Lidar Scanner With Oblique Light Sources For Dead Zone Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lidar devices with non-planar and non-uniform deflection mirrors face challenges in design, manufacturing, and precise adjustment, leading to misalignment issues that deteriorate detection accuracy and require frequent readjustments, resulting in dead zones during two-dimensional scanning.
Innovation Solution
A lidar device configuration with a phototransmitter and photoreceiver, featuring first and second light sources with obliquely inclined optical axes and parallel reflection surfaces, maintains constant output angles in the sub-scanning direction, preventing dead zones and simplifying adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If non-planar and non-uniform deflection mirrors are used to achieve two-dimensional scanning, then scanning coverage is improved, but design complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light source system into multiple independent light sources (first light source and second light source), each with its own optical axis. This segmentation allows the system to achieve two-dimensional scanning functionality through simple planar mirrors rather than requiring complex non-planar deflection mirrors, thus reducing design and manufacturing complexity while maintaining scanning coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a second light source with a different optical axis orientation (obliquely inclined at a different angle) to add dimensional diversity to the light beam paths. This dimensional approach enables comprehensive two-dimensional scanning coverage using simple planar mirrors, avoiding the need for complex non-planar mirror surfaces
2Adaptability or versatility
If non-planar and non-uniform deflection mirrors are used to achieve two-dimensional scanning, then scanning coverage is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the light source into multiple independent sources with fixed optical axes, the patent eliminates the need for precise adjustment of non-planar mirror surfaces. Each light source can be independently positioned and oriented, simplifying the manufacturing and assembly process while achieving the same scanning coverage
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex non-planar mirrors to achieve two-dimensional scanning, the patent inverts the approach by using multiple simple planar light sources with different optical axis orientations. This inversion simplifies the mirror design to simple planar surfaces while maintaining the two-dimensional scanning capability
3Ease of operation
If conventional light source arrangement is used with optical axes perpendicular to reference plane, then alignment is simplified, but dead zones occur during two-dimensional scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric arrangement of multiple light sources with different optical axis orientations (one perpendicular, one obliquely inclined at a different angle) to eliminate dead zones in the scanning pattern. This asymmetric configuration ensures comprehensive coverage of the two-dimensional scanning area, improving detection reliability while maintaining alignment simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
By adding a second light source with an obliquely inclined optical axis at a different angle from the first light source, the patent extends the scanning coverage in additional dimensions. This dimensional diversity eliminates dead zones and ensures complete two-dimensional scanning coverage without compromising alignment simplicity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The configuration ensures accurate two-dimensional scanning without dead zones, simplifies the design and adjustment of the lidar device, and enhances detection accuracy by maintaining constant output angles, reducing the complexity of reflection surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The phototransmitter includes at least first and second light sources that transmit light beams
Implementation Method 2
change an incident angle of light incident on a rotating deflection mirror to thereby change an output angle of light outputted from the deflection mirror
Data Source
AI summary
A scanner has a rotational axis and reflection surfaces. The scanner rotates the reflection surfaces about the rotational axis. The reflection surfaces are parallel to a direction of the rotational axis. The scanner changes a direction of each of the light beams transmitted from the phototransmitter and incident on the scanner to thereby output changed light beams in a main scanning direction that is orthogonal to the direction of the rotational axis. The scanner reflects light beams arriving from a target object based on reflection of the changed light beams to thereby cause the light beams to be directed toward the receiver. The first and second light sources are arranged such that the optical axis of at least one of the light beams transmitted from the first and second light sources is obliquely inclined with respect to a reference plane that is orthogonal to the rotational axis.