Shared Transmit Receive Lens LiDAR Optical Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 360° LiDAR scanners require multiple lenses for transmitting and receiving, leading to high manufacturing costs and complexity, making them expensive and difficult to mass-produce for vehicle applications.
Innovation Solution
A scanning LiDAR with an optical structure that shares a single transmitting and receiving lens, utilizing a hole mirror and a beam source to output and receive pulsed laser beams, reducing the number of components and simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple lenses are used for transmitting and receiving in conventional 360° LiDAR scanners, then the optical performance is improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the transmitting lens and receiving lens into a single shared lens component. This merging approach reduces the total number of optical elements from multiple lenses to one, thereby simplifying the optical structure, reducing assembly complexity, and lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary optical functionality for both transmission and reception of laser beams
Solution Approach 2:
The shared lens is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the transmitting lens for collimating the outgoing laser beam and the receiving lens for focusing the reflected beam onto the detector. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated transmitting and receiving lenses, reducing component count and system complexity
2Reliability
If multiple lenses are used for transmitting and receiving, then the optical performance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the transmitting lens and receiving lens into a single shared lens component. This merging approach reduces the total number of optical elements from multiple lenses to one, thereby simplifying the optical structure, reducing assembly complexity, and lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary optical functionality for both transmission and reception of laser beams
Solution Approach 2:
The shared lens is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the transmitting lens for collimating the outgoing laser beam and the receiving lens for focusing the reflected beam onto the detector. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated transmitting and receiving lenses, reducing component count and system complexity
3Reliability
If multiple lenses and arrangement points are used, then the optical functionality is improved, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the transmitting lens and receiving lens into a single shared lens component. This merging approach reduces the total number of optical elements from multiple lenses to one, thereby simplifying the optical structure, reducing assembly complexity, and lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary optical functionality for both transmission and reception of laser beams
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
This design reduces manufacturing costs, allows for a smaller and more affordable LiDAR system, and simplifies the optical structure while maintaining effective scanning capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a beam source disposed to face a surface opposite the reflecting surface of the hole mirror and configured to output a pulsed laser beam through the hole of the hole mirror
Implementation Method 2
a transmitting and receiving lens configured to generate a collimated beam to move the pulsed laser beam which passed through the hole toward a measurement target
Implementation Method 3
a hole mirror disposed to have a first predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal surface and including a hole and a reflecting surface
Implementation Method 4
a beam detector disposed to face the reflecting surface of the hole mirror, and configured to convert the beam reflected from the reflecting surface into an electronic signal
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect is a scanning light detection and ranging (LiDAR) having an optical structure which shares a transmitting and receiving lens. In one embodiment, the LiDAR includes a hole mirror disposed to have a first angle with respect to a horizontal surface and including a hole and a reflecting surface and a beam source configured to output a pulsed laser beam from one side of the hole mirror toward the hole. The LiDAR also includes a transmitting and receiving lens configured to generate a collimated beam to move the pulsed laser beam which passed through the hole toward a measurement target, receive a beam reflected from the measurement target, and transmit the reflected beam to the hole mirror. The LiDAR further includes a beam detector disposed to face the reflecting surface of the hole mirror and configured to receive the beam reflected from the hole mirror and convert the reflected beam into an electronic signal.