LIDAR SYSTEM AND LASER RANGING METHOD

• US 20190317195A1
• Filed: 11/15/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Deepwater Optoelectronics Co. Ltd
• Original Assignee: Deepwater Optoelectronics Co. Ltd
• Inventors: SUN, Weiwei, WANG, Haiying
• Application Number:
  US16/191,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4811 common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4815 using multiple transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4818 using optical fibres

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a LiDAR system and a laser ranging method. The LiDAR system includes: a laser scanning component and a rotary component; where the laser scanning component includes an emitter assembly, an emitter lens, a receiver lens and a receiver assembly. The emitter assembly includes a plurality of laser emitters and a first optical fiber array, and the receiver assembly includes a plurality of receivers and a second optical fiber array. With the LiDAR system according to the embodiments of the present invention, by using an optical fiber array as a laser emitter end of an emitter assembly, and a reflected light incident end of a receiver assembly, the size of the LiDAR may be reduced, and the production and calibration cost may be lowered.

Claims

1. A LiDAR system, comprising:

a laser scanning component and a rotary component;

wherein the rotary component is configured to rotate the laser scanning component; and

the laser scanning component comprises;

an emitter assembly, comprising a plurality of laser emitters and a first optical fiber array, the plurality of laser emitters one-to-one corresponding to a plurality of optical fibers, wherein a laser emitted by each laser emitter enters a corresponding optical fiber, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters are connected to the first optical fiber array;

an emitter lens, configured to collimate lasers from the first optical fiber array and emit the lasers;

a receiver assembly, comprising a plurality of receivers and a second optical fiber array, the plurality of receivers one-to-one corresponding to a plurality of optical fibers, wherein each receiver is configured to receive reflected light transmitted via a corresponding optical fiber, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of receivers are connected to the second optical fiber array; and

a receiver lens, configured to receive reflected light of the lasers, and converge the reflected light into the second optical fiber array.

2. The LiDAR system according to claim 1, wherein

the emitter assembly further comprises a first multi-core optical fiber connector, configured to connect the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters to the first optical fiber array;

and

the receiver assembly further comprises a second multi-core optical fiber connector, configured to connect the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of receivers to the second optical fiber array.

3. The LiDAR system according to claim 1, wherein the emitter assembly further comprises a plurality of beam shapers, the plurality of beam shapers one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters, and the beam shapers being configured to couple the lasers emitted by the laser emitters to the corresponding optical fibers.

4. The LiDAR system according to claim 3, wherein the beam shaper is a dual-cylindrical lens, generatrixes of two cylindrical surfaces of the dual-cylindrical lens being orthogonal to each other.

5. The LiDAR system according to claim 3, wherein the beam shaper is a beam shaper based on optics diffraction, and comprises a collimate lens, a first diffraction element and a second diffraction element;

wherein

the collimate lens is configured to collimate a beam emitted by the laser emitter in a fast axis direction to form an elongated strip-shaped beam;

the first diffraction element is configured to divide the elongated strip-shaped beam into a plurality of beams, and except for a central beam, remaining beams being deflected towards different spatial directions; and

the second diffraction element is configured to correct the remaining beams, such that the remaining beams overlap the central beam, and converge the overlapped beams to end faces of the corresponding optical fibers.

6. The LiDAR system according to claim 3, wherein the beam shaper is a beam shaper based on optics diffraction, and comprises a first lens, a first diffraction element, a second diffraction element and a second lens;

wherein

the first lens is configured to collimate a beam emitted by the laser emitter in a fast axis direction to form an elongated strip-shaped beam;

the first diffraction element is configured to divide the elongated strip-shaped beam into a plurality of beams, and except for a central beam, remaining beams being deflected towards different spatial directions;

the second diffraction element is configured to correct the remaining beams, such that the remaining beams are parallel to the central beam; and

the second lens is configured to make the remaining beams from the second diffraction element and the central beam overlap and converge the overlapped beams to end faces of the corresponding optical fibers.

7. The LiDAR system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver assembly further comprises a plurality of micro-lens, the plurality of micro-lens one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of receivers, and the micro-lens being configured to converge the reflected light transmitted via the optical fibers to the corresponding receivers.

8. The LiDAR system according to claim 1, wherein an end face of the first optical fiber array is on a focal plane of the emitter lens;

an end face of the second optical fiber array is on a focal plane of the receiver lens.

9. The LiDAR system according to claim 1, wherein the first optical fiber array is a one-dimensional optical fiber array or a two-dimensional optical fiber array;

the second optical fiber array is a one-dimensional optical fiber array or a two-dimensional optical fiber array.

10. A laser ranging method, wherein a LiDAR system is used for laser ranging, and the LiDAR system comprises a laser scanning component and a rotary component;

wherein the laser scanning component comprises an emitter assembly, an emitter lens, a receiver assembly and a receiver lens;

wherein the emitter assembly comprises a plurality of laser emitters and a first optical fiber array, the plurality of laser emitters one-to-one corresponding to a plurality of optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters being connected to the first optical fiber array; and

the receiver assembly comprises a plurality of receivers and a second optical fiber array, the plurality of receivers one-to-one corresponding to a plurality of optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of receivers being connected to the second optical fiber array; and

the method comprises;

rotating, by the rotary component, the laser scanning component,

emitting, by each laser emitter, a laser, wherein the laser is transmitted via the corresponding optical fibers and is emitted from the first optical fiber array;

collimating and emitting, by the emitter lens, the lasers from the first optical fiber array;

receiving, by the receiver lens, reflected light of the lasers, and converging the reflected light into the second optical fiber array; and

receiving, by the plurality of receivers, the reflected light via the corresponding optical fibers.

11. The laser ranging method according to claim 10, wherein

the emitter assembly further comprises a first multi-core optical fiber connector, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters being connected to the first optical fiber array comprises:

the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters being connected to the first optical fiber array via the first multi-core optical fiber connector; and

the receiver assembly further comprises a second multi-core optical fiber connector, and the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of receivers being connected to the second optical fiber array comprises;

the plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of receivers being connected to the second optical fiber array via the second multi-core optical fiber connector.

12. The laser ranging method according to claim 10, wherein the emitter assembly further comprises a plurality of beam shapers, the plurality of beam shapers one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of laser emitters;

coupling, by the beam shapers, the lasers emitted by the laser emitters to the corresponding optical fibers.

13. The laser ranging method according to claim 12, wherein the beam shaper is a dual-cylindrical lens, generatrixes of two cylindrical surfaces of the dual-cylindrical lens being orthogonal to each other.

14. The laser ranging method according to claim 12, wherein the beam shaper is a beam shaper based on optics diffraction, and comprises a collimate lens, a first diffraction element and a second diffraction element;

wherein the coupling, by the beam shapers, the lasers emitted by the laser emitters to the corresponding optical fibers comprises;

collimating, by the collimate lens, a beam emitted by the laser emitter in a fast axis direction to form an elongated strip-shaped beam;

dividing, by the first diffraction element, the elongated strip-shaped beam into a plurality of beams, and except for a central beam, remaining beams being deflected towards different spatial directions; and

correcting, by the second diffraction element, the remaining beams, such that the remaining beams overlap the central beam, and are converging the overlapped beams to end faces of the corresponding optical fibers.

15. The laser ranging method according to claim 12, wherein the beam shaper is a beam shaper based on optics diffraction, and comprises a first lens, a first diffraction element, a second diffraction element and a second lens;

wherein the coupling, by the beam shapers, the lasers emitted by the laser emitters to the corresponding optical fibers comprises;

collimating, by the first lens, a beam emitted by the laser emitter in a fast axis direction to form an elongated strip-shaped beam;

dividing, by the first diffraction element, the elongated strip-shaped beam into a plurality of beams, and except for a central beam, remaining beams being deflected towards different spatial directions;

correcting, by the second diffraction element, the remaining beams, such that the remaining beams are parallel to the central beam;

making, by the second lens, the remaining beams from the second diffraction element and the central beam overlap, and converging the overlapped beams to end faces of the corresponding optical fibers.

16. The laser ranging method according to claim 10, wherein the receiver assembly further comprises a plurality of micro-lens, the plurality of micro-lens one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of receivers;

converging, by the micro-lens, the reflected light transmitted via the optical fibers to the corresponding receivers.

17. The laser ranging method according to claim 10, wherein an end face of the first optical fiber array is on a focal plane of the emitter lens;

an end face of the second optical fiber array is on a focal plane of the receiver lens.

18. The laser ranging method according to claim 10, wherein the first optical fiber array is a one-dimensional optical fiber array or a two-dimensional optical fiber array;

the second optical fiber array is a one-dimensional optical fiber array or a two-dimensional optical fiber array.