IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,019,187
Granted Patent B2
US 12,019,187 · App. 17/032,192 · Granted Jun 25, 2024

Lidar system and method

Inventors: Shaoqing Xiang (Shanghai, CN); Na Li (Shanghai, CN); Yancong Lu (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: Hesai Technology Co., Ltd.
G01S7/4817G01S7/4815G01S7/4816G01S17/42G01S17/931G02B26/105G02B27/106G02B27/1086G02B5/1871
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,019,187
App. No.
17/032,192
Granted
Jun 25, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multiline LiDAR includes a rotor, a stator, a plurality of lasers, a light collimator arranged in the rotor, and one or more carriers arranged in the rotor. The plurality of lasers are arranged on the one or more carriers in n rows, n≥2, and lasers in different rows are staggered from each other. The multiline LiDAR is configured such that, when detection light emitted by each laser is reflected by objects, reflected light is converged on a detector after passing through an optical receiver, and detection beams emitted by the plurality of lasers are configured to be driven by the rotor to scan around a central axis to generate a scanning point cloud having a sparse-dense distribution in a vertical direction to obtain information about objects in a central field of view. A number of lines of the multiline LiDAR is equal to or greater than 16.

Claims (43)

1. A multiline LiDAR, comprising:

a rotor;

a stator;

a plurality of lasers;

a light collimator arranged in the rotor; and

one or more carriers arranged in the rotor, wherein the plurality of lasers are arranged on the one or more carriers in n rows, where n≥2, and lasers in different rows are staggered from each other,

wherein the multiline LiDAR is configured such that, when detection light emitted by each laser of the plurality of lasers is reflected by objects, reflected light of the detection light is configured to be converged on a corresponding detector after passing through an optical receiver, and detection beams emitted by the plurality of lasers are configured to be driven by the rotor to scan around a central axis to generate a scanning point cloud having a sparse-dense distribution in a vertical direction to obtain information about objects in a central field of view, and

wherein a number of lines of the multiline LiDAR is equal to or greater than 16.

2. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , wherein a vertical plane is parallel to the central axis.

3. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , wherein projection points are configured in a sparse-dense-sparse distribution from top to bottom in the vertical direction.

4. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , wherein, in the vertical direction, among lasers in a middle portion of the plurality of lasers, projection points of first lasers on a vertical plane are between projection points of second lasers on the vertical plane, and

wherein the first lasers are adjacent to the second lasers, and the first lasers and the second lasers are non-collinear.

5. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lasers are in a focal plane of the light collimator.

6. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , wherein the one or more carriers comprise at least two carriers, and at least two lasers are arranged on each carrier of the at least two carriers.

7. The multiline LiDAR of claim 6 , wherein, in a direction perpendicular to a vertical plane, the at least two carriers are distributed at intervals.

8. The multiline LiDAR of claim 7 , wherein the at least two carriers comprise a carrier in a middle portion of the at least two carriers along the vertical direction, and

wherein a projection point of the laser on a vertical plane is between projection points of adjacent lasers on another carrier on the vertical plane.

9. The multiline LiDAR of claim 8 , wherein, on the vertical plane, there are at least two projection points between projection points of adjacent lasers on a same carrier, and wherein the at least two projection points are projection points of lasers on other carriers different from the carrier.

10. The multiline LiDAR of claim 1 , further comprising:

the optical receiver configured to collect the reflected light of the detection light emitted by the laser after passing through the light collimator; and

detectors configured to receive the reflected light after passing through the optical receiver,

wherein a number of the detectors is same as a number of the plurality of lasers, and

wherein the detectors and the plurality of lasers are configured to be symmetrical with respect to a mid-vertical plane of a central line connecting a center of the light collimator to a center of the optical receiver, a principal axis of the light collimator being parallel to the mid-vertical plane.

11. The multiline LiDAR of claim 10 , wherein the principal axis is perpendicular to the central line.

12. A detection method using a multiline LiDAR comprising a rotor, a stator, and a plurality of lasers, the detection method comprising:

emitting detection light by each laser of the plurality of lasers;

driving detection beams emitted by the plurality of lasers by the rotor to scan around a central axis to generate a scanning point cloud having a sparse-dense distribution in a vertical direction to obtain information about objects in a central field of view; and

converging reflected light of the detection light emitted by each laser of the plurality of lasers and reflected by the objects by a corresponding detector after passing through an optical receiver,

wherein the multiline LiDAR comprises a light collimator arranged in the rotor and one or more carriers arranged in the rotor, wherein the plurality of lasers are arranged on the one or more carriers in n rows, where n≥2, and lasers in different rows are staggered from each other, and wherein a number of lines of the multiline LiDAR is equal to or greater than 16.

13. The detection method of claim 12 , wherein projection points are configured in a sparse-dense-sparse distribution from top to bottom in the vertical direction.

14. The detection method of claim 12 , wherein, in the vertical direction, among lasers in a middle portion of the plurality of lasers, projection points of first lasers on a vertical plane are between projection points of second lasers on the vertical plane, and

wherein the first lasers are adjacent to the second lasers, and the first lasers and the second lasers are non-collinear.

15. The detection method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of lasers are in a focal plane of the light collimator.

16. The detection method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more carriers comprise at least two carriers, and at least two lasers are arranged on each carrier of the at least two carriers.

17. The detection method of claim 16 , wherein, in a direction perpendicular to a vertical plane, the one or more carriers are distributed at intervals.

18. The detection method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more carriers comprise a carrier in a middle portion of the one or more carriers along the vertical direction, and

wherein a projection point of the laser on a vertical plane is between projection points of adjacent lasers on another carrier on the vertical plane.

19. The detection method of claim 18 , wherein, on the vertical plane, there are at least two projection points between projection points of adjacent lasers on a same carrier, and wherein the at least two projection points are projection points of lasers on other carriers different from the carrier.

20. The detection method of claim 12 , wherein the multiline LiDAR further comprises:

the optical receiver configured to collect the reflected light of the detection light emitted by the laser and reflected by the objects after passing through the light collimator; and

detectors configured to receive the reflected light after passing through the optical receiver,

wherein a number of the detectors is same as a number of the plurality of lasers, and

wherein the detectors and the plurality of lasers are configured to be symmetrical with respect to a mid-vertical plane of a central line connecting a center of the light collimator to a center of the optical receiver, a principal axis of the light collimator being parallel to the mid-vertical plane.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 19, 2021
From: HESAI PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
To: HESAI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056906/0397 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2020
From: XIANG, SHAOQING; LI, NA; LU, YANCONG
To: HESAI PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053882/0603 →
Priority Claims (5)
CN 201710463616.6 · Jun 19, 2017 · national
CN 201810036235.4 · Jan 15, 2018 · national
CN 201810045703.7 · Jan 17, 2018 · national
CN 201810045754.7 · Jan 17, 2018 · national
WO PCT/CN2018/081367 · Mar 30, 2018 · international
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16564842 · Sep 9, 2019
Continuation 16011127 · Jun 18, 2018
Related Publication 20210011136A1 · Jan 14, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,663,522