Lidar system and method

Abstract

A Lidar system may comprise a rotor and a stator. The rotor is configured to rotate with respect to the stator. The rotor comprises at least one supporting body and a plurality of light sources disposed on the at least one supporting body, the plurality of light sources configured to emit a plurality of first light beams. The plurality of light beams are non-uniformly distributed along a vertical direction in a vertical field of view of the Lidar system.

1 . A Lidar system comprising:
 an emitting apparatus comprising a plurality of lasers arranged in a plurality of columns and configured to emit laser beams;   a receiving apparatus comprising a plurality of detectors configured to receive echo beams of emitted laser beams; and   a rotor configured to rotate the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus about a rotating shaft;   wherein the plurality of columns comprise a first column comprising a first group of lasers and a second column comprising a second group of lasers, the first group of lasers and the second group of lasers are respectively arranged in a collinear manner and are parallel with the rotating shaft, and lasers of the first and second groups are spaced by a same interval; and   wherein the second group of lasers are horizontally and vertically displaced from and crisscross the first group of lasers.   
     
     
         2 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lasers are non-uniformly disposed along a vertical field of view of the Lidar system. 
     
     
         3 . The Lidar system of  claim 2 , wherein lasers disposed at a middle part of the emitting apparatus are denser than lasers disposed at an upper part of the emitting apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The Lidar system of  claim 3 , wherein a concentration of the plurality of lasers first increases and then decreases along a vertical direction from a highest laser to a lowest laser of the plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         5 . The Lidar system of  claim 2 , wherein the laser beams emitted by the emitting apparatus include a sparser concentration of emitted laser beams at each of two ends of the vertical field of view and a denser concentration of emitted laser beams towards a center of the vertical field of view. 
     
     
         6 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a supporting body vertically disposed within the Lidar and configured to support the plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         7 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a focusing lens assembly configured to converge the echo beams onto the plurality of detectors; and a distance between the receiving apparatus and a focal point of the focusing lens assembly is smaller than a half of a focal depth of the focusing lens assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a collimating lens assembly configured to expand a spot diameter of an emitted laser beam and reduce a divergence angle of the emitted laser beam. 
     
     
         9 . The Lidar system of  claim 8 , further comprising a focusing lens assembly configured to converge the echo beams onto the plurality of detectors,
 wherein the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus are disposed symmetrically about a mid-vertical plane of a line connecting a center of the collimating lens assembly to a center of the focusing lens assembly.   
     
     
         10 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lasers are configured to simultaneously emit a plurality of laser beams with different propagation directions. 
     
     
         11 . The Lidar system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of laser beams have a uniform angular distribution. 
     
     
         12 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lasers are configured to simultaneously emit a plurality of laser beams with a same propagation direction. 
     
     
         13 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rotation cavity containing the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The Lidar system of  claim 13 , further comprising a first circuit board disposed at a bottom part of the rotation cavity and a second circuit board disposed below the first circuit board. 
     
     
         15 . The Lidar system of  claim 14 , wherein a rotary encoder is disposed on the first circuit board. 
     
     
         16 . The Lidar system of  claim 14 , further comprising a wireless power receiver fixedly connected to the bottom part of the rotation cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The Lidar system of  claim 14 , further comprising a stator, wherein the second circuit board is fixed on the stator. 
     
     
         18 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , wherein the second group of lasers are disposed at positions corresponding to middle points of intervals of the first group of lasers. 
     
     
         19 . The Lidar system of  claim 18 , wherein the second group of lasers has a fewer number of lasers than the first group of lasers. 
     
     
         20 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a light filter disposed of an upstream of the plurality of detectors. 
     
     
         21 . The Lidar system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third column comprising a third group of lasers, wherein the third group of lasers crisscross both the first and second groups of lasers. 
     
     
         22 . A Lidar system comprising:
 an emitting apparatus comprising:
 a supporting body disposed along a vertical direction of the Lidar system; 
 a plurality of lasers disposed on the supporting body and configured to emit laser beams respectively, wherein the plurality of lasers are arranged in a plurality of columns; and 
 a collimating lens assembly configured to reduce a divergence angle of emitted laser beams; 
   a receiving apparatus comprising a plurality of detectors and a focusing lens assembly configured to converge an echo beams onto the plurality of detectors; and   a rotor configured to rotate the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus about a rotating shaft;   wherein the plurality of columns comprise a first column comprising a first group of lasers and a second column comprising a second group of lasers, the first group of lasers and the second group of lasers are respectively arranged in a collinear manner and are parallel with the rotating shaft, and lasers of the first and second groups are spaced by a same interval; and   wherein the second group of lasers are horizontally and vertically displaced from and crisscross the first group of lasers.   
     
     
         23 . The Lidar system of  claim 22 , wherein the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus are disposed symmetrically about a mid-vertical plane of a line connecting a center of the collimating lens assembly to a center of the focusing lens assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The Lidar system of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of lasers are non-uniformly disposed along a vertical field of view of the Lidar system. 
     
     
         25 . The Lidar system of  claim 24 , wherein lasers disposed at a middle part of the emitting apparatus are denser than lasers disposed at an upper part of the emitting apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . The Lidar system of  claim 25 , wherein a concentration of the plurality of lasers first increases and then decreases along a vertical direction from a highest laser to a lowest laser of the plurality of lasers. 
     
     
         27 . The Lidar system of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of columns further comprises a third column comprising a third group of lasers, wherein the third group of lasers crisscross both the first and second groups of lasers. 
     
     
         28 . A Lidar system comprising:
 an emitting apparatus comprising a supporting body disposed along a vertical direction of the Lidar system and a plurality of lasers disposed on the supporting body and configured to emit laser beams respectively, wherein the plurality of lasers are arranged in a plurality of columns;   a receiving apparatus comprising a plurality of detectors and a focusing lens assembly configured to converge an echo beams into the plurality of detectors;   a rotor configured to rotate the supporting body and the receiving apparatus about a rotating shaft;   a rotation cavity containing the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus;   a first circuit board disposed at a bottom part of the rotation cavity;   a second circuit board disposed below the first circuit board; and   a base to which the second circuit board is fixed;   wherein the plurality of columns comprise a first column comprising a first group of lasers and a second column comprising a second group of lasers, the first group of lasers and the second group of lasers are respectively arranged in a collinear manner and are parallel with the rotating shaft, and lasers of the first and second groups are separated by a same interval; and   wherein the second group of lasers are horizontally and vertically displaced from and crisscross the first group of lasers.   
     
     
         29 . The Lidar system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of lasers are non-uniformly disposed along a vertical field of view of the Lidar system. 
     
     
         30 . A Lidar system comprising:
 an emitting apparatus comprising:
 a supporting body disposed along a vertical direction of the Lidar system; 
 a plurality of lasers disposed on the supporting body and configured to emit laser beams respectively, wherein the plurality of lasers are arranged in a plurality of columns; and 
 a collimating lens assembly configured to reduce a divergence angle of the emitted laser beam; 
   a receiving apparatus comprising a plurality of detectors and a focusing lens assembly configured to converge an echo beams into the plurality of detectors, wherein the emitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus are disposed symmetrically about a mid-vertical plane of a line connecting a center of the collimating lens assembly to a center of the focusing lens assembly; and   a rotor configured to rotate the supporting body and the receiving apparatus about a rotating shaft,   wherein the plurality of columns comprise a first column comprising a first group of lasers and a second column comprising a second group of lasers, the first group of lasers and the second group of lasers are respectively arranged in a collinear manner and are parallel with the rotating shaft, and lasers of the first and second groups are separated by a same interval;   wherein the second group of lasers are horizontally and vertically displaced from and crisscross the first group of lasers; and   wherein the plurality of columns further comprises a third column comprising a third group of lasers, wherein the third group of lasers crisscross both the first and second groups of lasers.