WO2024139569A1

WO2024139569A1 - Phased array lidar and lidar fault detection method

Info

Publication number: WO2024139569A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/125441
Authority: WO
Inventors: 吴田爽
Original assignee: 武汉万集光电技术有限公司
Priority date: 2022-12-28
Filing date: 2023-10-19
Publication date: 2024-07-04

Abstract

A phased array lidar and a lidar fault detection method, relating to the technical field of lidars. The phased array lidar comprises: a phased array chip (13) used for emitting an emergent laser beam, wherein the emergent laser beam comprises a main lobe laser beam and a grating lobe laser beam; at least one photoelectric detection device (12) arranged on a side surface of the phased array chip (13), wherein a detection area of the photoelectric detection device (12) corresponds to a scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam and is used for detecting energy of the grating lobe laser beam; and a data processing module (11) electrically connected to the photoelectric detection device (12) and used for determining, according to the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device (12), whether a fault occurs in the phased array lidar. Thus, the problem that the existing lidar fault detection processes are cumbersome can be solved.

Description

Phased array laser radar and laser radar fault detection method

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on December 28, 2022, with application number 202211695637.8 and application name “Phased Array LiDAR and LiDAR Fault Detection Method”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of laser radar technology, and in particular to a phased array laser radar and a laser radar fault detection method.

Background technique

Phased array lidar can adjust the phase difference between multiple laser signals output by the light source array to adjust the emission direction of the laser beam in the target area, so as to determine the distance, direction, speed and other characteristic information of objects in the target area based on the received echo signals reflected in different directions.

Due to errors in the manufacturing or installation position of mechanical components in the phased array laser radar, or the mechanical components of the phased array laser radar are damaged or shifted under the impact of external forces, the energy of the laser beam is attenuated, or there is a deviation between the actual scanning range of the laser beam and the preset scanning range, which affects the detection accuracy of the phased array laser radar.

The existing technology can obtain an image of the target area through cameras set at different positions in the target area during the process of laser beam scanning the target area, and determine whether there is a deviation in the actual scanning range of the laser beam based on the light spot in the image, and detect whether the energy of the laser beam is attenuated through other sensors set in the target area. However, the existing detection method requires the use of other sensors, and the detection process is cumbersome.

Summary of the invention

The embodiments of the present application provide a phased array laser radar and a laser radar fault detection method, which can solve the technical problem of the complicated laser radar fault detection process in the prior art.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a phased array laser radar, comprising: a phased array chip, for emitting an outgoing laser beam, the outgoing laser beam comprising a main lobe laser beam and a grating lobe laser beam; at least one photoelectric detection device, arranged on a side of the phased array chip, the detection area of the photoelectric detection device corresponding to the scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam, and being used to detect the energy of the grating lobe laser beam; a data processing module, electrically connected to the photoelectric detection device, for determining whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device.

In one possible implementation, the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, a grating lobe laser beam is emitted to the detector; the data processing module is specifically used for: when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector decreases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal.

In one possible implementation, the photoelectric detection device includes a detector array, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to a central area of the detector array; the data processing module is specifically used for: when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector in the central area of the detector array decreases, and the energy detected by the detector in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array lidar is offset.

In one possible implementation, the data processing module is also specifically used to: determine the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam based on the energy detected by each detector; determine the scanning offset direction and offset angle of the phased array lidar based on the preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.

In a possible implementation, the data processing module is specifically used to: adjust the maximum emission angle and/or minimum emission angle of the outgoing laser beam according to the offset direction and the offset angle, so that the scanning range of the adjusted grating lobe laser beam is equal to the grating lobe laser scanning range.

In a possible implementation, the data processing module is also specifically used to: when the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar has not shifted and the maximum energy value detected by the photoelectric detection device is less than a preset energy threshold, determine that the output light power of the phased array laser radar is abnormal.

In a possible implementation, the photoelectric detection device corresponds one-to-one to the grating lobe laser beam.

In a possible implementation, the phased array laser radar further includes a shell, and the photoelectric detection device is fixed on the shell.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a laser radar fault detection method, which is applied to a phased array laser radar of any one of the first aspects above, the method comprising: obtaining energy detected by at least one photoelectric detection device in the phased array laser radar, the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device being the energy of a grating lobe laser beam in an outgoing laser beam emitted by the phased array chip; determining whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device.

In one possible implementation, the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, a grating lobe laser beam is emitted to the detector; the method also includes: when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector decreases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal.

In one possible implementation, the photoelectric detection device includes a detector array, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to a central area of the detector array; the method also includes: when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector in the central area of the detector array decreases, and the energy detected by the detector in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array lidar is offset.

In one possible implementation, the method also includes: determining a current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam based on the energy detected by each detector; and determining a scanning offset direction and an offset angle of the phased array lidar based on a preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.

In a possible implementation, the method further includes: adjusting the maximum emission angle and/or the minimum emission angle of the emitted laser beam according to the offset direction and the offset angle, so that the scanning range of the adjusted grating lobe laser beam is equal to the preset grating lobe laser scanning range.

In a possible implementation, the method also includes: when the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar has not shifted and the maximum energy value detected by the photoelectric detection device is less than a preset energy threshold, determining that the output light power of the phased array laser radar is abnormal.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described in the second aspect above is implemented.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which, when running on a laser radar, enables the laser radar to execute the method described in the second aspect above.

Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects: a photoelectric detection device is arranged on the side of the phased array chip in the phased array laser radar, and the detection area of the photoelectric detection device corresponds to the scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam, so that when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam to scan within a preset scanning range, the data processing module can determine whether there is a fault in the phased array laser radar based on the energy of the grating lobe laser beam in the laser beam detected by the photoelectric detection device, so that the laser radar can realize fault detection based on the photoelectric detection device set by itself, without the need to rely on other sensors, and the detection process is more convenient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an OPA laser radar provided in one embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is another structural schematic diagram of an OPA laser radar provided in an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is another structural schematic diagram 2 of the OPA laser radar provided in one embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 is another structural schematic diagram of the OPA laser radar provided in one embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is another structural schematic diagram 4 of the OPA laser radar provided in one embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 is a first schematic diagram of a current scanning range provided by an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 is a second schematic diagram of a current scanning range provided in an embodiment of the present application.

FIG8 is a flow chart of a laser radar fault detection method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or combinations thereof.

It should also be understood that the term “and/or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "uponce" or "in response to determining" depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "uponce it is determined" or "in response to determining" or "uponce [described condition or event] is detected" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]" depending on the context.

In addition, in the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in the specification of this application mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

When using an Optical Phased Array (OPA) laser radar to detect a target area, it is necessary to ensure product consistency, that is, to ensure that the actual scanning range of the laser beam emitted by the pre-assembled OPA laser radar meets the preset scanning range, and that the output light power meets the preset energy threshold. However, the mechanical components in the OPA laser radar cannot guarantee high consistency during the production process. The installation position of the mechanical components may deviate, or the mechanical components may be damaged or shifted under the impact of external forces, resulting in laser beam energy attenuation, and a deviation between the actual scanning range of the laser beam and the preset scanning range, thereby affecting the detection accuracy of the phased array laser radar.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a phased array laser radar and a fault detection method for the laser radar. At least one photoelectric detection device is set on the side of the phased array chip in the OPA laser radar, so that the detection range of the photoelectric detection device coincides with the scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam in the laser beam emitted by the phased array chip. The data processing module can determine whether the OPA laser radar has a fault based on the energy of the grating lobe laser beam detected by the photoelectric detection device, that is, the OPA laser radar can perform fault detection through the photoelectric detection device set by itself, without the help of other sensors, and the detection method is more convenient.

The technical solution of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to be used to explain the present application, but should not be understood as limiting the present application.

In a possible implementation, an embodiment of the present application provides an OPA laser radar. As shown in FIG1 , the OPA laser radar includes: a data processing module 11, a phased array chip 13, and at least one photoelectric detection device 12 (only one is shown in FIG1 ) arranged on the side of the phased array chip 13.

The data processing module 11 may include: at least one processor 113, a memory 111, and a computer program 112 stored in the memory 111 and executable on the processor 113. The processor 113 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

The computer program 112 may be divided into one or more modules/units, one or more modules/units are stored in the memory 111, and executed by the processor 113. One or more modules/units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of completing specific functions, and the instruction segments are used to describe the execution process of the computer program in the OPA lidar.

The memory 111 may be an internal storage unit of the OPA laser radar, such as a hard disk or memory of the OPA laser radar. The memory 111 may also be an external storage device of the OPA laser radar, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital (Secure Digital, SD) card, a flash card (Flash Card), etc. equipped on the OPA laser radar. Furthermore, the memory 111 may also include both an internal storage unit and an external storage device of the OPA laser radar. The memory 111 is used to store the computer program 112 and other programs and data required by the OPA laser radar. The memory 111 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

The phased array chip 13 is used to emit an outgoing laser beam. Exemplarily, the phased array chip 13 may include a laser, a phase modulator and a phased array antenna. Among them, the phased array antenna includes multiple antennas, and a preset number of antennas form an antenna subarray. The antennas with preset data in an antenna subarray can be adjacent to each other in sequence or distributed at intervals. The number of antennas in each antenna subarray can be the same or different. The laser is used to emit a laser signal, and the laser signal is transmitted to the phased array antenna through the optical waveguide structure. The phase modulator is used to adjust the laser signal input to the optical waveguide structure to change the phase of the outgoing laser beam emitted by the corresponding antenna.

The outgoing laser beam includes a main lobe laser beam and a grating lobe laser beam, and the grating lobe laser beam is symmetrically distributed around the main lobe laser beam, and the angles between the grating lobe laser beams on both sides and the main lobe laser beam are the same. The OPA laser radar can detect targets within a preset scanning range by emitting an outgoing laser beam, and the angle between the grating lobe laser beam and the main lobe laser beam is fixed, and the grating lobe laser beam is symmetrically distributed relative to the main lobe laser beam.

During the target detection process of the OPA laser radar, the emission angle of the outgoing laser beam can be determined according to the preset scanning range, wherein the scanning range of the OPA laser radar corresponds to the scanning range of the main lobe laser beam. Based on the emission angle of the outgoing laser beam, the phase modulator can be controlled to adjust the phase of the laser signal input into the optical waveguide structure by adjusting the phase modulation parameters, thereby modulating the phase difference between the outgoing laser beams emitted by each antenna subarray, so that the laser beam formed by the light emitted by each antenna subarray is emitted at a preset emission angle. Exemplarily, if the phase modulator can change the refractive index of the optical waveguide structure through heat conduction to modulate the phase difference between the light emitted by each antenna subarray, and then adjust the emission angle of the laser beam, the corresponding phase modulation parameter can be a voltage.

The detection area of the photoelectric detection device corresponds to the scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam. When the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam in the scanning range between the first emission angle and the second emission angle, the photoelectric detection device is used to detect the energy of the grating lobe laser beam. The scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam is: the angle range between the emission angle of the grating lobe laser beam corresponding to the photoelectric detection device when the phased array chip emits the outgoing laser beam at the first emission angle and the emission angle of the grating lobe laser beam corresponding to the photoelectric detection device when the phased array chip emits the outgoing laser beam at the second emission angle. The first emission angle is the minimum emission angle of the laser beam, and the second emission angle is the maximum emission angle of the laser beam.

Exemplarily, it is assumed that the preset scanning range of the OPA laser radar is the angle range of the main lobe laser beam between the first emission angle of -45° (degrees) and the second emission angle of +45°, the emission angle corresponding to the main lobe laser beam emitted in the vertical direction is set to 0 degrees, and the first angles between the grating lobe laser beams symmetrically distributed around the main lobe laser beam and the main lobe laser beam are both 30 degrees. Referring to the structural schematic diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in FIG2 , FIG2 only shows two grating lobe laser beams located on the left and right sides of the main lobe laser beam, the scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam is the angle range between -75° and +15°, and the scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the right side of the main lobe laser beam is the angle range between -15° and +75°.

Furthermore, in the OPA laser radar provided in the present application, the OPA laser radar also includes a housing, and the photoelectric detection device is fixedly arranged on the side of the housing facing the phased array chip. The data processing module in the OPA laser radar is electrically connected to each photoelectric detection device, and the data processing module can determine whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by each photoelectric detection device, and the fault type includes the current scanning angle deviation and the abnormal output light power.

In one embodiment, the photoelectric detection device may be disposed on either side of the left or right side of the phased array chip, and the photoelectric detection device may include a detector or a detector array.

In one example, if the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, and the detector is arranged on either side of the left or right side of the phased array chip. When the OPA laser radar scans within a preset scanning range, the data processing module can obtain and store the energy detected by each detector when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at each emission angle within the scanning range in each scanning cycle. If the energy detected by the detector at one of the emission angles in the current scanning cycle is less than the energy detected by the detector at the same emission angle in the historical scanning cycle, the data processing module can determine that the OPA laser radar has a fault, and the fault type may be that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal. Among them, a scan completed by the OPA laser radar within the scanning range is defined as a scanning cycle.

As an example but not a limitation, referring to the structural diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in FIG2, assuming that the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, the detector can be set on the left side of the phased array chip, and when the OPA laser radar is not faulty, when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the first emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam can be aligned with the detector. If the energy detected by the detector obtained by the data processing module when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the first emission angle in the current scanning cycle is less than the energy detected by the detector obtained by the data processing module when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the first emission angle in the historical scanning cycle, it can be determined that the OPA laser radar is faulty.

Correspondingly, the detector can also be set on the right side of the phased array chip, that is, when the phased array laser radar emits an outgoing laser beam at the second emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam located on the right side of the main lobe laser beam can be aligned with the detector. If the energy detected by the detector obtained by the data processing module when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the second emission angle in the current scanning cycle is less than the energy detected by the detector obtained by the data processing module when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the second emission angle in the historical scanning cycle, it can be determined that the OPA laser radar is faulty.

In another example, if the photoelectric detection device includes a detector array, when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to the maximum exit angle or the minimum exit angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to the central area of the detector array. Specifically, the detector array may include at least one detector located in the central area and at least one detector located in the peripheral area, and the detector array is arranged on either side of the left or right side of the phased array chip. When the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the maximum exit angle or the minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector in the central area of the detector array decreases, and the energy detected by the detector in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset. When the OPA laser radar scans within a preset scanning range, the data processing module can obtain and store the energy detected by each detector when the phased array chip emits the outgoing laser beam at each emission angle within the scanning range in each scanning cycle.

If the OPA laser radar is not faulty, when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the minimum exit angle or the maximum exit angle, the grating lobe laser beam can be aligned with the central area of the detector array. If the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the minimum exit angle or the maximum exit angle, the energy detected by the detector located in the central area of the detector array in the current scanning cycle is less than the energy detected in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by the detector located in the peripheral area in the current scanning cycle is less than the energy detected in the historical scanning cycle, it can be determined that the OPA laser radar is faulty, and the fault type is that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset.

In addition, the data processing module can also determine the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam based on the energy detected by each detector in the detector array, and then determine the scanning offset direction and offset angle of the OPA lidar based on the preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.

Furthermore, if the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar has not shifted, and the maximum energy value detected by the detector in the photoelectric detection device is less than the preset energy threshold, it can be determined that the output light power of the OPA laser radar is abnormal.

As an example but not limitation, referring to the structural diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in Figure 3, it is assumed that the OPA laser radar includes a photoelectric detection device arranged on the left side of the phased array chip, and the photoelectric detection device includes a detector array. Only three detectors are shown in Figure 3, namely, detector 1, detector 2 and detector 3 arranged in the vertical direction, wherein detector 2 is located in the central area of the detector array, and detector 1 and detector 3 are located in the peripheral area of the detector array.

As shown in Figure 3, when the OPA laser radar is not faulty, when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the first emission angle (i.e., the minimum outgoing angle), the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam can be aimed at detector 2, and the energy detected by detectors 1 and 3 is less than the energy detected by detector 2, and the energy detected by detector 2 in the current scanning cycle is equal to the energy detected in the historical scanning cycle. Furthermore, if the energy detected by detector 2 in the current scanning cycle is less than the preset energy threshold, it can be determined that the outgoing optical power of the OPA laser radar is abnormal.

If the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the current scanning cycle, that is, when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the minimum emission angle, the energy detected by detector 2 is less than the energy detected by detector 2 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 1 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, then it can be determined that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset to the right. Further, assuming that the angle difference between detectors 1 and 2 relative to the phased array chip is 5°, the data processing module can determine that the grating lobe laser beam and the outgoing laser beam of the OPA laser radar are both offset to the right and the offset angle is 5°, and according to the preset scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam from -75° to +15°, it can be determined that the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam is -70° to +20°, and according to the preset scanning range of the main lobe laser beam from -45° to +45°, it can be determined that the current scanning range of the OPA laser radar is -40° to +50°.

If the outgoing laser beam is located at the far left of the OPA laser radar in the current scanning cycle, that is, when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the minimum emission angle, the energy detected by detector 2 is less than the energy detected by detector 2 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the far left of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 3 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the far left of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, then it can be determined that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset to the left. Further, assuming that the angle difference between detectors 2 and 3 relative to the phased array chip is 5°, the data processing module can determine that the grating lobe laser beam and the outgoing laser beam of the OPA laser radar are both offset to the left and the offset angle is 5°, and according to the preset scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam -75° to +15°, it can be determined that the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam is -80° to +10°, and according to the preset scanning range of the main lobe laser beam -45° to +45°, it can be determined that the current scanning range of the OPA laser radar is -50° to +40°.

In another embodiment, a plurality of photoelectric detection devices may be disposed on the housing, and the photoelectric detection devices correspond one-to-one to the grating lobe laser beams.

In one example, referring to the structural schematic diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in FIG4 , a photoelectric detection device can be provided on both sides of the phased array chip, that is, a photoelectric detection device 1 provided on the left side of the phased array chip and a photoelectric detection device 2 provided on the right side of the phased array chip in FIG4 , and each photoelectric detection device includes a detector. Among them, the photoelectric detection device 1 corresponds to the grating lobe laser beam distributed on the left side of the main lobe laser beam, and when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at a first emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam distributed on the left side of the main lobe laser beam is aligned with the central area of the photoelectric detection device 1; the photoelectric detection device 2 corresponds to the grating lobe laser beam distributed on the right side of the main lobe laser beam, and when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at a second emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam distributed on the right side of the main lobe laser beam is aligned with the central area of the photoelectric detection device 2.

During the scanning process of the OPA laser radar within a preset scanning range, if in the current scanning cycle the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar, that is, when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the minimum emission angle, the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device 1 is less than the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device 1 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and/or when the outgoing laser beam is located at the rightmost side of the OPA laser radar in the current scanning cycle, the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device 2 is less than the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device 2 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the rightmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, then the data processing module can determine that there is a fault in the OPA laser radar, and the fault type may be that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal.

In another example, in order to further improve the accuracy of fault detection, photoelectric detection devices may be provided on both the left and right sides of the phased array chip, and each photoelectric detection device includes a detector array.

As an example but not a limitation, referring to the structural diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in FIG5 , it is assumed that the OPA laser radar includes two photoelectric detection devices, and each photoelectric detection device includes at least three detectors. The photoelectric detection device 1 in FIG5 is arranged on the left side of the phased array chip, and includes a detector 1, a detector 2, and a detector 3 arranged in a vertical direction, wherein the detector 2 is located in the central area of the photoelectric detection device 1, and the detector 3 and the detector 1 are located in the peripheral area of the photoelectric detection device 1; the photoelectric detection device 2 is arranged on the right side of the phased array chip, and includes a detector 4, a detector 5, and a detector 6 arranged in a vertical direction, wherein the detector 5 is located in the central area of the photoelectric detection device 2, and the detector 4 and the detector 6 are located in the peripheral area of the photoelectric detection device 2.

As shown in Figure 5, when the OPA laser radar is not faulty, when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the first emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam can be aimed at detector 2, and the energy detected by detector 1 and detector 3 is less than the energy detected by detector 2; at the same time, when the phased array chip emits an outgoing laser beam at the second emission angle, the grating lobe laser beam located on the right side of the main lobe laser beam can be aimed at detector 5, and the energy detected by detector 4 and detector 6 is less than the energy detected by detector 5. Further, when the OPA laser radar is not faulty, if the energy detected by detector 2 in the current scanning cycle is less than the preset energy threshold, and/or the energy detected by detector 5 in the current scanning cycle is less than the preset energy threshold, it can be determined that the outgoing optical power of the OPA laser radar is abnormal.

Referring to the structural schematic diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in Figure 6, if in the current scanning cycle, when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar, the energy detected by detector 2 is less than the energy detected by detector 2 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 1 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle; at the same time, in the current scanning cycle, when the outgoing laser beam is located at the rightmost side of the OPA laser radar, the energy detected by detector 5 is less than the energy detected by detector 5 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 6 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, it can be determined that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset. Furthermore, the data processing module can determine that the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam is -70° to +20° based on the angle of each detector relative to the phased array chip and the energy detected by each detector, and according to the preset scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam -75° to +15° and the current scanning range, determine that the outgoing laser beam of the OPA lidar is offset to the right, and the offset angle is 5°.

Referring to the structural schematic diagram of the OPA laser radar shown in Figure 7, if in the current scanning cycle, the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar, the energy detected by detector 2 is less than the energy detected by detector 2 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 3 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle; at the same time, in the current scanning cycle, when the outgoing laser beam is located at the rightmost side of the OPA laser radar, the energy detected by detector 5 is less than the energy detected by detector 5 when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, and the energy detected by detector 4 is greater than the energy detected when the outgoing laser beam is located at the leftmost side of the OPA laser radar in the historical scanning cycle, it can be determined that the scanning angle of the OPA laser radar is offset. Furthermore, the data processing module can determine that the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam located on the left side of the main lobe laser beam is -80° to +10° based on the angle of each detector relative to the phased array chip and the energy detected by each detector, and according to the preset scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam of -75° to +15° and the current scanning range, it is determined that the outgoing laser beam of the OPA lidar is offset to the left, and the offset angle is 5°.

Furthermore, based on the OPA laser radar provided in the above embodiment, after the data processing module determines the offset angle and offset direction of the outgoing laser beam of the OPA laser radar according to the photoelectric detection device, the data processing module can adjust the phase modulation parameters of the OPA laser radar according to the offset angle, and then adjust the current scanning range of the outgoing laser beam, so that the adjusted current scanning range meets the preset scanning range.

Exemplarily, the data processing module may pre-store a mapping relationship between the scanning range of the OPA laser radar and the phase modulation parameter range, specifically including a mapping relationship between the emission angle of the outgoing laser beam and the corresponding phase modulation parameter. The data processing module may determine the adjustment parameters of the phase modulation parameter range according to the offset angle and offset direction of the outgoing laser beam of the OPA laser radar, and adjust the current phase modulation parameter range according to the adjustment parameters, so that the adjusted current scanning range meets the preset scanning range.

Based on the OPA laser radar provided in the embodiment of the present application, at least one photoelectric detection device is arranged on the side of the phased array chip, each photoelectric detection device includes at least one detector, and the photoelectric detection device corresponds to the grating lobe laser beam in the outgoing laser beam emitted by the phased array chip. During the scanning of the OPA laser radar within a preset scanning range, the data processing module can obtain the energy detected by each detector, and determine whether the OPA laser radar has a fault and the type of fault according to the energy detected by each detector, so that the OPA laser radar can realize fault detection through the photoelectric detection device set by itself during the calibration process of the scanning range before leaving the factory and in the subsequent use process, without the aid of other sensors, and the detection process is more convenient. Furthermore, the current scanning range can be adjusted to the preset scanning range according to the determined offset direction and offset angle of the scanning angle.

Those skilled in the art will understand that Figures 1 to 7 are merely examples of lidar and do not constitute a limitation of the OPA lidar. The lidar may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, the lidar may also include input and output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

In a possible implementation, based on the OPA laser radar provided in the above embodiment, the present application also provides a laser radar detection method. Figure 8 shows a flow chart of the laser radar fault detection method provided in the embodiment of the present application, including the following steps: S801, obtaining the energy detected by at least one photoelectric detection device in the phased array laser radar, the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device is the energy of the grating lobe laser beam in the outgoing laser beam emitted by the phased array chip in the phased array laser radar; S802, determining whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device.

Optionally, the photoelectric detection device includes a detector array, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to a central area of the detector array; the detection method of the laser radar also includes: when the outgoing laser beam is emitted at a maximum exit angle or a minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector in the central area of the detector array decreases and the energy detected by the detector in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset.

Optionally, the detection method of the laser radar also includes: determining the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam based on the energy detected by each detector; determining the scanning offset direction and offset angle of the phased array laser radar based on the preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.

Optionally, the laser radar detection method also includes: when the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar has not shifted and the maximum energy value detected by the photoelectric detection device is less than a preset energy threshold, it is determined that the output light power of the phased array laser radar is abnormal.

It should be noted that the specific implementation method of this method embodiment can refer to the relevant description of the OPA laser radar in the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules in the OPA laser radar is used as an example for illustration. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be implemented.

An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product runs on a laser radar, the laser radar can implement the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments when executed.

If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present application implements all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method, which can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments when executed by the processor. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium can at least include: any entity or device that can carry the computer program code to the camera/terminal device, recording medium, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium. For example, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a magnetic disk or an optical disk. In some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media cannot be electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus/equipment and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus/equipment embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

A phased array laser radar, characterized by comprising:

A phased array chip, used for emitting an outgoing laser beam, wherein the outgoing laser beam includes a main lobe laser beam and a grating lobe laser beam;

At least one photoelectric detection device is arranged on the side of the phased array chip, the detection area of the photoelectric detection device corresponds to the scanning area of the grating lobe laser beam, and is used to detect the energy of the grating lobe laser beam;

The data processing module is electrically connected to the photoelectric detection device and is used to determine whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 1, characterized in that the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum outgoing angle or a minimum outgoing angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to the detector;

The data processing module is specifically used for:

When the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the maximum exit angle or the minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detector decreases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 1, characterized in that the photoelectric detection device comprises a detector array, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum outgoing angle or a minimum outgoing angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to a central area of the detector array;

The data processing module is specifically used for:

When the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the maximum exit angle or the minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detectors in the central area of the detector array decreases and the energy detected by the detectors in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 3, characterized in that the data processing module is further used for:

Determining a current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam according to the energy detected by each of the detectors;

The scanning offset direction and offset angle of the phased array laser radar are determined according to the preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 4, characterized in that the data processing module is further used for:

According to the offset direction and the offset angle, the maximum exit angle and/or the minimum exit angle of the exit laser beam is adjusted so that the scanning range of the adjusted grating lobe laser beam is equal to the scanning range of the grating lobe laser.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 3, characterized in that the data processing module is further used for:

When the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is not offset and the maximum energy value detected by the photoelectric detection device is less than a preset energy threshold, it is determined that the output optical power of the phased array laser radar is abnormal.
The phased array laser radar according to claim 1 is characterized in that the photoelectric detection device corresponds one-to-one to the grating lobe laser beam.
The phased array laser radar according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is characterized in that it also includes a shell, and the photoelectric detection device is fixed on the shell.
A laser radar fault detection method, characterized in that it is applied to the phased array laser radar according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the method comprises:

Acquire energy detected by at least one photoelectric detection device in the phased array laser radar, where the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device is the energy of a grating lobe laser beam in an outgoing laser beam emitted by a phased array chip of the phased array laser radar;

Determine whether the phased array laser radar has a fault based on the energy detected by the photoelectric detection device.
The fault detection method according to claim 9, characterized in that the photoelectric detection device includes a detector, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum outgoing angle or a minimum outgoing angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to the detector;

The method further comprises:

When the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the maximum emission angle or the minimum emission angle, if the energy detected by the detector decreases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset or the outgoing light power is abnormal.
The fault detection method according to claim 9, characterized in that the photoelectric detection device comprises a detector array, wherein when the outgoing laser beam is deflected to a maximum outgoing angle or a minimum outgoing angle, the grating lobe laser beam is emitted to a central area of the detector array;

The method further comprises:

When the outgoing laser beam is emitted at the maximum exit angle or the minimum exit angle, if the energy detected by the detectors in the central area of the detector array decreases and the energy detected by the detectors in the peripheral area of the detector array increases, it is determined that the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is offset.
The fault detection method according to claim 11, characterized in that the method further comprises:

Determining a current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam according to the energy detected by each of the detectors;

The scanning offset direction and offset angle of the phased array laser radar are determined according to the preset grating lobe laser scanning range and the current scanning range of the grating lobe laser beam.
The fault detection method according to claim 12, characterized in that the method further comprises:

According to the offset direction and the offset angle, the maximum exit angle and/or the minimum exit angle of the exit laser beam is adjusted so that the scanning range of the adjusted grating lobe laser beam is equal to the preset grating lobe laser scanning range.
The fault detection method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the method further comprises:

When the scanning angle of the phased array laser radar is not offset and the maximum energy value detected by the photoelectric detection device is less than a preset energy threshold, it is determined that the output optical power of the phased array laser radar is abnormal.
A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14.