Lidar apparatus and lidar system comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11953595-B2
Application number	US-202117314122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2021
Priority date	May 8, 2020
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A lidar apparatus is disclosed. The lidar apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclose includes a laser generating source for generating a laser; a fixture fixedly disposed on an installation object; a rotating body disposed to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixture, and provided with a laser transmitting module for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source to the outside and a laser receiving module for receiving a laser reflected from an external object; and a light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the fixture to the rotating body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lidar apparatus, comprising:
a laser generating source for generating a laser;
a fixture fixedly disposed on an installation object;
a rotating body disposed to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixture, and provided with a laser transmitting module for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source to the outside and a laser receiving module for receiving a laser reflected from an external object; and
a light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the fixture to the rotating body
wherein a first optical fiber for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source towards the light guide unit is disposed in the fixture,
wherein a second optical fiber for transmitting a laser passing through the light guide unit towards the laser transmitting module is disposed in the rotating body, and
wherein the light guide unit guides a laser output from the first optical fiber to an input of the second optical fiber.

2. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser generating source comprises a fiber laser.

3. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser generating source generates a laser having a wavelength of 1,500 nm to 1,600 nm.

4. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser transmitting module comprises a reflective mirror for converting a vertical laser transmitted in a vertical direction along the rotation axis into a horizontal laser, and a transmission lens for transmitting a horizontal laser whose direction is converted in the reflective mirror to the outside.

5. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser receiving module comprises a receiving lens for receiving a laser reflected and returned from the external object, and a detector for condensing and detecting a laser received from the receiving lens.

6. The lidar apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the detector comprises an array detector.

7. The lidar apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises a multi-channel array having 16 channels or more.

8. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit comprises a first coupling lens that is provided at both ends with an incident surface for converting an incident laser emitted from an output end of the first optical fiber into parallel light, and an exit surface for condensing the parallel light to emit to an input end of the second optical fiber.

9. The lidar apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first coupling lens is coupled to the fixture to be fixed or coupled to the rotating body to rotate.

10. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit comprises a second coupling lens provided with an incident surface at a first end and an exit surface at a second end to convert a laser incident from the output end of the first optical fiber into parallel light to emit, and a third coupling lens provided with an incident surface at the first end and an exit surface at the second end to condense parallel light incident from the second coupling lens to emit towards the second optical fiber.

11. The lidar apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second coupling lens is coupled to the fixture to be fixed, and the third coupling lens is coupled to the rotating body to rotate.

12. The lidar apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second coupling lens and the third coupling lens are fixed to the fixture.

13. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit comprises a second coupling lens provided with an incident surface at a first end and an exit surface at a second end to convert a laser incident from an output end of the first optical fiber into parallel light to emit.

14. The lidar apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second coupling lens is fixed to the fixture.

15. The lidar apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit is fixed to any one of the fixture or the rotating body.

16. A lidar system, comprising:
an installation object;
a laser generating source fixed on the installation object to generate a laser;
a first fixture fixedly disposed on the installation object;
a first rotating body disposed to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the first fixture, and provided with a first laser transmitting module for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source to the outside and a first laser receiving module for receiving a laser reflected from an external object; and
a first light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the first fixture to the first rotating body
wherein a first optical fiber for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source towards the light guide unit is disposed in the fixture,
wherein a second optical fiber for transmitting a laser passing through the light guide unit towards the laser transmitting module is disposed in the rotating body, and
wherein the light guide unit guides a laser output from the first optical fiber to an input of the second optical fiber.

17. The lidar system of claim 16 , wherein the installation object is a vehicle.

18. The lidar system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a second fixture spaced apart from the first fixture and fixedly disposed on the installation object;
a second rotating body disposed to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the second fixture, and provided with a second laser transmitting module for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source to the outside and a second laser receiving module for receiving a laser reflected from an external object; and
a second light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the second fixture to the second rotating body.

Assignees

• Hl Klemove Corp

Inventors

• Han Hakgu
• Shin Hoseok
• Lee Chulseung
• Jeong Seonghee
• Han Yunki

Classifications

• G01S17/04 Primary

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S7/4817 Primary

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S7/484

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S17/42 Primary

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title