherein when the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold, the light emission intensity of the first laser is reduced.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold value, comprising: At least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third amplitude threshold or a width exceeds a third width threshold.

8. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light intensity of a laser, and determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the second detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a fourth threshold, the luminous intensity of the second laser is reduced.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first detection channel is adjacent to the second detection channel; wherein the first detection channel includes a plurality of first lasers, and the second detection channel includes a plurality of second lasers; the plurality of first lasers are arranged in one or more rows; and the plurality of second lasers are arranged in one or more rows.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the control method comprises: One or more laser lines of at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel are controlled to perform exposure in a sequential or synchronous manner.

11. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of detection channels include a third detection channel, the third detection channel including at least one third laser and at least one third detector; the control method comprising: The third detection channel is controlled to be simultaneously enabled with at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel. 12 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposure parameter comprises at least one of a light-emitting moment of a laser or an opening time window of a detector.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector comprises: determining an output signal of the first detector; Determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel includes: determining the distance of the object based on the output signal of the first detector; At least one of a lighting moment of the first laser or an opening time window of the first detector is determined according to the object distance.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector comprises: At least one of the light-emitting moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector is adjusted.

15. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel comprises: determining at least one of exposure parameters for a subsequent round or a current round of the first detection channel; or determining at least one of the exposure parameters of a subsequent round or a current round of the second detection channel; The control method further includes: determining a current detection result of the first detection channel according to an output signal of the first detector determined by multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel.

16. A laser radar comprising: an emitter comprising a laser array, the emitter being configured to emit a light beam; a detector, comprising a detector array, wherein the detector is configured to receive an echo generated when the light beam is reflected from an object and convert the echo into an electrical signal; a controller coupled to the emitter and the detector, The laser array and the detector array constitute a plurality of detection channels, the plurality of detection channels including a first detection channel and a second detection channel, the first detection channel including at least one first laser and at least one first detector, the second detection channel including at least one second laser and at least one second detector; the controller is configured to perform the following operations: determining at least one of an output signal of the first detector and an output signal of the second detector based on at least one exposure of the first detection channel; and At least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel is determined based on the at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector.

17. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light emission intensity of a laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the first detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser is reduced.

18. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light emission intensity of a laser, wherein the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the first detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector is lower than a second threshold, the luminous intensity of the first laser is increased.

19. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the following operations: repeatedly determine at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector, and determine at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel based on the at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector, until the determined at least one of the output signals of the first detector or the output signals of the second detector meets a preset condition.

20. The laser radar according to claim 17, wherein the output signal of the first detector exceeds a first threshold value, comprising: The output signal of the first detector has at least one of an amplitude exceeding a first amplitude threshold or a width exceeding a first width threshold.

21. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light emission intensity of a laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameters of the first detection channel are determined according to the output signal of the second detector, wherein when the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold, the light emission intensity of the first laser is reduced.

22. The laser radar according to claim 21, wherein the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third threshold value, comprising: At least one of an amplitude of the output signal of the second detector exceeds a third amplitude threshold or a width exceeds a third width threshold.

23. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the exposure parameter comprises a light emission intensity of a laser, and the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel comprises: The exposure parameter of the second detection channel is determined according to the output signal of the first detector, wherein when the output signal of the first detector exceeds a fourth threshold, the luminous intensity of the second laser is reduced.

24. The laser radar according to any one of claims 16 to 23, wherein the first detection channel is adjacent to the second detection channel; wherein the first detection channel includes a plurality of first lasers, and the second detection channel includes a plurality of second lasers; the plurality of first lasers are arranged in one or more rows; and the plurality of second lasers are arranged in one or more rows.

25. The laser radar according to claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the following operations: control one or more rows of lasers of at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to expose in a timing or synchronous manner.

26. The laser radar according to any one of claims 16-23, wherein the multiple detection channels include a third detection channel, and the third detection channel includes at least one third laser and at least one third detector; the controller is further configured to perform the following operations: control the third detection channel and at least one of the first detection channel or the second detection channel to be simultaneously selected.

27. The laser radar according to claim 16, wherein the exposure parameter includes at least one of the emission moment of the laser or the opening time window of the detector.

28. The laser radar of claim 27, wherein the operation of determining at least one of the output signal of the first detector or the output signal of the second detector comprises: determining an output signal of the first detector; The operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameter of the first detection channel or the exposure parameter of the second detection channel includes: determining the distance of the object based on the output signal of the first detector; At least one of a lighting moment of the first laser or an opening time window of the first detector is determined according to the object distance.

29. The laser radar according to claim 28, wherein the operation of determining at least one of the emission moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector comprises: At least one of the light-emitting moment of the first laser or the opening time window of the first detector is adjusted.

30. The laser radar according to any one of claims 16 to 23 or any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the operation of determining at least one of the exposure parameters of the first detection channel or the exposure parameters of the second detection channel comprises: determining at least one of exposure parameters for a subsequent round or a current round of the first detection channel; or determining at least one of the exposure parameters of a subsequent round or a current round of the second detection channel; The controller is configured to perform the following operations: determine a current detection result of the first detection channel according to an output signal of the first detector determined by multiple exposures performed by the first detection channel.

31. The laser radar according to any one of claims 16-23, wherein the laser comprises at least one of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser or an edge emitting laser, and the detector comprises at least one of a single photon avalanche diode, an avalanche photodiode or a silicon photomultiplier tube.

32. The laser radar according to any one of claims 16-23 further includes a transmitting optical component and a receiving optical component, the light beam is emitted to the outside of the laser radar through the transmitting optical component, and the echo is incident on the detector through the receiving optical component.

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