Transmitting system and related apparatus

Abstract

A transmitting system and a related apparatus, which are applied to the technical field of laser radars. The transmitting system comprises: a first transmitter (41), a first energy storage array (42), and a second energy storage array (43); the first transmitter (41) comprises a first transmitting sub-region (411) and a second transmitting sub-region (412), the first transmitting sub-region (411) is correspondingly connected to the first energy storage array (42), and the second transmitting sub-region (412) is correspondingly connected to the second energy storage array (43); the first energy storage array (42) is configured to supply energy to the first transmitting sub-region (411), the second energy storage array (43) is configured to supply energy to the second transmitting sub-region (412), the energy storage value of the first energy storage array (42) is greater than that of the second energy storage array (43), and the transmitting power of the first transmitting sub-region (411) is greater than that of the second transmitting sub-region (412); the first energy storage array (42), the first transmitting sub-region (411), the second transmitting sub-region (412), and the second energy storage array (43) are sequentially arranged in a first direction, the first energy storage array (42) is arranged in two columns in the first direction, and the second energy storage array (43) is arranged in one column in the first direction. The transmitting system can generate small-width laser pulses without affecting the generation of large pulse width.

Description

Transmitting system and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202410482000.3 filed on April 19, 2024, and entitled "Transmitting system and related apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of laser radar, in particular to a transmitting system and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of information technology and computer vision, detection technology has developed rapidly, and various detection devices have brought great convenience to people's life and travel. Detection devices can be regarded as the "eyes" of the environment, including visual system sensors such as cameras and radar system sensors such as millimeter wave radars, laser radars and ultrasonic radars. Among them, laser radar (light detection and ranging, Lidar, or light detection and ranging device) has obvious advantages in detection range, ranging accuracy and reliability, and has the characteristics of nearly all-weather work. It is a key sensor in the perception field and plays an important role in intelligent driving, intelligent transportation, surveying and mapping, intelligent manufacturing and other fields.

[0004] In laser radar applications, both large pulse width and small pulse width are often used. The large pulse width is to obtain large power and improve the detection distance for detecting distant targets. The small pulse width is to obtain small power for detecting near targets, and also can improve the distance resolution. At present, in 1D solid-state laser radars, in order to improve the detection distance, a capacitor with large capacity is often used to power the laser, so that the size of the capacitor is large, and multiple rows of capacitors and lasers are needed to arrange, so that the wire length between the capacitor (especially the peripheral capacitor) and the laser is long, which causes the inductance of the laser discharge loop to increase, and then hinders the laser to output smaller pulse width.

[0005] How to produce laser pulses with smaller width while not affecting the production of laser pulses with large width is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a transmitting system and related apparatus, which can produce laser pulses with smaller width while not affecting the production of laser pulses with large width.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a transmitting system, comprising:

[0008] a first transmitter, a first energy storage array, and a second energy storage array;

[0009] The first transmitter includes a first sub-transmitter region and a second sub-transmitter region, the first sub-transmitter region is connected to the first energy storage array, and the second sub-transmitter region is connected to the second energy storage array.

[0010] The first energy storage array supplies energy to the first sub-transmitter region, and the second energy storage array supplies energy to the second sub-transmitter region.

[0011] The first energy storage array, the first sub-transmitter region, the second sub-transmitter region, and the second energy storage array are arranged in a first direction.

[0012] In the embodiments of the present application, the first transmitter in the transmitting system includes a first sub-transmitter region and a second sub-transmitter region, and the first sub-transmitter region and the second sub-transmitter region can include one or more lasers. The energy storage array in the transmitting system can include one or more capacitors, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The first energy storage array, the first sub-transmitter region, the second sub-transmitter region, and the second energy storage array in the transmitting system are arranged in a first direction. The first energy storage array is connected to the first sub-transmitter region to supply energy to the first sub-transmitter region, so that the first sub-transmitter region can emit a light beam. The second energy storage array is connected to the second sub-transmitter region to supply energy to the second sub-transmitter region, so that the second sub-transmitter region can emit a light beam. Since the energy storage value of the first energy storage array is greater than that of the second energy storage array, the emission power of the first sub-transmitter region is correspondingly greater than that of the second sub-transmitter region. Moreover, since the energy storage value of the first energy storage array is greater than that of the second energy storage array, the volume of the first energy storage array is correspondingly greater than that of the second energy storage array, so that the first energy storage array is arranged in two columns in the first direction, and the second energy storage array is arranged in one column in the first direction.

[0013] In order to improve the detection distance, the current laser radar often uses a capacitor with a large capacity to supply energy to the laser, which results in a large size of the capacitor. The capacitor and the laser need to be arranged in multiple rows, which makes the wiring between the capacitor (especially the peripheral capacitor) and the laser longer, increases the inductance of the discharge loop of the laser, and further hinders the laser from outputting a smaller pulse width.

[0014] The transmitting system in the embodiment of the present application divides the transmitting channel into two parts according to the size of the transmitting power, the first sub-transmitting area is a high-power transmitting channel, and the second sub-transmitting area is a low-power transmitting channel. The first sub-transmitting area uses the first energy storage array with a larger energy storage value to ensure a larger transmitting power and output a large pulse width to improve the detection distance and detect a long-distance target. The second sub-transmitting area uses the second energy storage array with a smaller energy storage value. Since the second energy storage array has a smaller volume, one column of layout in the first direction can be achieved, so that the spacing between the second energy storage array and the second sub-transmitting area is smaller, the wiring (i.e., the current loop) is shorter, the loop inductance can be reduced, and a smaller width laser pulse can be achieved to detect a short-distance target. Therefore, through the transmitting system in the embodiment of the present application, a smaller width laser pulse can be generated at the same time without affecting the generation of a large width laser pulse.

[0015] Alternatively, the second energy storage array in the above can also be arranged in two columns or more than two columns in the first direction. When the volume of the second energy storage array is large enough to be insufficient for one column of layout in the first direction, multiple columns can be arranged, but the number of columns of the second energy storage array arranged in the first direction should be as small as possible, so that the spacing between the second energy storage array and the second sub-transmitting area is as small as possible, the wiring (i.e., the current loop) is shorter, the loop inductance can be reduced, and a smaller width laser pulse can be achieved.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the first sub-transmitting area is arranged along a second direction, and the second sub-transmitting area is arranged along the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0017] In the embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of the arrangement of the transmitting area is provided, specifically, the first sub-transmitting area includes a plurality of lasers, and the first sub-transmitting area is arranged along the arrangement direction of the transmitting channels corresponding to the plurality of lasers (i.e., the second direction), and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The arrangement of the second sub-transmitting area is similar to that of the first sub-transmitting area, which will not be described here.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the first sub-transmitting area is used for transmitting a first light beam, and the second sub-transmitting area is used for transmitting a second light beam, and the pulse width of the first light beam is greater than the pulse width of the second light beam.

[0019] In the embodiment of the present application, the first sub-emitting area emits a first light beam under the energy supply of the first energy storage array, and the second sub-emitting area emits a second light beam under the energy supply of the second energy storage array. Since the energy storage value of the first energy storage array is greater than that of the second energy storage array, the emission power of the first sub-emitting area is greater than that of the second sub-emitting area, and correspondingly, the pulse width of the first light beam is greater than that of the second light beam, so as to realize that the laser pulse with a larger width can be generated without affecting the generation of the laser pulse with a smaller width.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, the first energy storage array and the second energy storage array are arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, the first energy storage array and the second energy storage array are arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB). Further, the first energy storage array and the second energy storage array can be arranged on the front surface of the PCB or the back surface of the PCB, which is not limited in the present application.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area emit light beams simultaneously or emit light beams in time division.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present application, the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area can emit light beams simultaneously or emit light beams in time division, which is not limited in the present application. Optionally, the emitting system can further include a switch array for controlling the opening or closing of the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area, so as to realize that the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area emit light beams simultaneously or emit light beams in time division.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the emitting system further includes:

[0025] a driving unit;

[0026] wherein the driving unit is connected with the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area respectively;

[0027] The driving unit is used for driving the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the driving unit includes one driver, and the one driver is arranged at the head end or the tail end of the first sub-emitting area or the second sub-emitting area along a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0029] In the embodiments of the present application, possible specific implementations of the arrangement of the driver are provided, specifically, when the driving unit includes one driver, the driver can be arranged at the beginning or the end of the first sub-emitting area or the second sub-emitting area along the second direction, which is beneficial to heat dissipation of the driver. Alternatively, the driver can also be arranged at the middle or other positions of the first sub-emitting area or the second sub-emitting area, which is not limited in the present application.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the driving unit includes at least two drivers, and the at least two drivers are configured to drive the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams.

[0031] In the embodiments of the present application, the driving unit includes at least two drivers, and the at least two drivers are configured to drive the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams, so that the driving capability can be improved and the power of the emitter can be improved.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the at least two drivers include a first driver and a second driver, and the first driver and the second driver are arranged at two ends of the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area along a second direction, respectively, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0033] In the embodiments of the present application, possible specific implementations of the arrangement of the driver are provided, specifically, when the at least two drivers include a first driver and a second driver, the first driver and the second driver can be arranged at two ends of the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area along the second direction, respectively, which is beneficial to heat dissipation of the driver. Alternatively, the first driver and the second driver can also be arranged at the middle or other positions of the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area, which is not limited in the present application.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the first driver and the second driver are arranged in a mirror image.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, possible specific implementations of the arrangement of the driver are provided, specifically, the first driver and the second driver are arranged in a mirror image, which is beneficial to optimizing the wiring design between the modules in the emitting system and improving the space utilization.

[0036] In a possible implementation, when the control signal is at a high level and a first enable pin of the first driver is at a high level, the first driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams.

[0037] in a case that the control signal is at a high level and a second enable pin of the second driver is at a high level, the second driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams.

[0038] The control signal is configured to control the first driver and the second driver to be turned on or turned off.

[0039] In the embodiment, a possible implementation of the driving mode is provided, specifically, in a case that the control signal and an enable pin of the driver are at high levels, the driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams, where the signal of the enable pin is a level signal, and the control signal is a pulse signal, and the control signal is configured to control the first driver and the second driver to be turned on or turned off. The driving mode in the embodiment can support the first driver and the second driver to be independently turned on or simultaneously turned on, and adjust the driving capability.

[0040] In a possible implementation, in a case that a first control signal is at a high level, the first driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams.

[0041] In a case that a second control signal is at a high level, the second driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams.

[0042] The first control signal is configured to control the first driver to be turned on or turned off, and the second control signal is configured to control the second driver to be turned on or turned off.

[0043] In the embodiment, a possible implementation of the driving mode is provided, specifically, the first driver is controlled to be turned on or turned off by a first control signal, so as to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams, and the second driver is controlled to be turned on or turned off by a second control signal, so as to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit light beams. The first control signal and the second control signal are pulse signals. The driving mode in the embodiment can support the first driver and the second driver to be independently turned on or simultaneously turned on, adjust the driving capability, and the difference in turn-on delay of the first driver and the second driver can be compensated by the time delay of the first control signal and the second control signal.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the emitting system further includes:

[0045] a second emitter, a third energy storage array, and a fourth energy storage array.

[0046] The second transmitter includes a third sub-transmitting area and a fourth sub-transmitting area, the third sub-transmitting area is connected with the third energy storage array, and the fourth sub-transmitting area is connected with the fourth energy storage array.

[0047] The third energy storage array is used for supplying energy for the third sub-transmitting area, and the fourth energy storage array is used for supplying energy for the fourth sub-transmitting area.

[0048] The third sub-transmitting area and the first sub-transmitting area have a first offset in a second direction, the first offset is N+0.5 transmitting channels, N is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than the number of transmitting channels in the first sub-transmitting area, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0049] In the embodiments of the present application, the second transmitter in the transmitting system includes a third sub-transmitting area and a fourth sub-transmitting area, which can include one or more lasers, and the energy storage array in the transmitting system can include one or more capacitors, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The third energy storage array in the transmitting system is connected with the third sub-transmitting area and used for supplying energy for the third sub-transmitting area, so that the third sub-transmitting area can emit a light beam. The fourth energy storage array is connected with the fourth sub-transmitting area and used for supplying energy for the fourth sub-transmitting area, so that the fourth sub-transmitting area can emit a light beam. Since the energy storage value of the third energy storage array is greater than that of the fourth energy storage array, the transmitting power of the third sub-transmitting area is correspondingly greater than that of the fourth sub-transmitting area. And since the energy storage value of the third energy storage array is greater than that of the fourth energy storage array, the volume of the third energy storage array is correspondingly greater than that of the fourth energy storage array, so that the third energy storage array is arranged in two columns in the first direction, and the fourth energy storage array is arranged in one column in the first direction.

[0050] Since the transmitting system in the embodiment of the present application divides the transmitting channel into two parts according to the size of the transmitting power, and the transmitting channel pins are arranged on the left and right sides, under the same wave bit number, the pins and the connected capacitors of the transmitter are doubled, and under the condition that the number of transmitting channels of the transmitter is unchanged, the length of the longitudinal light emitting area of the transmitter is doubled, which results in that the aspect ratio of the transmitter is too large and the transmitter may be broken, thereby affecting the device reliability of the transmitting system. Therefore, two groups of transmitters (i.e., the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area, the third sub-emitting area and the fourth sub-emitting area) can be used to ensure that the total number of transmitting channels is unchanged, and the number of transmitting channels of the original single group of transmitters (i.e., the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area) is halved, so as to reduce the aspect ratio of the transmitter and improve the device reliability of the transmitting system.

[0051] In addition, the third sub-emitting area and the first sub-emitting area (or the fourth sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area) have a first offset of N+0.5 transmitting channels in the second direction, and the resolution of the offset area can be at least doubled, thereby improving the detection performance of the transmitting system.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the first energy storage array, the first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, the second energy storage array, the fourth energy storage array, the fourth sub-emitting area, the third sub-emitting area, and the third energy storage array are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of the arrangement of each array in the transmitting system is provided, specifically, the second sub-emitting area and the fourth sub-emitting area corresponding to the small-power transmitting channel can be arranged adjacently, and the first sub-emitting area and the third sub-emitting area corresponding to the large-power transmitting channel can be arranged on the two sides, which is beneficial to optimizing the wiring design between each array in the transmitting system and improving the space utilization.

[0054] In a possible implementation, the first energy storage array, the first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, the second energy storage array, the third energy storage array, the third sub-emitting area, the fourth sub-emitting area, and the fourth energy storage array are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, a possible specific implementation of the arrangement of each array in the transmitting system is provided, specifically, the transmitting area corresponding to the large-power transmitting channel and the transmitting area corresponding to the small-power transmitting channel can be arranged adjacently, thereby improving the device reliability of the transmitting system.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the first energy storage array, the second energy storage array, the third energy storage array, and the fourth energy storage array share the same charging channel.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present application, a possible specific implementation of the energy storage array charging mode is provided, specifically, each energy storage array in the transmitting system can share the same charging channel, so that the number of charging channels can be halved, realizing the miniaturization of the transmitting system.

[0058] Alternatively, each energy storage array in the transmitting system can also use different charging channels, which is not limited in the present application.

[0059] In the second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a chip, which includes the transmitting system of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0060] In the third aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a radar or radar system, which includes the transmitting system of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip of the second aspect.

[0061] In a possible implementation, the radar includes but is not limited to a laser radar and the like.

[0062] In a possible implementation, there can be a variety of sensor-integrated intelligent sensors, and in the case where the above-mentioned intelligent sensors include but are not limited to laser detection functions and the like, the above-mentioned intelligent sensors can also be referred to as a radar or a radar system.

[0063] In the fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a terminal device, which includes the transmitting system of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip of the second aspect, or includes the radar or radar system of the third aspect.

[0064] In the fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle terminal, which includes the transmitting system of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or includes the chip of the second aspect, or includes the radar or radar system of the third aspect, or includes the terminal device of the fourth aspect.

[0065] In the embodiments of the present application, the first sub-transmitting area uses the first energy storage array with a larger energy storage value, ensuring a larger transmitting power, outputting a large pulse width, improving the detection distance, and being used for detecting a long-distance target. The second sub-transmitting area uses the second energy storage array with a smaller energy storage value. Since the second energy storage array has a smaller volume, it can be arranged in a column in the first direction, so that the spacing between the second energy storage array and the second sub-transmitting area is smaller, and the wiring (i.e. the current loop) is shorter, which can reduce the loop inductance, and further can realize a smaller width of the laser pulse, which is used for detecting a near-distance target. Therefore, the laser pulse with a smaller width can be generated at the same time without affecting the generation of the laser pulse with a large width. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0067] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG1B is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG2B is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG3A is a schematic diagram of a capacitor arrangement provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG3B is a schematic diagram of another capacitor arrangement provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG8 is a circuit diagram of a transmitting system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application.

[0081] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the description, claims and drawings of the application are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. Furthermore, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including" and the like are to be construed open-ended, allowing for instances where there are equivalents to the elements listed thereafter that are not expressly listed, e.g., methods that are substantially equivalent to those listed, compositions that are substantially similar to those listed, etc. The terms "a", "an" and "the" and the like in the context of this application are to be construed to be open-ended, allowing for a possibility that there is more than one of the elements listed.

[0082] Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of the phrase in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are they necessarily mutually exclusive of one another. Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that the terms and / or descriptions defined herein above have consistent usage throughout the specification and claims unless otherwise expressly provided herein. Moreover, techniques and / or structures that have become known or that are developed after the filing date of this application and before issuance of a patent are presumed to be part of the knowledge in the art.

[0083] It should be understood that, in the application, "at least one" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "at least two" means two or three and three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the relationship between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, "A and / or B" can mean that there are only A, only B, and A and B at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0084] As described in the background section, the current design of 1D solid-state laser radar hinders the laser to output smaller width laser pulses in the case of generating large width laser pulses. The application provides a transmitting system and related devices, which relates to the field of laser radar technology, and can generate smaller width laser pulses without affecting the generation of large width laser pulses.

[0085] In order to more clearly describe the scheme of the application, some possible application scenarios of laser radar are introduced first.

[0086] Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, which are schematic diagrams of application scenarios of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the exemplary application scenario takes a laser radar installed on a vehicle as an example.

[0088] The vehicle can be, for example, an unmanned vehicle, an intelligent vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a digital car, etc. The laser radar can be deployed at various positions of the vehicle (see FIG. 1B). For example, the laser radar can be deployed in any one or more of the front, rear, left, and right directions of the vehicle to capture the surrounding environment information of the vehicle. FIG. 1A takes the laser radar deployed in the front direction of the vehicle as an example. The laser radar can perceive a fan-shaped area as shown in the dashed box in FIG. 1A, which can be referred to as the detection area of the laser radar (or the field of view of the laser radar).

[0089] In a possible implementation, the laser radar can obtain the latitude and longitude, speed, orientation, or associated information (such as the distance of the target, the moving speed of the target, the attitude of the target, or the grayscale map of the target, etc.) of the target (such as other vehicles around) within a certain range of the vehicle in real time or periodically. The laser radar or the vehicle can determine the position and / or path planning of the vehicle according to the associated information. For example, the latitude and longitude are used to determine the position of the vehicle, or the speed and orientation are used to determine the driving direction and destination of the vehicle in the future period of time, or the distance of the surrounding objects is used to determine the number and density of obstacles around the vehicle. Further, the functions of the advanced driving assistant system (ADAS) can be combined to achieve the assisted driving or autonomous driving of the vehicle, etc. It should be understood that the principle of the laser radar detecting the associated information of the target is that the laser radar emits a detection light in a certain direction, if there is a target in the detection area of the laser radar, the target can reflect the received detection light back to the laser radar (the reflected detection light can be referred to as a return signal), and the laser radar determines the associated information of the target according to the return signal.

[0090] It should be noted that the above application scenarios are only examples, and the laser radar (including the optical waveguide assembly provided in the present application) provided in the present application can also be applied to various other possible scenarios, and is not limited to the above example scenarios. For example, the laser radar can also be installed on a drone as an airborne radar. For another example, the laser radar can also be installed on a road side unit (RSU) as a roadside traffic laser radar, and can realize intelligent vehicle-road cooperative communication. For another example, the laser radar can be installed on an automated guided vehicle (AGV), wherein the AGV refers to a transport vehicle equipped with electromagnetic or optical automatic navigation devices, which can travel along a specified navigation path, has safety protection and various transfer functions. Here, they will not be listed one by one. It should be understood that the application scenarios described in the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the present application. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that as new application scenarios appear, the technical solutions provided in the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0091] Based on the above, the above application scenarios can be applied to the fields of unmanned driving, autonomous driving, assisted driving, intelligent driving, networked vehicles, security monitoring, remote interaction, surveying and mapping, or artificial intelligence.

[0092] In the following, some related concepts of the laser radar will be introduced in combination with FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0093] The laser radar, also known as optical radar, is a short name of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, and can also be called Laser Radar or LADAR (laser detection and ranging).

[0094] The laser radar uses light as a detection medium, and uses the emission and reception of laser to realize the detection of a target, for example, the measurement of distance, speed, or azimuth angle, etc. The laser radar can realize the measurement of distance of a target based on the time of flight of laser, i.e. the time difference of laser transmission and reception, or the laser radar can realize the measurement of distance of a target based on the phase difference between the emitted laser signal and the echo signal of the received laser signal. The biggest advantage of the laser radar is that it can use the multi-spectrometer imaging technology to create a clear three-dimensional (3D) image of the target. The laser radar collects the three-dimensional coordinates, reflectivity, and texture of a large number of dense points on the surface of a target by using the emission and reception of laser, and obtains the three-dimensional model of the measured target according to the collected information, establishes a three-dimensional point cloud map, and draws an environmental map to achieve the purpose of environmental perception. Compared with the traditional passive imaging technology of visible light, infrared, etc., the laser radar imaging technology overturns the traditional two-dimensional projection imaging mode, can collect the depth information of a target surface, obtain the relatively complete spatial information of a target, reconstruct the three-dimensional surface of a target through data processing, obtain a three-dimensional graph that can better reflect the geometric shape of a target, and can also obtain rich feature information such as the reflection characteristics and the movement speed of a target surface, thereby providing sufficient information support for target detection, recognition, tracking, etc., and reducing the algorithm difficulty.

[0095] Please refer to FIG. 2A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 2A, the laser radar mainly includes a laser emission part (or system) 100, a laser reception part (or system) 200, and a signal processing part (or system) 300.

[0097] The laser emission part 100 includes an excitation source (or laser driver), a laser, and an emission optical system. The excitation source drives the laser to emit a laser beam (or laser pulse), and the laser beam (or laser pulse) is emitted outward through the emission optical system. The laser receiving part 200 includes a receiving optical system and a detector; the laser beam emitted from the laser radar encounters a target object, interacts with the target object to form a reflected / scattered return light beam, the return light beam is collected by the receiving optical system, and then received by the detector, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to the signal processing part 300 after analog front-end processing. The signal processing part 300 processes the received signal to obtain the distance, speed, azimuth angle, etc. of the target object, and can further obtain the surface morphology, physical properties, etc. of the target object to establish an object model. The detector is usually a photodetector that converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal is usually an analog signal, while the signal processing part 300 is usually used to process digital signals, such as a digital signal processor (DSP), so that the analog electrical signal is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and provided to the signal processing part 300, and the electrical signal can also be amplified and processed, and the amplified and processed electrical signal is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter and provided to the signal processing part 300. The signal processing part 300 includes a signal processing circuit for processing the digital signal to obtain the distance, speed, azimuth angle, etc. of the target object, and further establishing an object model. The laser radar also includes a control circuit, such as a control part for controlling the excitation source and a control part for controlling the scanning drive circuit, which can be integrated or independently set. In addition, the signal processing circuit and the control circuit can also be integrated or independently set.

[0098] In addition, in one implementation, the laser emission part 100 can also include a laser modulator and a beam controller, and the laser beam emitted by the laser passes through the beam controller, which controls the direction and line number of the emitted laser beam under the control of the laser modulator, and the laser beam emitted from the beam controller passes through the emission optical system and is emitted outward.

[0099] In addition, the laser radar can also include a scanning part (or system) 400, and the laser beam emitted by the laser is subjected to the action of the scanning part 400 to realize the scanning of the laser beam on the plane to generate real-time plane information. The scanning part 400 mainly includes a scanning mechanism and a scanning drive circuit, and the scanning drive circuit is used to drive the scanning mechanism to work, and the laser beam is changed from a "line" to a "plane" under the action of the scanning mechanism.

[0100] For example, taking the electric scanning scanning mode as an example, refer to FIG. 2B for a specific architecture schematic diagram of a radar provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 2B, it is an electric scanning scanning mode using a 1D (one-dimensional) laser array, which can also be referred to as a 1D solid-state laser radar, wherein the laser structure in the 1D laser array includes but is not limited to vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL), photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSEL) and the like.

[0102] In the 1D solid-state laser radar application, both large pulse width and small pulse width are often used, wherein the large pulse width is to obtain large power and improve the detection distance for detecting a far target. The small pulse width is to obtain small power for detecting a near target, and also to improve the range resolution.

[0103] For a specific example, refer to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B for a schematic diagram of a capacitance arrangement provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 3A, in the 1D solid-state laser radar, a capacitance (Cap) with a small capacitance value is used to supply power to the laser, and the corresponding capacitance volume is small. The capacitance is arranged on both sides of the laser, and only one column of layout is needed to achieve it. Moreover, since the capacitance used for power supply has a small capacitance value, the 1D solid-state laser radar is used to generate a laser pulse with a small width, and the transmission power is low, which is used to detect a near distance target.

[0105] Alternatively, the capacitance in FIG. 3A can be arranged on the front or back of the PCB. For example, the Cap in the solid line frame can be arranged on the front of the PCB, and the Cap in the dashed line frame can be arranged on the back of the PCB.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 3B, in the 1D solid-state laser radar, a capacitance (Cap) with a large capacitance value is used to supply power to the laser, and the corresponding capacitance volume is large. The capacitance is arranged on both sides of the laser, and two columns of layout are needed to achieve it. Moreover, since the capacitance used for power supply has a large capacitance value, the 1D solid-state laser radar is used to generate a laser pulse with a large width, and the transmission power is high, which is used to detect a far distance target.

[0107] Alternatively, the capacitance in FIG. 3B can be arranged on the front or back of the PCB. For example, the Cap in the solid line frame can be arranged on the front of the PCB, and the Cap in the dashed line frame can be arranged on the back of the PCB.

[0108] Currently, in a 1D solid-state laser radar, a common driving mode is to drive the laser emission path on the high level side and drive the laser emission on the low level side. This driving mode has low cost, but each emission channel uses an independent capacitor, resulting in a large number of capacitors. In order to improve the detection distance, a capacitor with a large capacity is often used to power the laser, so that the size of the capacitor is large, and the capacitor and the laser need to be arranged in multiple rows, so that the wire between the capacitor (especially the peripheral capacitor) and the laser becomes long, causing the discharge loop inductance of the laser to increase, which will hinder the laser to output a smaller pulse width. In addition, in the 1D solid-state laser radar, the discharge loop between the emission channels is not completely consistent, resulting in a large difference in the consistency of the laser pulse width and the emission power between the emission channels.

[0109] In view of this, the application provides a transmitting system and related device, which relates to the technical field of laser radar, by setting the layout of the energy storage array corresponding to the transmitter array, it can produce smaller width laser pulses without affecting the production of large width laser pulses, and can improve the consistency of the laser pulse width and the emission power between the emission channels.

[0110] The transmitting system and related device provided by the application will be described below in combination with the drawings.

[0111] Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a structural schematic diagram of a transmitting system provided by an embodiment of the application.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 4, the transmitting system comprises:

[0113] The first transmitter 41, the first energy storage array 42, and the second energy storage array 43.

[0114] The first emitter 41 includes a first sub-emitting area 411 and a second sub-emitting area 412. It can be understood that the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412 constitute the complete first emitter 41. The first emitter 41 includes N rows of emitting units, N is an integer greater than 1. Each row of emitting units can include two lasers. Each laser can be divided into a pad area and a light-emitting area. The pad area is used for line connection with external devices. The light-emitting area is used for emitting a light beam. For example, the first sub-emitting area 411 includes lasers 4111, 4112, 4113, 4114, and the like. The shaded area in the laser 4111 is a pad area, which is used for line connection with external devices. The blank area in the laser 4111 is a light-emitting area, which is used for emitting a light beam. Other lasers are similar and will not be described here. The second sub-emitting area 412 includes lasers 4121, 4122, 4123, 4124, and the like. The shaded area in the laser 4121 is a pad area, which is used for line connection with external devices. The blank area in the laser 4121 is a light-emitting area, which is used for emitting a light beam. Other lasers are similar and will not be described here. The energy storage array in the emitting system can include one or more capacitors. For example, the first energy storage array 42 includes capacitors 421, 422, 423, 424, and the like. The second energy storage array 43 includes capacitors 431, 432, 433, 434, and the like. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0115] The first sub-emitting area 411 is connected to the first energy storage array 42. It can be understood that each laser in the first sub-emitting area 411 is connected to each capacitor in the first energy storage array 42. For example, the shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4111 is connected to the capacitor 421. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4112 is connected to the capacitor 422. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4113 is connected to the capacitor 423. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4114 is connected to the capacitor 424. Other lasers are similar and will not be described here. The second sub-emitting area 412 is connected to the second energy storage array 43. It can be understood that each laser in the second sub-emitting area 412 is connected to each capacitor in the second energy storage array 43. For example, the shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4121 is connected to the capacitor 431. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4122 is connected to the capacitor 432. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4123 is connected to the capacitor 433. The shaded area (pad area) of the laser 4124 is connected to the capacitor 434. Other lasers are similar and will not be described here.

[0116] The first energy storage array 42 is used to supply energy for the first sub-emission area 411, so that the first sub-emission area 411 can emit light beams. It can be understood that each capacitor in the first energy storage array 42 is used to supply energy for each laser in the first sub-emission area 411, for example, capacitor 421 is used to supply energy for laser 4111, capacitor 422 is used to supply energy for laser 4112, capacitor 423 is used to supply energy for laser 4113, capacitor 424 is used to supply energy for laser 4114, and so on. The second energy storage array 430 is used to supply energy for the second sub-emission area 412, so that the second sub-emission area 412 can emit light beams. It can be understood that each capacitor in the second energy storage array 430 is used to supply energy for each laser in the second sub-emission area 412, for example, capacitor 431 is used to supply energy for laser 4121, capacitor 432 is used to supply energy for laser 4122, capacitor 433 is used to supply energy for laser 4123, capacitor 434 is used to supply energy for laser 4124, and so on.

[0117] The energy storage value of the first energy storage array 42 is greater than the energy storage value of the second energy storage array 43. It can be understood that the energy storage value of each capacitor in the first energy storage array 42 is greater than the energy storage value of each capacitor in the second energy storage array 43, for example, the energy storage value of capacitor 421 is greater than the energy storage value of capacitor 431, the energy storage value of capacitor 422 is greater than the energy storage value of capacitor 432, the energy storage value of capacitor 423 is greater than the energy storage value of capacitor 433, the energy storage value of capacitor 424 is greater than the energy storage value of capacitor 434, and so on.

[0118] Because the energy storage value of the first energy storage array 42 is greater than the energy storage value of the second energy storage array 43, the emission power of the first sub-emission area 411 is correspondingly greater than the emission power of the second sub-emission area 412. It can be understood that the emission power of each laser in the first sub-emission area 411 is correspondingly greater than the emission power of each laser in the second sub-emission area 412, for example, the emission power of laser 4111 is greater than the emission power of laser 4121, the emission power of laser 4112 is greater than the emission power of laser 4122, the emission power of laser 4113 is greater than the emission power of laser 4123, the emission power of laser 4114 is greater than the emission power of laser 4124, and so on.

[0119] And because the energy storage value of the first energy storage array 42 is greater than the energy storage value of the second energy storage array 43, the volume of the first energy storage array 42 is correspondingly greater than the volume of the second energy storage array 43. It can be understood that the volume of each capacitor in the first energy storage array 42 is correspondingly greater than the volume of each capacitor in the second energy storage array 43, for example, the volume of capacitor 421 is greater than the volume of capacitor 431, the volume of capacitor 422 is greater than the volume of capacitor 432, the volume of capacitor 423 is greater than the volume of capacitor 433, the volume of capacitor 424 is greater than the volume of capacitor 434, and so on.

[0120] The first energy storage array 42, the first sub-emission area 411, the second sub-emission area 412, and the second energy storage array 43 are arranged in the first direction in sequence. For example, the first direction is the x-axis direction in FIG. 4. The first energy storage array 42 is arranged in two columns in the first direction because the volume of the first energy storage array 42 is larger than the volume of the second energy storage array 43. The second energy storage array 43 is arranged in one column in the first direction.

[0121] Optionally, the second energy storage array 43 can also be arranged in two or more columns in the first direction. When the volume of the second energy storage array 43 is large enough to be insufficient for one-column layout in the first direction, the second energy storage array 43 can be arranged in multiple columns. However, the number of columns of the second energy storage array 43 arranged in the first direction should be as small as possible, so that the spacing between the second energy storage array 43 and the second sub-emission area 412 is as small as possible, the wiring (i.e., the current loop) is shorter, the loop inductance can be reduced, and a laser pulse with a smaller width can be realized.

[0122] The emission system in the embodiment of the present application divides the emission channel into two parts according to the size of the emission power. The first sub-emission area 411 is a large-power emission channel, and the second sub-emission area 412 is a small-power emission channel. The first sub-emission area 411 uses the first energy storage array 42 with a larger energy storage value to ensure a larger emission power and output a large pulse width to improve the detection distance and detect a long-distance target. The second sub-emission area 412 uses the second energy storage array 43 with a smaller energy storage value. Because the volume of the second energy storage array 43 is small, one-column layout in the first direction can be realized, so that the spacing between the second energy storage array 43 and the second sub-emission area 412 is smaller, the wiring (i.e., the current loop) is shorter, the wiring between the capacitor 431 and the laser 4121 is shorter, the wiring between the capacitor 432 and the laser 4122 is shorter, the wiring between the capacitor 433 and the laser 4123 is shorter, the wiring between the capacitor 434 and the laser 4124 is shorter, and so on, the loop inductance can be reduced, and a laser pulse with a smaller width can be realized to detect a short-distance target.

[0123] Therefore, by arranging the layout of the energy storage array corresponding to the emitter in the embodiment of the present application, a laser pulse with a smaller width can be generated at the same time without affecting the generation of a laser pulse with a large width. In addition, the discharge loops of the emission channels are consistent, which can improve the consistency of the laser pulse width and the emission power among the emission channels.

[0124] Optionally, the first sub-emission area 411 is arranged in the second direction, and the second sub-emission area 412 is arranged in the second direction.

[0125] The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. For example, the second direction is the y-axis direction in FIG. 4.

[0126] It can be understood that the first sub-emission area 411 includes a plurality of lasers 4111, 4112, 4113, 4114, etc., the first sub-emission area 411 is arranged along the arrangement direction of the emission channels corresponding to the plurality of lasers (i.e., the second direction), and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The second sub-emission area 412 includes a plurality of lasers 4121, 4122, 4123, 4124, etc., the second sub-emission area 412 is arranged along the arrangement direction of the emission channels corresponding to the plurality of lasers (i.e., the second direction), and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0127] Optionally, the first sub-emission area 411 is used to emit a first light beam, and the second sub-emission area 412 is used to emit a second light beam.

[0128] The pulse width of the first light beam is greater than the pulse width of the second light beam.

[0129] It can be understood that the second sub-emission area 412 emits a second light beam under the energy supply of the second energy storage array 43, and since the energy storage value of the first energy storage array 42 is greater than the energy storage value of the second energy storage array 43, the emission power of the first sub-emission area 411 is greater than the emission power of the second sub-emission area 412. Accordingly, the pulse width of the first light beam is greater than the pulse width of the second light beam, so as to realize that the laser pulses of smaller width can be generated at the same time without affecting the generation of laser pulses of large width.

[0130] Optionally, the first sub-emission area 411, the second sub-emission area 412, the first energy storage array 42, and the second energy storage array 43 are arranged on a PCB.

[0131] Further, the first energy storage array 42 and the second energy storage array 43 can be arranged on the front surface of the PCB or the back surface of the PCB, and the present application does not limit this.

[0132] For example, the capacitors 421, 423, etc. in the first energy storage array 42 are arranged on the front surface of the PCB, and the capacitors 422, 424, etc. in the first energy storage array 42 are arranged on the back surface of the PCB. The capacitors 431, 433, etc. in the second energy storage array 43 are arranged on the front surface of the PCB, and the capacitors 432, 434, etc. in the second energy storage array 43 are arranged on the back surface of the PCB.

[0133] Optionally, the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 emit light beams at the same time or emit light beams at different times.

[0134] It can be understood that the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 can emit light beams at the same time or emit light beams at different times, and the application does not limit this. Optionally, the above-mentioned emission system can also include a switch array for respectively controlling the opening or closing of the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 to realize the simultaneous emission or time-sharing emission of the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412.

[0135] In a possible embodiment, the above-mentioned emission system further includes a driving unit 50.

[0136] Specifically, refer to FIG. 5, which is a structural schematic diagram of an emission system provided by an embodiment of the application.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 5, the driving unit 50 is connected with the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 respectively.

[0138] The driving unit 50 is used for driving the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 to emit light beams.

[0139] Specifically, the driving unit 50 can include one or more drivers, which will be described in different cases.

[0140] Case one:

[0141] The driving unit 50 includes one driver.

[0142] The one driver is arranged at the head end or the tail end of the first sub-emission area 411 or the second sub-emission area 412 along a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. For example, the second direction is the y-axis direction in FIG. 5.

[0143] It can be understood that the driver is arranged at the head end or the tail end of the first sub-emission area 411 or the second sub-emission area 412 along the second direction, which is beneficial to heat dissipation of the driver. Optionally, the driver can also be arranged at the middle or other positions of the first sub-emission area 411 or the second sub-emission area 412 along the second direction, and the application does not limit this.

[0144] Case two:

[0145] The driving unit 50 includes at least two drivers.

[0146] The at least two drivers are used for driving the first sub-emission area 411 and the second sub-emission area 412 to emit light beams. Through multiple drivers, the driving capability can be improved, and the power of the emitter can be improved.

[0147] Specifically, refer to FIG. 6, which is a structural schematic diagram of an emission system provided by an embodiment of the application.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 6, the driving unit 50 includes a first driver 501 and a second driver 502.

[0149] The first driver 501 and the second driver 502 are configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams.

[0150] The first driver 501 and the second driver 502 are respectively arranged at two ends of the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. For example, the second direction is the y-axis direction in FIG. 6.

[0151] It can be understood that the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 are respectively arranged at two ends of the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 along the second direction, which is beneficial to heat dissipation of the drivers. Alternatively, the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 can also be arranged at the middle or other positions of the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 along the second direction, which is not limited in the application.

[0152] Alternatively, the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 are mirror arranged, which is beneficial to optimize the wiring design between the modules in the emitting system and improve the space utilization.

[0153] It should be understood that the above case one and case two are only used to illustrate the position layout of the drivers as two exemplary cases, and should not be used to limit the embodiments of the application. The new embodiments obtained based on the reasonable deformation or supplement of the above case one and case two also belong to the protection scope of the application.

[0154] In a possible embodiment, for the emitting system architecture in which the driving unit 50 includes the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 in the above case two, different driving modes are provided, which are described as follows.

[0155] Mode one:

[0156] The first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 are driven to emit light beams by controlling the level of the control signal (triger, Trig) and the enable pin (Enable) of the driver.

[0157] For details, refer to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the emitting system further includes a control unit 60.

[0158] The control unit 60 is configured to send a control signal (Trig) to control the opening or closing of the first driver 501 and the second driver 502.

[0159] The first driver 501 is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams when the control signal (Trig) is at a high level and a first enable pin (Enable1) of the first driver 501 is at a high level.

[0160] The second driver 502 is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams when the control signal (Trig) is at a high level and a second enable pin (Enable2) of the second driver 502 is at a high level.

[0161] It can be understood that the driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams when the control signal (Trig) and an enable pin (Enable) of the driver are both at a high level, where the signal of the enable pin (Enable) is a level signal, and the control signal (Trig) is a pulse signal, and is configured to control the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 to be turned on or turned off.

[0162] According to the first mode, the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 can be independently turned on or simultaneously turned on, and the driving capability can be adjusted.

[0163] Mode two:

[0164] The first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 are driven to emit light beams by the levels of the first control signal (Trig1) and the second control signal (Trig2).

[0165] Specifically, refer to FIG. 7, which is a structural schematic diagram of a transmitting system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0166] As shown in FIG. 7, the transmitting system further includes a control unit 60.

[0167] The control unit 60 is configured to send a first control signal (Trig1) to control the first driver 501 to be turned on or turned off, and is further configured to send a second control signal (Trig2) to control the second driver 502 to be turned on or turned off.

[0168] The first driver 501 is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams when the first control signal (Trig1) is at a high level.

[0169] The second driver 502 is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region 411 and the second sub-emitting region 412 to emit light beams when the second control signal (Trig2) is at a high level.

[0170] It can be understood that the first driver 501 is controlled to be turned on or turned off by the first control signal (Trig1), so as to drive the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412 to emit light beams, and the second driver 502 is controlled to be turned on or turned off by the second control signal (Trig2), so as to drive the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412 to emit light beams. The first control signal (Trig1) and the second control signal (Trig2) are pulse signals.

[0171] Through the second mode, the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 can be independently turned on or simultaneously turned on, the driving capability can be adjusted, and the difference in the turn-on time delay of the first driver 501 and the second driver 502 can be compensated by the time delay of the first control signal (Trig1) and the second control signal (Trig2).

[0172] It should be understood that the above-mentioned mode one and mode two are only used to illustrate the driving mode as two examples, and should not be regarded as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. New embodiments obtained by reasonable deformation or supplement based on the above-mentioned mode one and mode two also belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0173] Optionally, the emitting system in FIGS. 4 to 7 can also be described in combination with a specific circuit structure. For details, refer to FIG. 8, which is a circuit schematic diagram of an emitting system provided by the present application.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 8, the first sub-emitting area 411 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the first sub-emitting area 411 in FIGS. 4 to 7, the second sub-emitting area 412 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the second sub-emitting area 412 in FIGS. 4 to 7, the first energy storage array 42 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the first energy storage array 42 in FIGS. 4 to 7, the second energy storage array 43 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the second energy storage array 43 in FIGS. 4 to 7, and the driving unit 50 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the driving unit 50 in FIG. 5.

[0175] Optionally, the switch array in FIG. 8 is used to control the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412 to be turned on or turned off respectively, so as to realize simultaneous emission or time-division emission of the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412.

[0176] As can be seen from FIG. 8, the first sub-emitting area 411 uses the first energy storage array 42 with a larger energy storage value, ensuring a larger emitting power, outputting a large pulse width, improving the detection distance, and being used for detecting a long-distance target. The second sub-emitting area 412 uses the second energy storage array 43 with a smaller energy storage value. Since the second energy storage array 43 has a smaller volume, the distance between the capacitor in the second energy storage array 43 and the laser in the second sub-emitting area 412 is smaller, and the wiring (i.e., the current loop) is shorter, which can reduce the loop inductance, and then a smaller width of laser pulse can be realized, which is used for detecting a short-distance target. Therefore, the laser pulse with a smaller width can be generated at the same time without affecting the generation of the laser pulse with a large width.

[0177] In a possible embodiment, the emitting system in FIG. 4 to FIG. 8 can further include:

[0178] a second emitter 71, a third energy storage array 72, and a fourth energy storage array 73.

[0179] For details, refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, which are structural schematic diagrams of the emitting system provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0180] As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the second emitter 71 includes a third sub-emitting area 711 and a fourth sub-emitting area 712. It can be understood that the third sub-emitting area 711 and the fourth sub-emitting area 712 constitute the complete second emitter 71. The second emitter 71 includes N rows of emitting units, N being an integer greater than 1. Each row of emitting units can include two lasers. Each laser can be divided into a pad area and a light-emitting area. The pad area is used for line connection with external devices, and the light-emitting area is used for emitting a light beam. For example, the third sub-emitting area 711 includes lasers 7111, 7112, 7113, 7114, and the like. The shaded area in the laser 7111 is the pad area, which is used for line connection with external devices. The blank area in the laser 7111 is the light-emitting area, which is used for emitting a light beam. The other lasers are similar, and details are not described here. The fourth sub-emitting area 712 includes lasers 7121, 7122, 7123, 7124, and the like. The shaded area in the laser 7121 is the pad area, which is used for line connection with external devices. The blank area in the laser 7121 is the light-emitting area, which is used for emitting a light beam. The other lasers are similar, and details are not described here. The energy storage array in the emitting system can include one or more capacitors. For example, the third energy storage array 72 includes capacitors 721, 722, 723, 724, and the like. The fourth energy storage array 73 includes capacitors 731, 732, 733, 734, and the like. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0181] The third sub-emitting region 711 is connected with the third energy storage array 72. It can be understood that each laser in the third sub-emitting region 711 is connected with each capacitor in the third energy storage array 72, for example, the shadow area (wire area) of the laser 7111 is connected with the capacitor 721, the shadow area (wire area) of the laser 7112 is connected with the capacitor 722, the shadow area (wire area) of the laser 7113 is connected with the capacitor 723, the shadow area (wire area) of the laser 7114 is connected with the capacitor 724, and the like, which are not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0182] The third energy storage array 72 is used to supply energy for the third sub-emitting region 711, so that the third sub-emitting region 711 can emit light beams. It can be understood that each capacitor in the third energy storage array 72 is used to supply energy for each laser in the third sub-emitting region 711, for example, the capacitor 721 is used to supply energy for the laser 7111, the capacitor 722 is used to supply energy for the laser 7112, the capacitor 723 is used to supply energy for the laser 7113, the capacitor 724 is used to supply energy for the laser 7114, and the like. The fourth energy storage array 73 is used to supply energy for the fourth sub-emitting region 712, so that the fourth sub-emitting region 712 can emit light beams. It can be understood that each capacitor in the fourth energy storage array 73 is used to supply energy for each laser in the fourth sub-emitting region 712, for example, the capacitor 731 is used to supply energy for the laser 7121, the capacitor 732 is used to supply energy for the laser 7122, the capacitor 733 is used to supply energy for the laser 7123, the capacitor 734 is used to supply energy for the laser 7124, and the like.

[0183] The energy storage value of the third energy storage array 72 is greater than that of the fourth energy storage array 73. It can be understood that the energy storage value of each capacitor in the third energy storage array 72 is greater than that of each capacitor in the fourth energy storage array 73, for example, the energy storage value of the capacitor 721 is greater than that of the capacitor 731, the energy storage value of the capacitor 722 is greater than that of the capacitor 732, the energy storage value of the capacitor 723 is greater than that of the capacitor 733, the energy storage value of the capacitor 724 is greater than that of the capacitor 734, and the like.

[0184] Since the energy storage value of the third energy storage array 72 is greater than the energy storage value of the fourth energy storage array 73, the emission power of the third sub-emission area 711 is correspondingly greater than the emission power of the fourth sub-emission area 712. It can be understood that the emission power of each laser in the third sub-emission area 711 is correspondingly greater than the emission power of each laser in the fourth sub-emission area 712, for example, the emission power of the laser 7111 is greater than the emission power of the laser 7121, the emission power of the laser 7112 is greater than the emission power of the laser 7122, the emission power of the laser 7113 is greater than the emission power of the laser 7123, the emission power of the laser 7114 is greater than the emission power of the laser 7124, and so on.

[0185] And since the energy storage value of the third energy storage array 72 is greater than the energy storage value of the fourth energy storage array 73, the volume of the third energy storage array 72 is correspondingly greater than the volume of the fourth energy storage array 73. It can be understood that the volume of each capacitor in the third energy storage array 72 is correspondingly greater than the volume of each capacitor in the fourth energy storage array 73, for example, the volume of the capacitor 721 is greater than the volume of the capacitor 731, the volume of the capacitor 722 is greater than the volume of the capacitor 732, the volume of the capacitor 723 is greater than the volume of the capacitor 733, the volume of the capacitor 724 is greater than the volume of the capacitor 734, and so on.

[0186] And since the volume of the third energy storage array 72 is greater than the volume of the fourth energy storage array 73, the third energy storage array 72 is arranged in two columns in the first direction, and the fourth energy storage array 73 is arranged in one column in the first direction. Exemplarily, the first direction is the x-axis direction in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0187] Optionally, the fourth energy storage array 73 described above can also be arranged in two or more columns in the first direction. When the volume of the fourth energy storage array 73 is large enough that a one-column layout in the first direction is insufficient to accommodate, it can be arranged in multiple columns, but the number of columns of the fourth energy storage array 73 arranged in the first direction should be as small as possible, so that the spacing between the fourth energy storage array 73 and the fourth sub-emission area 712 is as small as possible, the wiring (i.e. the current loop) is shorter, the loop inductance can be reduced, and a smaller width of the laser pulse can be achieved.

[0188] It can be understood that the third sub-emission area 711 in the implementation of the present application is similar to the first sub-emission area 411, the fourth sub-emission area 712 is similar to the second sub-emission area 412, the third energy storage array 72 is similar to the first energy storage array 42, and the fourth energy storage array 73 is similar to the second energy storage array 43.

[0189] The transmitting system in the embodiments of the present application divides the transmitting channel into two parts according to the size of the transmitting power, and arranges the transmitting channel pins on the left and right sides. Under the same wave position number, the pins of the transmitter and the connected capacitors are doubled. In the case where the number of transmitting channels of the transmitter remains unchanged, the length of the longitudinal (i.e. the y-axis direction) light emitting area of the transmitter is doubled, which results in an excessively large aspect ratio (i.e. the ratio of the length in the y-axis direction to the width in the x-axis direction) of the transmitter, and the transmitter may be broken, affecting the device reliability of the transmitting system. Therefore, two groups of transmitters (i.e. the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412, and the third sub-emitting area 711 and the fourth sub-emitting area 712) can be used to ensure that the total number of transmitting channels remains unchanged, and the number of transmitting channels of the original single group of transmitters (i.e. the first sub-emitting area 411 and the second sub-emitting area 412) is halved, so as to reduce the aspect ratio of the transmitter and improve the device reliability of the transmitting system.

[0190] In addition, the third sub-emitting area 711 and the first sub-emitting area 411 (or the fourth sub-emitting area 712 and the second sub-emitting area 412) have a first offset in a second direction, the first offset is N+0.5 transmitting channels, N is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than the number of transmitting channels in the first sub-emitting area 411, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Exemplarily, the second direction is the y-axis direction in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0191] Exemplarily, the third sub-emitting area 711 and the first sub-emitting area 411 in FIGS. 9 and 10 have a first offset of 0.5 transmitting channels in the second direction, which can improve the resolution of the offset area by at least one time, thereby improving the detection performance of the transmitting system.

[0192] In a possible embodiment, the positions of the various emitting areas and energy storage arrays in the transmitting system described above can have multiple cases, which are described below.

[0193] Case one:

[0194] As shown in FIG. 9, the first energy storage array 42, the first sub-emitting area 411, the second sub-emitting area 412, the second energy storage array 43, the fourth energy storage array 73, the fourth sub-emitting area 712, the third sub-emitting area 711, and the third energy storage array 72 are arranged in the first direction in sequence.

[0195] It can be understood that in this case one, the second sub-emitting area 412 and the fourth sub-emitting area 712 corresponding to the small-power transmitting channels can be arranged adjacent to each other, and the first sub-emitting area 411 and the third sub-emitting area 711 corresponding to the large-power transmitting channels can be arranged on the two sides respectively, which is conducive to optimizing the wiring design between the various arrays in the transmitting system and improving the space utilization.

[0196] Case two:

[0197] As shown in FIG. 10, the first energy storage array 42, the first sub-emitting area 411, the second sub-emitting area 412, the second energy storage array 43, the third energy storage array 72, the third sub-emitting area 711, the fourth sub-emitting area 712, and the fourth energy storage array 73 are arranged in the first direction in sequence.

[0198] It can be understood that in this case, the emitting area corresponding to the high-power emitting channel and the emitting area corresponding to the low-power emitting channel can be arranged adjacently, thereby improving the device reliability of the emitting system.

[0199] It should be understood that the above-mentioned case one and case two are only used to illustrate the position layout of the emitting areas and the energy storage arrays in the emitting system as two exemplary cases, and should not be used to limit the embodiments of the present application. The new embodiments obtained based on the reasonable deformation or supplement of the above-mentioned case one and case two also belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0200] Optionally, the first energy storage array 42, the second energy storage array 43, the third energy storage array 72, and the fourth energy storage array 73 share the same charging channel, which can reduce the number of charging channels by half and realize the miniaturization of the emitting system.

[0201] Optionally, each energy storage array in the emitting system can also use different charging channels, which is not limited in the present application.

[0202] It should be understood that the above-mentioned emitting systems shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are only used to illustrate the emitting systems including multiple groups of emitters and multiple groups of energy storage arrays as two examples, and should not be used to limit the embodiments of the present application. The new embodiments obtained based on the reasonable deformation or supplement of the above-mentioned emitting systems shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 also belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0203] The present application provides a chip, which comprises the emitting system provided by the present application.

[0204] The present application provides a radar or radar system, which comprises the emitting system provided by the present application or the above-mentioned chip.

[0205] In a possible implementation, the radar includes but is not limited to a laser radar and the like.

[0206] In a possible implementation, there can be a smart sensor integrated with multiple sensors, and in the case that the above-mentioned smart sensor includes but is not limited to a laser detection function, the above-mentioned smart sensor can also be referred to as a radar or a radar system.

[0207] The application also provides a terminal device comprising the transmitting system or chip or radar or radar system provided by the application. For example, the terminal device can be a transportation tool, such as a car, a truck, an aircraft, a drone, a slow-speed transport vehicle, a space vehicle, or a ship, etc. for any possible scenario, and can also be a surveying device, etc. for any device that can carry a detection device. One or more transmitting systems or chips or radars or radar systems provided by the application are deployed on the terminal device.

[0208] The above merely provides a specific implementation of the application, but the protection scope of the application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the application, which should be covered by the protection scope of the application. Therefore, the protection scope of the application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A transmitting system, characterized by, Comprising: a first emitter, a first energy storage array, a second energy storage array; wherein the first emitter comprises a first sub-emitting area and a second sub-emitting area, the first sub-emitting area is correspondingly connected with the first energy storage array, and the second sub-emitting area is correspondingly connected with the second energy storage array; the first energy storage array is used for supplying energy for the first sub-emitting area, the second energy storage array is used for supplying energy for the second sub-emitting area, the energy storage value of the first energy storage array is greater than that of the second energy storage array, and the emitting power of the first sub-emitting area is greater than that of the second sub-emitting area; wherein the first energy storage array, the first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, and the second energy storage array are arranged in sequence along a first direction, the first energy storage array is arranged in two columns in the first direction, and the second energy storage array is arranged in one column in the first direction.

2. The launch system of claim 1, wherein, The first sub-emitting area is arranged along a second direction, and the second sub-emitting area is arranged along the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The launch system of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first sub-emitting area is used for emitting a first light beam, and the second sub-emitting area is used for emitting a second light beam, the pulse width of the first light beam being greater than that of the second light beam.

4. The launch system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first sub-emitting area, the second sub-emitting area, the first energy storage array, and the second energy storage array are arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB).

5. The launch system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area emit light beams simultaneously or emit light beams at different times.

6. The launch system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The emitting system further comprises: a driving unit; wherein the driving unit is connected with the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area respectively; the driving unit is used for driving the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams.

7. The launch system of claim 6, wherein, The driving unit comprises one driver, the one driver being arranged at the head end or the tail end of the first sub-emitting area or the second sub-emitting area along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

8. The launch system of claim 6, wherein, The driving unit comprises at least two drivers, the at least two drivers being used for driving the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams.

9. The launch system of claim 8, wherein, The at least two drivers comprise a first driver and a second driver, the first driver and the second driver being arranged at two ends of the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area respectively along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

10. The launch system of claim 9, wherein, The first driver and the second driver are arranged in mirror image.

11. The emitting system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein in a case where a control signal is at a high level and a first enable pin of the first driver is at a high level, the first driver is used for driving the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams; in a case where the control signal is at the high level and a second enable pin of the second driver is at the high level, the second driver is used for driving the first sub-emitting area and the second sub-emitting area to emit light beams; wherein the control signal is used for controlling the opening or closing of the first driver and the second driver.

12. The emitting system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein In a case that the first control signal is at a high level, the first driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit a light beam. In a case that the second control signal is at a high level, the second driver is configured to drive the first sub-emitting region and the second sub-emitting region to emit a light beam. The first control signal is configured to control the first driver to be turned on or turned off, and the second control signal is configured to control the second driver to be turned on or turned off.

13. The launch system of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The transmitting system further comprises: a second transmitter, a third energy storage array, and a fourth energy storage array; The second transmitter comprises a third sub-emitting region and a fourth sub-emitting region, the third sub-emitting region is connected with the third energy storage array in correspondence, and the fourth sub-emitting region is connected with the fourth energy storage array in correspondence; The third energy storage array is configured to supply energy for the third sub-emitting region, and the fourth energy storage array is configured to supply energy for the fourth sub-emitting region, the energy storage value of the third energy storage array is greater than the energy storage value of the fourth energy storage array, the third energy storage array is arranged in two columns in the first direction, the fourth energy storage array is arranged in one column in the first direction, and the emission power of the third sub-emitting region is greater than the emission power of the fourth sub-emitting region; The third sub-emitting region and the first sub-emitting region have a first offset in a second direction, the first offset is N+0.5 emitting channels, N is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than the number of emitting channels in the first sub-emitting region, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The launch system of claim 13, wherein, The first energy storage array, the first sub-emitting region, the second sub-emitting region, the second energy storage array, the fourth energy storage array, the fourth sub-emitting region, the third sub-emitting region, and the third energy storage array are sequentially arranged in the first direction.

15. The launch system of claim 13, wherein, The first energy storage array, the first sub-emitting region, the second sub-emitting region, the second energy storage array, the third energy storage array, the third sub-emitting region, the fourth sub-emitting region, and the fourth energy storage array are sequentially arranged in the first direction.

16. The launch system of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The first energy storage array, the second energy storage array, the third energy storage array, and the fourth energy storage array share the same charging channel.

17. A chip, characterized by The chip comprises the transmitting system of any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A radar, characterized by The radar comprises the transmitting system of any one of claims 1 to 16 or the chip of claim 17.

19. A terminal device, comprising: The terminal device comprises the transmitting system of any one of claims 1 to 16, the chip of claim 17, or the radar of claim 18.

20. A vehicle end characterized by, The vehicle terminal comprises the transmitting system of any one of claims 1 to 16, the chip of claim 17, the radar of claim 18, or the terminal device of claim 19.

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