CN111670525A

CN111670525A - Power supply control circuit, power supply system and movable platform

Info

Publication number: CN111670525A
Application number: CN201980005636.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陆龙; 龙承辉; 边亚斌; 刘祥
Original assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Zhuojian Intelligent Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.
Priority date: 2019-01-07
Filing date: 2019-01-07
Publication date: 2020-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-07
Also published as: WO2020142869A1; CN111670525B

Abstract

A power supply control circuit (20), a power supply system (10) and a mobile platform, the power supply control circuit (20) being connected between a power supply circuit (23) and a radar (24) for controlling the power supply to the radar (24), the circuit comprising: a bypass control circuit (21) connected between the power supply circuit (23) and the radar (24) for normally starting the radar (24); a current limiting control circuit (22) connected in parallel with the bypass control circuit (21) for disconnecting the power supply circuit (23) from the radar (24) when the radar (24) is abnormal. The power supply control circuit (20), the power supply system (10) and the mobile platform can avoid the problem that the radar (24) cannot be normally started due to overlarge starting current in the starting process, and can ensure that the power supply system (10) is protected when the radar (24) is in abnormal conditions such as short circuit.

Description

Power supply control circuit, power supply system and movable platform

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of circuits, in particular to a power supply control circuit.

Background

In the related art of radar power supply, in order to prevent a power supply system from malfunctioning due to radar abnormality, a protection circuit is usually added to the power supply system. However, some modules in the radar have normal voltage or current fluctuation at different stages, for example, the current during starting is different from the current during normal operation greatly, the protection circuit cannot distinguish normal fluctuation from abnormal conditions, and protection actions are performed so that the radar cannot start and operate normally even when the normal voltage or current fluctuates.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention provides a power supply control circuit, a power supply system and a movable platform, which are used for protecting the power supply system and solving the problem that a radar cannot be normally started.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a power supply control circuit, where the power supply control circuit is connected between a power supply circuit and a radar, and is configured to control power supply to the radar, and the circuit includes:

the bypass control circuit is connected between the power supply circuit and the radar and used for enabling the radar to start normally;

and the current-limiting control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit in parallel and used for disconnecting the power supply circuit from the radar when the radar is abnormal.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a power supply system, where the system includes:

a power supply circuit for supplying power;

the power supply control circuit is connected between the power supply circuit and the radar and used for controlling power supply to the radar; wherein the power supply control circuit includes:

In another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile platform, comprising:

a radar;

and a power supply system as described above;

and the power system is used for providing power for the movable platform.

The embodiment of the invention connects the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit in parallel, thereby not only avoiding the problem that the radar cannot be normally started due to overlarge starting current in the starting process of the radar, but also ensuring that the power supply system is protected when the radar has abnormal conditions such as short circuit and the like. The embodiment of the invention ensures the smooth starting and operation of the radar and is beneficial to improving the reliability of the radar.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a power supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a power supply control circuit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an example of a power supply control circuit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a ranging device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a distance measuring device using a coaxial optical path according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In a power supply system of a radar, in order to prevent a power supply system failure caused by an abnormal condition such as a short circuit of the radar, a protection circuit may be added to the power supply system to prevent the power supply system from generating an abnormal condition such as an overvoltage, an overcurrent, an undervoltage, or an undercurrent. If the current input to the current-limiting control circuit by the power circuit exceeds the current threshold of the current-limiting control circuit, the current-limiting control circuit immediately responds to disconnect the power circuit for overcurrent protection.

Because the working current of the radar in normal work is smaller than the current threshold of the current-limiting control circuit, whether the radar works abnormally can be monitored by monitoring the output current of the current-limiting control circuit; once the radar has short circuit and other problems, the output current of the current-limiting control circuit is increased to exceed the threshold value of the current-limiting control circuit, and the current-limiting control circuit automatically enters a protection mode, namely, a power supply circuit is disconnected, so that the connection between the power supply circuit and the radar is disconnected, and the power supply system is protected.

However, in actual operation, the circuit currents of some modules in the radar, such as the motor, in the starting phase and the normal operation phase are greatly different, the starting current is larger than the current threshold of the current limiting control circuit, and the operation current is smaller than the current threshold of the current limiting control circuit. Therefore, the current limit control circuit may cause some modules of the radar to be not normally started.

In view of the above, referring to fig. 1, a power supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, and fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the power supply system according to the embodiment of the present invention. Wherein, this power supply system 10 includes:

a power supply circuit 12 for supplying power to the radar 13;

and the power supply control circuit 11 is connected between the power supply circuit 12 and the radar 13 and is used for controlling power supply to the radar 13.

The power supply control circuit in the embodiment of the invention comprises a current-limiting control circuit and a bypass control circuit, wherein the bypass control circuit is connected with the current-limiting control circuit in parallel, and the problem that the radar cannot be normally started can be solved by switching the on and off of the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit, and meanwhile, the power supply system is protected.

In the radar power-on stage, the current-limiting control circuit is in a conducting state, the bypass control circuit is in a switching-off state, and the current-limiting control circuit protects a power supply system when the radar is abnormal; after the radar is confirmed to be normally powered on, the radar starts to be started, in the radar starting stage, the bypass control circuit is switched to be in a conducting state, the current-limiting control circuit is switched to be in a turn-off state, starting current is input to the radar through the bypass control circuit, and normal starting of the radar is guaranteed; after the radar is normally started, the radar enters a normal working state, the current required by the radar gradually decreases and tends to be stable, the current-limiting control circuit is switched to a conducting state, the bypass control circuit is switched to a switching-off state, and the current-limiting control circuit is used for protecting the power supply system.

It should be noted that, the conducting states of the current limiting control circuit and the bypass control current include that the current limiting control circuit and the bypass control current are in an enabled state.

Optionally, the current limiting control circuit may include a current limiting protection chip. The current-limiting protection chip can be an electronic fuse integrating a short-circuit protection function; the current-limiting control circuit can have the protection functions of overcurrent, overvoltage, undervoltage and the like so as to realize the protection of a power supply system. Alternatively, the electronic fuse with integrated short-circuit protection function may be reversible, that is, it may be automatically or manually reset after the electronic fuse is opened when an abnormal condition occurs.

It should be noted that the current-limiting protection chip and the electronic fuse integrating the short-circuit protection function are only examples of the current-limiting control circuit, and the current-limiting control circuit may also be implemented in other manners, such as a controllable switch; it is understood that the current limit control circuit includes any implementation that can be implemented to open a circuit when a current in the circuit exceeds a threshold, and is not limited herein.

Optionally, the radar includes laser radar, millimeter wave radar, and ultrasonic radar.

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a power supply control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Wherein, the power supply control circuit 20 is connected between the power circuit 23 and the radar 24 for controlling the power supply to the radar 24, and the power supply control circuit 20 may include:

a bypass control circuit 21 connected between the power supply circuit 23 and the radar 24 for normally starting the radar 24;

and a current limiting control circuit 22 connected in parallel with the bypass control circuit 21 and configured to disconnect the power supply circuit 23 from the radar 24 when the radar 24 is abnormal.

The current limiting control circuit 22 may protect the power supply system, and for example, the current limiting control circuit 22 has a current threshold, and when the output current of the current limiting control circuit exceeds the current threshold, the current limiting control circuit 22 disconnects the power supply circuit 23 from the radar 24, so as to protect the power supply system. The bypass control circuit 21 is connected between the power circuit 23 and the radar 24, and is connected in parallel with the current limit control circuit 22, so that the radar 24 can be normally started. For example, the bypass control circuit 21 does not set a current threshold or the current threshold is larger than the starting current of each module in the radar 24 when the modules are started, so the bypass control circuit can prevent the radar 24 from being started normally by a larger starting current. By controlling the on-off of the bypass control circuit 21 and/or the current-limiting control circuit 22 at different stages of power supply, the problem that the radar cannot be started due to overlarge starting current in the starting process can be avoided, and the power supply system can be protected when the radar is in abnormal conditions such as short circuit.

Optionally, the current limit control circuit 22 has a current threshold, and when the output current of the current limit control circuit 22 is greater than the current threshold, the current limit control circuit 22 is turned off to disconnect the power circuit from the radar 24.

Optionally, the current limit control circuit 22 has an upper voltage threshold and a lower voltage threshold, and when the output voltage of the current limit control circuit 22 is smaller than the lower voltage threshold or larger than the upper voltage threshold, the current limit control circuit 22 is turned off to disconnect the power supply circuit from the radar 24.

Optionally, the power supply control circuit 20 further includes: and the main control circuit 25 is connected with the bypass control circuit 21 and the current-limiting control circuit 22, and is used for controlling the on/off of the bypass control circuit 21 and/or the current-limiting control circuit 22.

Alternatively, the master control circuit 25 may include a microprocessor, programmable controller or other control device.

Optionally, the main control circuit 25 sends a bypass enable signal to control the bypass control circuit 21 to be turned on or off, and/or sends a current limit enable signal to control the current limit control circuit 22 to be turned on or off.

The bypass enable signal and the current limiting enable signal both comprise a high level or a low level; for example, the main control circuit 25 may control the bypass control circuit 21 to enter the conducting state by sending a high level, i.e., a first bypass enable signal; sending a low level, i.e. a second bypass enable signal, to control the bypass control circuit 21 to enter an off state; the main control circuit 25 may control the current limiting control circuit 22 to enter an on state by sending a high level, i.e., a first current limiting enable signal, and send a low level, i.e., a second current limiting enable signal, to control the current limiting control circuit 22 to enter an off state. Alternatively, the low level may be no signal.

Alternatively, when the radar 24 is powered on, the bypass control circuit 21 is in an off state, and the current limit control circuit 22 is in an on state.

The state of the radar 24 when being powered on is unknown, and if the radar is powered on and abnormal conditions such as short circuit occur, the current-limiting control circuit 22 can cut off the connection between the power circuit 23 and the radar 24 in time so as to protect a power supply system. Therefore, during the power-on process of the radar 24, the current limiting control circuit 22 is in a conducting state to protect the power supply system, and the bypass control circuit 21 does not work. Optionally, when the radar 24 is powered on, the main control circuit 25 controls the bypass control circuit 21 to be in an off state, and the current limit control circuit 22 to be in an on state. Illustratively, the main control circuit 25 sends a high-level current limit enable signal to enable the current limit control circuit 22 to enter an on state, and sends a low-level bypass enable signal or does not send a bypass enable signal to enable the bypass control circuit 21 to enter an off state.

Optionally, after the radar 24 is normally powered on, the bypass control circuit 21 is switched to an on state, and the current limit control circuit 22 is switched to an off state.

Optionally, it is determined whether the radar 24 is normally powered up through a first monitoring circuit (not shown) configured to obtain module parameters of sub-modules of the radar 24 to confirm whether the radar 24 is normally powered up.

Optionally, the module parameter comprises at least one of an operating voltage, an operating current, a temperature.

It should be noted that the first monitoring circuit may be implemented in the main control circuit, or may be implemented separately to implement its monitoring function, which is not limited herein.

After the radar 24 is powered on, whether the radar 24 is powered on normally can be determined by monitoring operating state parameters such as voltage, current, temperature and the like of each module circuit inside the radar 24. When the working state parameters of each module circuit in the radar 24 are within the preset power-on range, it indicates that no abnormal conditions such as short circuit occur after the radar 24 is powered on; conversely, if any one of the operating state parameters of the various module circuits inside the radar 24 is not within the predetermined power-on range, it indicates that an abnormal condition may occur after the radar 24 is powered on. When it is determined that the radar 24 is not in an abnormal condition and is normally powered on, it indicates that the bypass control circuit 21 is turned on at this time, and the power supply system is not damaged when the bypass control circuit is turned on.

Meanwhile, as can be seen from the foregoing, in the power-on process of the radar 24, the bypass control circuit 21 is in the off state, and the current-limiting control circuit 22 is in the on state; after the radar 24 is determined to be normally powered on, in the switching process of the working states of the bypass control circuit 21 and the current-limiting control circuit 22, in order to prevent the radar 24 from being powered off, the bypass control circuit 21 may be turned on first, at this time, the bypass control circuit 21 and the current-limiting control circuit 22 are simultaneously in a conducting state, and an input current is input to the radar 24 through the bypass control circuit 21 and the current-limiting control circuit 22; then, the current limit control circuit 22 is turned off. At this time, the bypass control circuit 21 is in an on state, the current limit control circuit 22 is in an off state, and since the bypass control circuit 21 has no current threshold or the current threshold is larger than the starting current of the submodule in the radar 24, the bypass control circuit 21 is not cut off due to the excessively large starting current, and the starting current of the radar 24 can be smoothly input to the radar 24 through the bypass control circuit 21, so that the radar 24 is normally started. Thus, the problem that the starting current cannot be input to the radar 24 due to the protection function of the current limiting control circuit 22 is solved, and the normal starting of the radar 24 is ensured.

Alternatively, when the radar 24 is started, the bypass control circuit 21 is in an on state, and the current limit control circuit 22 is in an off state.

Optionally, after the radar 24 is normally started, the current limiting control circuit 22 is switched to an on state, and the bypass control circuit 21 is switched to an off state.

Optionally, it is determined whether the radar 24 is normally started through a second monitoring circuit (not shown) for acquiring module parameters of sub-modules of the radar 24 to confirm whether the radar 24 is normally started.

Likewise, the module parameter includes at least one of an operating voltage, an operating current, and a temperature.

It should be noted that the first monitoring circuit and the second monitoring circuit may be configured as the same circuit, or may be separately configured as different circuits; the first monitoring circuit and the second monitoring circuit may be disposed in the main control circuit to implement the monitoring function, or may be disposed outside the main control circuit to implement the monitoring function, which is not limited herein.

After the radar 24 is started, whether the radar 24 is normally started or not can be confirmed by monitoring working state parameters such as voltage, current and temperature of each module circuit in the radar 24. When the working state parameters of each module circuit in the radar 24 are within a preset starting range, the radar 24 is normally started; on the contrary, if any one of the operation state parameters of each module circuit inside the radar 24 is not within the predetermined start-up range, it indicates that an abnormal condition may occur in the start-up of the radar 24. When it is determined that the radar 24 is not abnormal and has been normally started, the operation of each module circuit inside the radar 24 tends to be stable, and a large starting current does not need to be passed, that is, the bypass control circuit 21 does not need to be turned on at this time. At this time, the bypass control circuit is disconnected, and the current-limiting control circuit is conducted to protect the power supply system.

Meanwhile, as can be seen from the foregoing, in the starting process of the radar 24, the bypass control circuit 21 is in the on state, and the current limit control circuit 22 is in the off state; after the radar 24 is normally started, in the state switching process of the bypass control circuit 21 and the current limiting control circuit 22, in order to prevent the radar 24 from being powered off, the current limiting control circuit 22 may be turned on first, at this time, the bypass control circuit 21 and the current limiting control circuit 22 are simultaneously in a working state, and current is input to the radar 24 through the bypass control circuit 21 and the current limiting control circuit 22; then, the bypass control circuit 21 is turned off, and the radar 24 enters a normal operation state.

Alternatively, when the radar 24 is operating normally, the current limit control circuit 22 is in an on state, and the bypass control circuit 21 is in a non-off state.

At this time, the bypass control circuit 21 is in an off state, the current limit control circuit 22 is in an on state, and the current limit control circuit 22 has a current threshold, so that a normal operation current of the radar 24 can be smoothly input to the radar 24 through the current limit control circuit 22, and the radar 24 operates normally. Meanwhile, due to the protection function of the current-limiting control circuit 22, when the radar 24 works normally, if abnormal conditions such as short circuit occur, the current-limiting control circuit 22 can respond quickly to protect the power supply system.

Optionally, the bypass control circuit 22 comprises a controllable switching device.

Optionally, the controllable switching device includes at least one of a MOS transistor, a relay, an analog switch, and a control chip. And the control chip comprises a current limiting control chip with a larger current limiting value. It is understood that the bypass control circuit 22 includes a device or circuit having a switching function, and the specific implementation manner thereof is not limited herein.

Optionally, the bypass control circuit includes an MOS transistor, and when a gate-source voltage difference of the MOS transistor satisfies an MOS transistor turn-on condition, the bypass control circuit is in a turn-on state, otherwise, the bypass control circuit is in a turn-off state. Optionally, the MOS transistor turn-on condition is related to the type of the MOS transistor, and is an inherent attribute of the MOS transistor. A person skilled in the art may select the type of the MOS transistor according to actual conditions to determine the turn-on condition of the MOS transistor, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

Optionally, the radar 24 comprises a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or an ultrasonic radar.

Optionally, the number of the radars 24 is plural, and the number of the bypass control circuits 21 and the current limit control circuits 22 matches the number of the radars 24. For example, the number of the bypass control circuits 21 and the current limit control circuits 22 is the same as the number of the radars 24. It is understood that the number of radars 24, the number of bypass control circuits 21 and the number of current limit control circuits 22 may be matched according to different design requirements and practical situations, and are not limited herein.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that, at least one of the bypass control circuits 21 and at least one of the current limiting control circuits 22 may be controlled by one main control circuit, or at least one of the bypass control circuits 21 and at least one of the current limiting control circuits 22 may be controlled by at least one main control circuit; similarly, the number of the main control circuits, the number of the bypass control circuits 21 and the number of the current limit control circuits 22 may also be configured according to different design requirements and practical situations, and is not limited herein.

In one embodiment, the distributed radar system comprises N radars, wherein N is a natural number, and N power supply control circuits can be arranged to control power supply of the N radars respectively, namely, each radar can be controlled independently, and even if a certain radar is abnormal, the power supply control circuit is powered off in time to protect the radar, so that normal work of other radars cannot be influenced.

It should be noted that the power supply control circuit may be disposed at the power supply circuit end, and may also be disposed at the radar end, which is not limited herein.

Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an example of a power supply control circuit according to an embodiment of the invention. The current-limiting control circuit in the power supply control circuit is realized by a chip U124, and the bypass current-limiting circuit is realized by controllable switches Q68 and Q78, and specifically comprises:

the current-limiting control circuit comprises a chip U124, wherein signal input ends 9-13 of the chip U124 are connected with an input power supply, and signal output ends 4-8 of the chip U124 are connected with a radar;

the enable terminal 14 of the chip U124 receives the current limit enable signal;

the protection end 15 of the chip U124 is connected to an input power supply through a voltage division circuit, the voltage division circuit comprises resistors R1724 and R1729 which are connected in series, and the protection end 15 of the chip U124 is connected to the connection end of the resistors R1724 and R1729;

the bypass current-limiting circuit comprises controllable switches Q68 and Q78 and resistors R1629 and R1628, wherein the resistor R1629 is connected between the grid and the source of the controllable switch Q68, the connection end of the grid of the controllable switch Q68 and the resistor R1629 receives a bypass enabling signal, the connection end of the source of the controllable switch Q68 and the resistor R1629 is grounded, the drain of the controllable switch Q68 is connected with the grid of the controllable switch Q78, the grid of the controllable switch Q78 is connected with one end of the resistor R1628, the other end of the resistor R1628 is connected with an input power supply end and signal input ends 9-13 of the chip U124, and the drain of the controllable switch Q78 is connected with signal output ends 4-8 of the radar and the chip U124; therefore, the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control bypass are connected in parallel;

the main control circuit includes a main control chip (not shown) providing the bypass enable signal and the current limit enable signal.

Based on the circuit diagram described in fig. 3, the operating principle is as follows:

firstly, an input power supply is switched on, and a radar is electrified; at this time, the main control chip sends a current-limiting enabling signal to the enabling end 14 of the chip U124, so that the chip U124 is in a working state and is connected between the input power supply and the radar; the main control chip does not send the bypass enable signal, and the gate of the controllable switch Q68 does not receive the bypass enable signal, then the controllable switch Q68 is not turned on, so that the gate of the controllable switch Q78 is at a high level, the controllable switch Q78 is turned off, that is, the bypass current limiting circuit is in an off state.

Then, the main control chip can confirm the working state of the radar by monitoring working state parameters such as working voltage, working current, temperature and the like of each module circuit in the radar; when the radar is normally powered on, a main control chip sends out a bypass enabling signal, when the controllable switch Q68 receives the bypass enabling signal, the controllable switch Q68 is switched on, the grid electrode of the controllable switch Q78 is grounded, the grid-source voltage difference of the controllable switch Q78 is lower than a preset voltage difference, and therefore the controllable switch Q78 is switched on, namely the bypass control circuit is switched to a conducting state; at this time, the chip U124 is also in an operating state, i.e., the current limiting control circuit is also in an on state, so that the radar can be guaranteed not to be powered off. When the bypass control circuit is in a conducting state, the main control chip stops sending the current-limiting enabling signal, the enabling end 14 of the chip U124 does not receive a high level, and the chip U124 is switched to a non-working state, that is, the current-limiting control circuit is switched to a turn-off state.

When the radar starts, the starting current of the radar can be smoothly input into the radar through the bypass control circuit, so that the starting current is provided for each module in the radar, and the radar is normally started. Therefore, the problem that starting current cannot be input into the radar due to the protection function of the current-limiting control circuit is solved, and the normal starting of the radar is guaranteed.

After the radar is normally started, the main control chip can confirm the working state of the radar by monitoring the working state parameters such as voltage, current, temperature and the like of each module circuit in the radar. When the working state parameters of each module circuit in the radar are within a preset starting range, the radar is not subjected to abnormal conditions such as short circuit and the like; on the contrary, if any one of the working state parameters of each module circuit in the radar is not in the preset starting range, the abnormal condition of the starting of the radar is possibly generated. When it is determined that the radar is not abnormal and is normally started, the operation of each module in the radar tends to be stable, and at this time, a large starting current does not need to pass, which indicates that the bypass control circuit does not need to be conducted at this time, the main control chip sends a current-limiting enabling signal, the enabling end 14 of the chip U124 receives the current-limiting enabling signal, so that the chip U124 is in a working state, that is, the current-limiting control circuit is switched to a conducting state; and the bypass control circuit is also in a conducting state, so that the radar can be ensured not to be powered off. The input power supply is output to the radar through the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit. After the chip U124 enters the working state, the main control chip stops sending the bypass enable signal, and the bypass control circuit is switched to the off state.

Then, the radar enters a normal working state, the bypass control circuit is in an off state, the current limiting control circuit is in an on state, namely, the chip U124 is in a working state, and since the chip U124 has a current threshold, the normal working current of the radar can be smoothly input to the radar through the chip U124, so that the radar works normally. After the radar enters a normal working state, due to the protection function of the current-limiting control circuit, if the radar has abnormal states such as short circuit and the like, the current-limiting control circuit can quickly respond to protect a power supply system.

As can be seen from the above process, the power supply control circuit according to the embodiment of the present invention controls the on/off of the bypass control circuit and/or the current limiting control circuit at different stages, so that the problem that the radar cannot be started due to an excessive starting current in the starting process can be avoided, and the power supply system can be protected when the radar is in an abnormal condition such as a short circuit.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a power supply system, where the system includes:

a power supply circuit for supplying power;

Optionally, the power supply control circuit further includes:

and the main control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit and is used for controlling the on/off of the bypass control circuit and/or the current-limiting control circuit.

Optionally, the main control circuit controls the bypass control circuit to be turned on or off by sending a bypass enable signal, and/or sends a current limit enable signal to control the current limit control circuit to be turned on or off.

Optionally, when the radar is powered on, the bypass control circuit is in an off state, and the current limit control circuit is in an on state.

Optionally, after the radar is normally powered on, the bypass control circuit is switched to an on state, and the current-limiting control circuit is switched to an off state.

Optionally, the circuit further includes a main control circuit, where the main control circuit is configured to obtain module parameters of a sub-module of the radar to determine whether the radar is powered on normally.

Optionally, when the radar is started, the bypass control circuit is in a conducting state, and the current limiting control circuit is in a shutdown state.

Optionally, after the radar is normally started, the current-limiting control circuit is switched to an on state, and the bypass control circuit is switched to an off state.

Optionally, the circuit further includes a main control circuit, and the main control circuit is configured to obtain a module parameter of a sub-module of the radar to determine whether the radar is normally started.

Optionally, when the radar operates normally, the current-limiting control circuit is in an on state, and the bypass control circuit is in an off state.

Optionally, the current limit control circuit has a current threshold, and when the output current of the current limit control circuit is greater than the current threshold, the current limit control circuit is turned off to disconnect the connection between the power supply circuit and the radar.

Optionally, the current limit control circuit has an upper voltage threshold and a lower voltage threshold, and when the output voltage of the current limit control circuit is smaller than the lower voltage threshold or larger than the upper voltage threshold, the current limit control circuit is turned off to disconnect the power supply circuit from the radar.

Optionally, the bypass control circuit comprises a controllable switching device.

Optionally, the controllable switching device includes at least one of a MOS transistor, a relay, an analog switch, and a control chip.

Optionally, the bypass control circuit includes an MOS transistor, and when a gate-source voltage difference of the MOS transistor satisfies an MOS transistor turn-on condition, the bypass control circuit is in a turn-on state, otherwise, the bypass control circuit is in a turn-off state.

Optionally, the radar comprises a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or an ultrasonic radar.

Optionally, the number of the radars is multiple, and the number of the bypass control circuits and the number of the current limiting control circuits match the number of the radars.

According to the power supply system provided by the embodiment of the invention, the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit are connected in parallel, and the on-off of the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit is switched, so that the problem that the radar cannot be normally started due to overlarge starting current in the starting process can be avoided, the power supply system can be protected when the radar is in abnormal conditions such as short circuit and the like, the radar can be ensured to be started and operated smoothly, and the reliability of the radar can be improved.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a mobile platform, including:

a radar;

and a power supply system as described above;

and the power system is used for providing power for the movable platform.

Optionally, the mobile platform is an unmanned aerial vehicle, an automobile, a mobile robot, or a handheld device.

The power supply control circuit provided by each embodiment of the invention can be applied to a distance measuring device, and the distance measuring device can be electronic equipment such as a laser radar, laser distance measuring equipment and the like. In one embodiment, the ranging device is used to sense external environmental information, such as distance information, orientation information, reflected intensity information, velocity information, etc. of environmental targets. In one implementation, the ranging device may detect the distance of the probe to the ranging device by measuring the Time of Flight (TOF), which is the Time-of-Flight Time, of light traveling between the ranging device and the probe. Alternatively, the distance measuring device may detect the distance from the probe to the distance measuring device by other techniques, such as a distance measuring method based on phase shift (phase shift) measurement or a distance measuring method based on frequency shift (frequency shift) measurement, which is not limited herein.

For ease of understanding, the following describes an example of the ranging operation with reference to the ranging apparatus 100 shown in fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 4, the ranging apparatus 100 may include a transmitting circuit 110, a receiving circuit 120, a sampling circuit 130, and an operation circuit 140.

The transmit circuitry 110 may transmit a sequence of light pulses (e.g., a sequence of laser pulses). The receiving circuit 120 may receive the optical pulse train reflected by the detected object, perform photoelectric conversion on the optical pulse train to obtain an electrical signal, process the electrical signal, and output the electrical signal to the sampling circuit 130. The sampling circuit 130 may sample the electrical signal to obtain a sampling result. The arithmetic circuit 140 may determine the distance between the distance measuring device 100 and the detected object based on the sampling result of the sampling circuit 130.

Optionally, the distance measuring apparatus 100 may further include a control circuit 150, and the control circuit 150 may implement control of other circuits, for example, may control an operating time of each circuit and/or perform parameter setting on each circuit, and the like.

It should be understood that, although the distance measuring device shown in fig. 4 includes a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a sampling circuit and an arithmetic circuit for emitting a light beam to detect, the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto, and the number of any one of the transmitting circuit, the receiving circuit, the sampling circuit and the arithmetic circuit may be at least two, and the at least two light beams are emitted in the same direction or in different directions respectively; the at least two light paths may be emitted simultaneously or at different times. In one example, the light emitting chips in the at least two transmitting circuits are packaged in the same module. For example, each transmitting circuit comprises a laser emitting chip, and die of the laser emitting chips in the at least two transmitting circuits are packaged together and accommodated in the same packaging space.

In some implementations, in addition to the circuit shown in fig. 4, the distance measuring apparatus 100 may further include a scanning module 160 for changing the propagation direction of at least one laser pulse sequence emitted from the emitting circuit.

Here, a module including the transmission circuit 110, the reception circuit 120, the sampling circuit 130, and the operation circuit 140, or a module including the transmission circuit 110, the reception circuit 120, the sampling circuit 130, the operation circuit 140, and the control circuit 150 may be referred to as a ranging module, which may be independent of other modules, for example, the scanning module 160.

The distance measuring device can adopt a coaxial light path, namely the light beam emitted by the distance measuring device and the reflected light beam share at least part of the light path in the distance measuring device. For example, at least one path of laser pulse sequence emitted by the emitting circuit is emitted by the scanning module after the propagation direction is changed, and the laser pulse sequence reflected by the detector is emitted to the receiving circuit after passing through the scanning module. Alternatively, the distance measuring device may also adopt an off-axis optical path, that is, the light beam emitted by the distance measuring device and the reflected light beam are transmitted along different optical paths in the distance measuring device. FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the ranging device of the present invention using coaxial optical paths.

The ranging apparatus 200 comprises a ranging module 210, the ranging module 210 comprising an emitter 203 (which may comprise the transmitting circuitry described above), a collimating element 204, a detector 205 (which may comprise the receiving circuitry, sampling circuitry and arithmetic circuitry described above) and a path-altering element 206. The distance measuring module 210 is configured to emit a light beam, receive return light, and convert the return light into an electrical signal. Wherein the emitter 203 may be configured to emit a sequence of light pulses. In one embodiment, the transmitter 203 may emit a sequence of laser pulses. Optionally, the laser beam emitted by the emitter 203 is a narrow bandwidth beam having a wavelength outside the visible range. The collimating element 204 is disposed on an emitting light path of the emitter, and is configured to collimate the light beam emitted from the emitter 203, and collimate the light beam emitted from the emitter 203 into parallel light to be emitted to the scanning module. The collimating element is also for converging at least a portion of the return light reflected by the detector. The collimating element 204 may be a collimating lens or other element capable of collimating a light beam.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the transmit and receive optical paths within the distance measuring device are combined by the optical path altering element 206 before the collimating element 204, so that the transmit and receive optical paths may share the same collimating element, making the optical path more compact. In other implementations, the emitter 203 and the detector 205 may use respective collimating elements, and the optical path changing element 206 may be disposed in the optical path after the collimating elements.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, since the beam aperture of the light beam emitted from the emitter 203 is small and the beam aperture of the return light received by the distance measuring device is large, the optical path changing element can adopt a small-area mirror to combine the emission optical path and the reception optical path. In other implementations, the optical path changing element may also be a mirror with a through hole, wherein the through hole is used for transmitting the outgoing light from the emitter 203, and the mirror is used for reflecting the return light to the detector 205. Therefore, the shielding of the bracket of the small reflector to the return light can be reduced in the case of adopting the small reflector.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the optical path altering element is offset from the optical axis of the collimating element 204. In other implementations, the optical path altering element may also be located on the optical axis of the collimating element 204.

The ranging device 200 also includes a scanning module 202. The scanning module 202 is disposed on the emitting light path of the distance measuring module 210, and the scanning module 202 is configured to change the transmission direction of the collimated light beam 219 emitted by the collimating element 204 and project the collimated light beam to the external environment, and project the return light beam to the collimating element 204. The return light is converged by the collimating element 204 onto the detector 205.

In one embodiment, the scanning module 202 may include at least one optical element for altering the propagation path of the light beam, wherein the optical element may alter the propagation path of the light beam by reflecting, refracting, diffracting, etc., the light beam. For example, the scanning module 202 includes a lens, mirror, prism, galvanometer, grating, liquid crystal, Optical Phased Array (Optical Phased Array), or any combination thereof. In one example, at least a portion of the optical element is moved, for example, by a driving module, and the moved optical element can reflect, refract, or diffract the light beam to different directions at different times. In some embodiments, multiple optical elements of the scanning module 202 may rotate or oscillate about a common axis 209, with each rotating or oscillating optical element serving to constantly change the direction of propagation of an incident beam. In one embodiment, the multiple optical elements of the scanning module 202 may rotate at different rotational speeds or oscillate at different speeds. In another embodiment, at least some of the optical elements of the scanning module 202 may rotate at substantially the same rotational speed. In some embodiments, the multiple optical elements of the scanning module may also be rotated about different axes. In some embodiments, the multiple optical elements of the scanning module may also rotate in the same direction, or in different directions; or in the same direction, or in different directions, without limitation.

In one embodiment, the scanning module 202 includes a first optical element 214 and a driver 216 coupled to the first optical element 214, the driver 216 configured to drive the first optical element 214 to rotate about the rotation axis 209, such that the first optical element 214 redirects the collimated light beam 219. The first optical element 214 projects the collimated beam 219 into different directions. In one embodiment, the angle between the direction of the collimated beam 219 after it is altered by the first optical element and the rotational axis 109 changes as the first optical element 214 is rotated. In one embodiment, the first optical element 214 includes a pair of opposing non-parallel surfaces through which the collimated light beam 219 passes. In one embodiment, the first optical element 214 includes a prism having a thickness that varies along at least one radial direction. In one embodiment, the first optical element 214 comprises a wedge angle prism that refracts the collimated beam 219.

In one embodiment, the scanning module 202 further comprises a second optical element 215, the second optical element 215 rotating around a rotation axis 209, the rotation speed of the second optical element 215 being different from the rotation speed of the first optical element 214. The second optical element 215 is used to change the direction of the light beam projected by the first optical element 214. In one embodiment, the second optical element 115 is coupled to another driver 217, and the driver 117 drives the second optical element 215 to rotate. The first optical element 214 and the second optical element 215 may be driven by the same or different drivers, such that the first optical element 214 and the second optical element 215 rotate at different speeds and/or turns, thereby projecting the collimated light beam 219 into different directions in the ambient space, which may scan a larger spatial range. In one embodiment, the controller 218 controls the

drivers

216 and 217 to drive the first optical element 214 and the second optical element 215, respectively. The rotation speed of the first optical element 214 and the second optical element 215 can be determined according to the region and the pattern expected to be scanned in the actual application. The

drives

216 and 217 may include motors or other drives.

In one embodiment, second optical element 215 includes a pair of opposing non-parallel surfaces through which the light beam passes. In one embodiment, second optical element 215 includes a prism having a thickness that varies along at least one radial direction. In one embodiment, second optical element 215 comprises a wedge angle prism.

In one embodiment, the scan module 202 further comprises a third optical element (not shown) and a driver for driving the third optical element to move. Optionally, the third optical element comprises a pair of opposed non-parallel surfaces through which the light beam passes. In one embodiment, the third optical element comprises a prism having a thickness that varies along at least one radial direction. In one embodiment, the third optical element comprises a wedge angle prism. At least two of the first, second and third optical elements rotate at different rotational speeds and/or rotational directions.

Rotation of the optical elements in the scanning module 202 may project light in different directions, such as the directions of

light

211 and 213, thus scanning the space around the ranging device 200. When the light 211 projected by the scanning module 202 hits the detected object 201, a part of the light is reflected by the detected object 201 to the distance measuring device 200 in the direction opposite to the projected light 211. The return light 212 reflected by the detected object 201 passes through the scanning module 202 and then enters the collimating element 204.

The detector 205 is placed on the same side of the collimating element 204 as the emitter 203, and the detector 205 is used to convert at least part of the return light passing through the collimating element 204 into an electrical signal.

In one embodiment, each optical element is coated with an antireflection coating. Optionally, the thickness of the antireflection film is equal to or close to the wavelength of the light beam emitted by the emitter 103, which can increase the intensity of the transmitted light beam.

In one embodiment, a filter layer is coated on a surface of a component in the distance measuring device, which is located on the light beam propagation path, or a filter is arranged on the light beam propagation path, and is used for transmitting at least a wave band in which the light beam emitted by the emitter is located and reflecting other wave bands, so as to reduce noise brought to the receiver by ambient light.

In some embodiments, the transmitter 203 may include a laser diode through which laser pulses in the order of nanoseconds are emitted. Further, the laser pulse reception time may be determined, for example, by detecting the rising edge time and/or the falling edge time of the electrical signal pulse. In this manner, the ranging apparatus 200 can calculate TOF using the pulse reception time information and the pulse emission time information, thereby determining the distance from the object 201 to be detected to the ranging apparatus 200.

The distance and orientation detected by ranging device 200 may be used for remote sensing, obstacle avoidance, mapping, modeling, navigation, and the like. In an embodiment, the distance measuring device of the embodiment of the invention can be applied to a mobile platform, and the distance measuring device can be installed on a platform body of the mobile platform. The mobile platform with the distance measuring device can measure the external environment, for example, the distance between the mobile platform and an obstacle is measured for the purpose of avoiding the obstacle, and the external environment is mapped in two dimensions or three dimensions. In certain embodiments, the mobile platform comprises at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an automobile, a remote control car, a robot, a camera. When the distance measuring device is applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the platform body is a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the distance measuring device is applied to an automobile, the platform body is the automobile body of the automobile. The vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle, without limitation. When the distance measuring device is applied to the remote control car, the platform body is the car body of the remote control car. When the distance measuring device is applied to a robot, the platform body is the robot. When the distance measuring device is applied to a camera, the platform body is the camera itself.

According to the power supply control circuit, the power supply system, the distance measuring device and the movable platform, the bypass control circuit and the current limiting control circuit are controlled to be switched at different stages of the power supply process, so that the problem that the radar cannot be normally started due to overlarge starting current in the radar starting process can be avoided, and the power supply system can be protected when the radar is in abnormal conditions such as short circuit. The embodiment of the invention ensures the smooth starting and operation of the radar and is beneficial to improving the reliability of the radar.

Technical terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only used for illustrating specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the use of "including" and/or "comprising" in the specification is intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Various modifications and alterations to this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. The embodiments described herein are further intended to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention. The flow chart described in the present invention is only an example, and various modifications can be made to the diagram or the steps in the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted or modified. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or a portion of the above-described embodiments may be practiced and equivalents thereof may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

A radar power supply control circuit connected between a power supply circuit and a radar for controlling power supply to the radar, the circuit comprising:

the bypass control circuit is connected between the power supply circuit and the radar and used for enabling the radar to start normally;

and the current-limiting control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit in parallel and used for disconnecting the power supply circuit from the radar when the radar is abnormal.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit further comprises:

and the main control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit and is used for controlling the on/off of the bypass control circuit and/or the current-limiting control circuit.
The circuit of claim 2, wherein the master circuit controls the turn-on or turn-off of the bypass control circuit by sending a bypass enable signal, and/or sends a current limit enable signal to control the turn-on or turn-off of the current limit control circuit.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bypass control circuit is in an off state and the current limit control circuit is in an on state when the radar is powered up.
The circuit of claim 4, wherein the bypass control circuit switches to an on state and the current limit control circuit switches to an off state after the radar is normally powered up.
The circuit of claim 5, further comprising a master circuit to obtain module parameters of sub-modules of the radar to confirm whether the radar is powered up normally.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bypass control circuit is in an on state and the current limit control circuit is in an off state when the radar is activated.
The circuit of claim 7, wherein the current limit control circuit switches to an on state and the bypass control circuit switches to an off state after the radar is normally started.
The circuit of claim 8, further comprising a master circuit to obtain module parameters of sub-modules of the radar to confirm whether the radar is properly activated.
The circuit of claim 6 or 9, wherein the module parameter comprises at least one of an operating voltage, an operating current, a temperature.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the current limit control circuit is in an on state and the bypass control circuit is in an off state when the radar is operating normally.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the current limit control circuit has a current threshold, the current limit control circuit being turned off to disconnect the power circuit from the radar when an output current of the current limit control circuit is greater than the current threshold.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the current limit control circuit has an upper voltage threshold and a lower voltage threshold, the current limit control circuit being turned off to disconnect the power circuit from the radar when an output voltage of the current limit control circuit is less than the lower voltage threshold or greater than the upper voltage threshold.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bypass control circuit comprises a controllable switching device comprising at least one of a MOS transistor, a relay, an analog switch, and a control chip.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bypass control circuit comprises a MOS transistor, and the bypass control circuit is in an on state when a gate-source voltage difference of the MOS transistor satisfies a MOS transistor turn-on condition, and is in an off state otherwise.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the radar comprises a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or an ultrasonic radar.
The circuit of claim 1, wherein the number of radars is plural, and the number of bypass control circuits and current limit control circuits matches the number of radars.
A power supply system, characterized in that the system comprises:

a power supply circuit for supplying power;

the power supply control circuit is connected between the power supply circuit and the radar and used for controlling power supply to the radar; wherein the power supply control circuit includes:

the bypass control circuit is connected between the power supply circuit and the radar and used for enabling the radar to start normally;

and the current-limiting control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit in parallel and used for disconnecting the power supply circuit from the radar when the radar is abnormal.
The system of claim 18, wherein the power control circuit further comprises:

and the main control circuit is connected with the bypass control circuit and the current-limiting control circuit and is used for controlling the on/off of the bypass control circuit and/or the current-limiting control circuit.
The system of claim 19, wherein the master circuit controls the turn-on or turn-off of the bypass control circuit by sending a bypass enable signal, and/or the turn-on or turn-off of the current limit control circuit by sending a current limit enable signal.
The system of claim 18, wherein the bypass control circuit is in an off state and the current limit control circuit is in an on state when the radar is powered up.
The system of claim 21, wherein the bypass control circuit switches to an on state and the current limit control circuit switches to an off state after the radar is normally powered up.
The system of claim 22, wherein the circuitry further comprises a master circuit to obtain module parameters of sub-modules of the radar to confirm whether the radar is powered up normally.
The system of claim 18, wherein the bypass control circuit is in an on state and the current limit control circuit is in an off state when the radar is activated.
The system of claim 24, wherein the current limit control circuit switches to an on state and the bypass control circuit switches to an off state after the radar is normally started.
The system of claim 25, wherein the circuit further comprises a master circuit configured to obtain module parameters of sub-modules of the radar to confirm whether the radar is properly activated.
The system of claim 23 or 26, wherein the module parameter comprises at least one of an operating voltage, an operating current, a temperature.
The system of claim 18, wherein the current limit control circuit is in an on state and the bypass control circuit is in an off state when the radar is operating normally.
The system of claim 18, wherein the current limit control circuit has a current threshold, the current limit control circuit being turned off to disconnect the power circuit from the radar when an output current of the current limit control circuit is greater than the current threshold.
The system of claim 18, wherein the current limit control circuit has an upper voltage threshold and a lower voltage threshold, the current limit control circuit being turned off to disconnect the power circuit from the radar when the output voltage of the current limit control circuit is less than the lower voltage threshold or greater than the upper voltage threshold.
The system of claim 18, wherein the bypass control circuit comprises a controllable switching device comprising at least one of a MOS transistor, a relay, an analog switch, and a control chip.
The system of claim 18, wherein the bypass control circuit comprises a MOS transistor, and the bypass control circuit is in an on state when a gate-source voltage difference of the MOS transistor satisfies a MOS transistor turn-on condition, and is in an off state otherwise.
The system of claim 18, wherein the radar comprises a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, or an ultrasonic radar.
The system of claim 18, wherein the number of radars is plural, and the number of bypass control circuits and the number of current limit control circuits match the number of radars.
A mobile platform, comprising:

a radar;

and a power supply system as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 34;

and the power system is used for providing power for the movable platform.
The mobile platform of claim 35, wherein the mobile platform is an unmanned aerial vehicle, an automobile, a mobile robot, or a handheld device.