The present disclosure relates in general to a light emission module, a light detection and ranging system, and a light scanning method.
The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is used for detecting and measuring an object such as a vehicle. The main structure of the LiDAR system is to integrate a laser source and scanning components (with or without rotational elements) to perform laser-beam scanning upon an object, such that distancing information thereabout can be obtained. Generally speaking, the LiDAR system can be a mechanical, quasi-solid or solid-state system. In particular, the mechanical LiDAR system is featured in bulky, vulnerable to mechanical shocks, limited resolution in the vertical direction due to the number of light sources, and the higher cost. On the other hand, the stability of the quasi-solid LiDAR system is yet to be verified. In addition, the solid-state LiDAR system is a flash-light system, not a scan system, and thus the detection ranged is pretty limited because energy for the required light source energy needs to cover a larger area.
In addition, rotating parts of the conventional LiDAR system may face problems in shock resistance, service life, risk of harming human naked eyes, insufficient signal resolution, low frame-rate update speed, and insufficient detection distance. Therefore, how to modify the existing LiDAR system so as further to improve the above-mentioned problems will be an issue urgent to be solved in the art.
Nevertheless, the recent technique of using the mature mass-produced reflective liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) as the phase spatial light modulator (SLM) to develop the all-solid-state LiDAR system has encountered three technical difficulties to be broken through. Firstly, the rate (20-100 Hz) for updating the SLM screen to achieve the function of beam scanning cannot be compared with an axial scanning speed (up to kHz) of the quasi-solid MEMS (Micro electro mechanical system). Secondly, the LCoS filling rate and the optical system for phase conversion of the technique would make the diffraction efficiency less than 10%. Thirdly, the phase control is limited theoretically in the optical diffraction theory, and thus the scanning angle of the beams is generally less than 11 degrees.
In this disclosure, a light emission module, a light detection and ranging system and a light scanning method are provided to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional LiDAR systems. As a full solid-state non-rotational LiDAR system, at least 2 laser beams can be generated to increase the number of light points or the corresponding diameter of light, and to uplift the scanning speed. In addition, a design of the canning-angle expanding lens set is also introduced to overcome the encountered problems.
In one embodiment of this disclosure, a light emission module includes a laser source, a beam steering element and a scanning-angle expanding lens set. The laser source is used for emitting a laser beam. The beam steering element is used for receiving the laser beam and splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams. The scanning-angle expanding lens set, adjacent to the beam steering element, is configured to receive and integrate the at least two laser beams, and to control a spanning angle and a scanning angle between the at least two laser beams on a scanned object. The spanning angle is a visual angle of a vertical scan direction of the scanned object, and the scanning angle is another visual angle of a horizontal scan direction of the scanned object.
In another embodiment of this disclosure, a light detection and ranging system includes a light emission module and a light-beam receiver module. The light emission module includes a laser source, a beam steering element and a scanning-angle expanding lens set. The laser source is used for emitting a laser beam. The beam steering element is used for receiving the laser beam and splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams. The scanning-angle expanding lens set, adjacent to the beam steering element, is configured to receive and integrate the at least two laser beams, and to control a spanning angle and a scanning angle between the at least two laser beams on a scanned object. The spanning angle is a visual angle of a vertical scan direction of the scanned object, and the scanning angle is another visual angle of a horizontal scan direction of the scanned object. The light-beam receiver module includes a receiver lens set and a sensor module. The receiver lens set is configured to receive the laser beam reflected from the scanned object. The sensor module is configured to receive the laser beam transmitted from the receiver lens set.
In a further embodiment of this disclosure, a light scanning method includes the steps of: utilizing a phase deflection angle database to determine a scan strategy of a spatial light modulator upon a scanned object; based on the scan strategy, the spatial light modulator issuing at least four laser beams to the scanned object; and, utilizing the spatial light modulator to move the at least four laser beams on scanned object in at least one direction so as to fill gaps among the at least four laser beams.
As stated, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, the spatial light modulator is utilized to provide multiple light beams and the full solid-state non-rotational LiDAR system. By appropriately arranging the scanning-angle expanding lens set, limits upon the spatial light modulator can be lifted off.
Further, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, with the LCoS spatial light modulator and the sensor array, the frame rate can be substantially raised. For example, for a scan position at 300 m, when a wave length is 1550 nm, a beam diameter is 1.7 cm, a scanning angle is 2.8°, a scanning range is 12 m, and an angle switch rate is 60 Hz, then the scan time needs 30 minutes. In addition, if the beam diameter is raised to 6-12 cm and the number of light beams is greater than 2, the scan time would be reduced by at least 32 times.
In the following description, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples, and the following examples are only used to further and clearly illustrate technical solutions of the present disclosure, not to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that, in the following embodiments, the so-called “first” and “second” are used to describe different elements, not for limiting thereto. In addition, for convenience and clarity, the thickness or size of each element in the drawings is shown in an exaggerated, omitted or rough manner for the understanding and reading of those skilled in the art. Also, the size of each element in any of the drawings is not to demonstrate the actual size of the element, thus is not used to limit the conditions for the implementation of the present disclosure, and therefore has no technical substantive significance. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size will not affect the effect and achievement of the present disclosure. For the purposes of this disclosure, they should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this disclosure.
In this embodiment, the light emission module 110 includes a laser source 1, a beam steering element 2, a scanning-angle expanding lens set 3 and a block mask 7. The laser source 1, used for emitting a laser beam L, can be a fiber laser device, such as a CW (continuous wave) fiber laser device, or any fiber laser device or diode including light with adjustable pulse widths and frequencies. However, the wave length of the laser beam L is not in this disclosure. In one embodiment, the laser beam has a wave length ranging within 900 nm-1550 nm, in which the 1550 nm is a wave length safe to naked eyes.
In this embodiment, the beam steering element 2 is used to receive the laser beam L emitted by the laser source 1. In an example not shown herein, a beam expander or reflector is provided between the beam steering element 2 and the laser source 1, practically for expanding a diameter of the laser beam L or reducing a divergent angle thereof. The beam steering element 2 can include a spatial light modulator (SLM) 21 and a lens set 22 of Fourier transform, as shown in
In one embodiment, the spatial light modulator 21 is used to modulate the phase 222 of a wedge lens or a grating having a period of 8 um-300 um. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, a distance between the spatial light modulator 21 and the scanned object 50 can be a variable. Different distances would be corresponding to different phase densities, and/or different spacing and angling among light beams with respect to the phase pattern. Thus, according to this disclosure, a data table can be established for phases and deflection angles with respect to different distances. This data table can include phase patterns, grey levels, spatial scanning angles, coordinates and light-beam diameters of the spatial phase modulator. According to the data table and corresponding interpolation operations, tremendous time in calculating the phases during a scanning process can be saved, and thus the scan speed can be raised. Accordingly, a light scanning method of this disclosure includes steps to build a phase deflection angle database as follows. Firstly, based on different distances between the spatial light modulator 21 and the scanned object 50, corresponding phase patterns can be obtained. These distances can be 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 300 m and so on. Then, for each of these distances (for example, 50 m, 100 m, 200 m and 300 m), a corresponding beam steering position can be obtained. Then, according to all these phase patterns and beam steering positions, the phase deflection angle database can be built. Thereafter, phase data corresponding to the spatial light modulator 21 can be located by referring relative parameters, such as the distances, to the data table in a lookup-table manner. In addition, if the distance is 75 m, then an interpolation calculation between 50 m and 100 m can be performed to derive the phase data of the spatial light modulator 21 for the example of the 75 m distance. Namely, in this disclosure, the data table can be utilized to determine the scan strategy of the spatial light modulator 21.
Referring back to
In one embodiment, the block mask 7, disposed between the beam steering element 2 and the scanning-angle expanding lens set 3, is to perform spatial filtering for filtering out the laser beams L of order 0, other unwanted or redundant diffraction orders, such as the laser beam L that is not phase-modulated by spatial light modulator 21. According to practical needs, the quantity of the filtered laser beam L of order 0, other unwanted or redundant diffraction orders can be adjusted. For example, if the number of the laser beams L of
In detail, the scanning-angle expanding lens set 3, as a compound spherical lens set, as shown in
As shown in
In another embodiment, as shown in
and m is the diffraction order=1).
Referring back to
In this disclosure, the scan-path displacement pattern is not limited thereto. Referring to
After the light emission module 110 is elucidated above, then referring back to
In another embodiment, referring to
In summary, according to the aforesaid embodiments of this disclosure, the spatial light modulator is utilized to provide multiple light beams and the full solid-state non-rotational LiDAR system. In addition, by appropriately arranging the scanning-angle expanding lens set, limits upon the spatial light modulator can be lifted off.
Further, according to the aforesaid embodiments of this disclosure, with the LCoS spatial light modulator and the sensor array, the frame rate can be substantially raised.
According to the aforesaid embodiments of this disclosure, the scanning-angle expanding lens set can be utilized to expand the scanning angle of light beam.
In addition, according to the aforesaid embodiments of this disclosure, by integrating multiple laser beams with the scan-path method, the entire scan speed can be increased.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.