Distance detection apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092737-B2
Application number	US-202017082219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2020
Priority date	Apr 28, 2018
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

This application discloses distance detection apparatuses. The distance detection apparatus includes a light source, a transmitting and receiving lens, a detector, and an optical path change element. The light source is to emit a beam. The transmitting and receiving lens is to collimate the beam emitted by the light source, and converge at least a part of return light of the beam reflected by a to-be-detected object. The detector is placed with the light source on a same side of the transmitting and receiving lens, to convert at least a part of return light that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens into an electrical signal. The optical path change element is to change an optical path of the beam emitted by the light source or the return light that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distance detection apparatus, comprising:
a light source configured to emit a beam;
a transmitting and receiving lens configured to collimate the beam emitted by the light source, and converge at least a part of a return light of the beam reflected by a to-be-detected object;
a detector, placed with the light source on a same side of the transmitting and receiving lens, configured to convert the at least a part of the return light that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens into an electrical signal to measure a distance between the to-be-detected object and the distance detection apparatus;
an optical path change element, placed with the light source and the detector on the same side of the transmitting and receiving lens, configured to change an optical path of at least one of the beam emitted by the light source or the return light that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens;
a light source position adjusting member to support the light source; and
a detector supporter to support the detector, wherein
the light source position adjusting member is also referred to as a light source focusing member, and is configured to adjust a location of the light source in a z-axis direction of the light source, and the detector supporter is configured to adjust a location of the detector in at least one of a z-axis direction, an x-axis direction, or a y-axis direction of the detector,
the z-axis direction of the light source is a direction of a central axis of the light source, and the z-axis direction of the detector is a direction of a central axis of the detector, and
the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction of the detector are two directions vertical to each other and vertical to the z-axis direction of the detector.

2. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the detector and the light source is placed on a focal plane of the transmitting and receiving lens, and the other one of the detector and the light source is placed on one side of an optical axis of the transmitting and receiving lens.

3. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the optical path change element deviates from the optical axis of the transmitting and receiving lens.

4. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the optical path change element is placed between the transmitting and receiving lens and the light source to allow the beam emitted by the light source to pass, and to project, to the detector, the return light that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens.

5. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the optical path change element is arranged on a side of the optical axis of the transmitting and receiving lens close to the light source.

6. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens supporter to support the transmitting and receiving lens;
wherein the light source position adjusting member and the detector supporter are assembled in the lens supporter,
the transmitting and receiving lens is mounted at one end of the lens supporter,
one of the light source position adjusting member and the detector supporter is mounted at the other end of the lens supporter opposite to the transmitting and receiving lens, and
the other one of the light source position adjusting member and the detector supporter is mounted at a lateral edge of the lens supporter.

7. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an optical path change element supporter to support the optical path change element,
wherein the optical path change element supporter extends into the lens supporter, and the optical path change element is located in the lens supporter.

8. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the optical path change element supporter includes a cantilever that extends into the lens supporter, and the optical path change element is mounted at a free end of the cantilever.

9. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a light source supporter to support the light source, and configured to adjust a distance between the light source and the transmitting and receiving lens, wherein the light source supporter and the light source position adjusting member are fixed to each other.

10. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detector supporter is configured to adjust the location of the detector in the z-axis direction, the x-axis direction, and the y-axis direction of the detector.

11. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the distance detection apparatus includes a plurality of light sources, a plurality of detectors corresponding to the light sources, and a plurality of optical path change elements corresponding to the light sources and the detectors.

12. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the distance detection apparatus includes a scanning module placed on one side of the transmitting and receiving lens opposite to the light source and a window located on one side of the scanning module opposite to the transmitting and receiving lens,
wherein the scanning module is configured to project, to an external environment, a collimated beam that passes through the transmitting and receiving lens, and project the return light to the transmitting and receiving lens.

13. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the distance detection apparatus comprises a bandpass filter disposed on a receiving optical path for receiving the return light, and a refractive index of the bandpass filter is greater than 1.8.

14. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the bandpass filter includes;
a bandpass filter placed between the detector and the transmitting and receiving lens; or
a long-wavelength pass film on one surface of each of the transmitting and receiving lens, the scanning module, and the window, and a short-wavelength pass film on another surface of each of the transmitting and receiving lens, the scanning module, and the window.

15. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the scanning module includes a first optical element and a driver connected to the first optical element, wherein the driver is configured to drive the first optical element to rotate around a rotation axis, so that the first optical element changes a direction of the collimated beam.

16. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein a clump weight is disposed on one side of the scanning module, and
the clump weight is located on an aperture of the scanning module, and a flare formed by the beam projected by the optical path change element deviates from the clump weight, or
the clump weight is located outside an aperture of the scanning module, the optical path change element deviates from an optical axis of the transmitting and receiving lens, and a flare formed by the beam projected by the optical path change element is located at an edge of the scanning module.

17. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the scanning module includes a second optical element, the second optical element rotates around the rotation axis, and a rotation speed of the second optical element is different from a rotation speed of the first optical element.

18. The distance detection apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of an inner surface of the window, a surfac

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Huai
• Hong Xiaoping
• Zhou Likui

Classifications

• G02B5/20

  Filters (polarising elements G02B5/30) · CPC title

• G01S7/4811 Primary

  common to transmitter and receiver · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/4812

  transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title