阅读说明：本技术 激光雷达 (Laser radar ) 是由 武田英治 野口仁志 于 2018-12-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：激光雷达(10)具备：具有激光二极管的光源(11)；光学系统,将从激光二极管出射的激光整形为在一个方向上长的线光束(B10)来向目标区域投射；以及扫描部(15),使线光束(B10)在线光束(B10)的短边方向上扫描。这里,激光二极管被配置成,激光二极管的快轴沿着线光束(B10)的短边方向所对应的方向。(A laser radar (10) is provided with: a light source (11) having a laser diode; an optical system that shapes the laser light emitted from the laser diode into a line beam (B10) that is long in one direction and projects the line beam onto a target area; and a scanning unit (15) that scans the line beam (B10) in the short-side direction of the line beam (B10). Here, the laser diode is configured such that a fast axis of the laser diode is along a direction corresponding to a short side direction of the line beam (B10).)

1. A laser radar is provided with:

a laser diode;

an optical system for shaping the laser light emitted from the laser diode into a line beam long in one direction and projecting the line beam; and

a scanning section that scans the line beam in a short side direction of the line beam,

the laser diode is configured such that a fast axis of the laser diode is along a direction corresponding to the short side direction.

2. The lidar of claim 1, wherein,

a plurality of light emitting units for the laser beam are arranged along the slow axis direction of the laser diode.

3. The lidar of claim 2, wherein,

the plurality of laser diodes are arranged side by side along the slow axis direction.

4. The lidar according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

when the divergence angle of the laser beam in the fast axis direction before passing through the optical system is represented by θ 0 and the divergence angle of the laser beam in the fast axis direction after passing through the optical system is represented by θ 1, θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less.

5. The lidar according to any of claims 1 to 4,

in the laser diode, the width of the light emitting section in the fast axis direction is 240 μm or less.

6. The lidar according to any of claims 1 to 5,

the optical system includes: a magnifying lens that expands the laser light emitted from the laser diode in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the line beam,

the scanning unit is provided closer to the laser diode than the magnifying lens.

7. The lidar of claim 6, wherein,

the magnifying lens has a lens surface curved in only one direction,

the scanning unit scans the laser beam in a direction parallel to a generatrix of the lens surface, and scans the line beam in the short-side direction.

8. The lidar according to claim 6 or 7, wherein,

the optical system is provided with a collimating lens,

the scanning unit is disposed between the collimator lens and the magnifying lens.

9. The lidar according to any of claims 1 to 8,

the optical system includes: and an adjustment lens that adjusts light intensity in a longitudinal direction of the line beam.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a laser radar for detecting an object using laser light, and is suitable for being mounted on a moving body such as a passenger car.

Background

Conventionally, a laser radar for detecting an object using laser light has been developed in various fields. For example, in a laser radar for vehicle mounting, a laser beam is projected from the front of a vehicle, and whether or not an object such as a vehicle is present in front of the vehicle is determined based on the presence or absence of the reflected light. Further, the distance to the object is measured from the projection timing of the laser light and the light reception timing of the reflected light.

Patent document 1 below discloses a laser radar device configured to generate three-dimensional information of a measurement target region by two-dimensionally scanning a laser beam in a horizontal direction and a plumb direction.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-150990

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As described in patent document 1, there is a problem in a structure in which a laser beam is two-dimensionally scanned in a detection target region as follows: with the increase in resolution of the measurement position, the frame rate for acquiring information for one frame is significantly reduced.

As a method for solving this problem, a method of scanning a line beam having a long and narrow length corresponding to the width of the measurement target region in the short side direction of the line beam can be used. However, in this method, since the line beam is projected toward the detection target region while being expanded in the longitudinal direction, the energy density of the line beam decreases as the distance from the measurement target region increases. Therefore, in order to detect an object at a longer distance, it is necessary to project the line beam toward the detection target region so that the energy density in the short side direction of the line beam does not decrease to a large extent.

In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a laser radar capable of detecting an object at a longer distance by controlling a decrease in energy density in a short-side direction of a line beam.

Means for solving the problems

A laser radar according to a main aspect of the present invention includes: a laser diode; an optical system for shaping the laser light emitted from the laser diode into a line beam long in one direction and projecting the line beam; and a scanning unit that scans the line beam in a short-side direction of the line beam. Here, the laser diode is configured such that a fast axis of the laser diode is along a direction corresponding to the short side direction.

According to the laser radar of the present aspect, since the laser diode is disposed so that the fast axis, which facilitates optical control, is along the direction corresponding to the short side direction of the line beam, the spread angle of the beam in the short side direction of the line beam can be adjusted to be closer to parallel light. This can effectively suppress a decrease in energy density in the short-side direction of the line beam, and can detect an object at a longer distance.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laser radar capable of controlling a decrease in energy density in a short-side direction of a line beam and detecting an object at a longer distance.

The effects and significance of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of the embodiments. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples for implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the descriptions of the embodiments described below.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical system and a circuit unit of a laser radar according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 (a) and (b) are perspective views each showing a structure of a laser diode according to the embodiment; fig. 2 (c) is a perspective view showing a structure of a light source of the laser radar according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 (a) and (b) are views of the action of the optical system of the laser radar according to the embodiment as viewed in the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction of the line beam, respectively.

Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the emission state of the laser beam of the laser radar and the intensity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the line beam in the target region according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 (a) is a verification result obtained by verifying a preferable range of the divergence angle of the line beam in the short side direction according to embodiment 1 by optical simulation. Fig. 5 (b) is a verification result obtained by verifying a preferable range of the width of the light-emitting section of the laser diode according to embodiment 1 in the fast axis direction by optical simulation.

Fig. 6 (a) is a flowchart showing the magnification control of the light source according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 (b) is a diagram schematically showing the emission state of each laser diode when the emission magnification of the laser diodes on both sides is set to be low under the control of fig. 6 (a).

Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the state of laser light emitted from the laser radar and the intensity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the line beam in the target region when the emission magnification of the laser diodes on both sides is set to be decreased under the control of fig. 6 (a).

Fig. 8 (a) is a diagram showing another configuration example for reducing the emission amplification factor of the laser diodes on both sides according to the embodiment. Fig. 8 (b) is a diagram showing another configuration example for reducing the emission amplification factor of the laser diodes on both sides according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 (a) is a flowchart showing another magnification control of the light source according to the embodiment. Fig. 9 (b) is a diagram schematically showing emission states of the plurality of laser diodes when the control of fig. 9 (a) is performed.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a state of laser light emitted from the laser radar and an intensity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the line beam in the target region in the case where the emission magnification of the left laser diode is set to be lowered under the control of fig. 9 (a) according to the embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a state in the embodiment where the setting for lowering the emission magnification of the right laser diode is performed under the control of fig. 9 (a).

Fig. 12 (a) and (b) are perspective views showing the structure of a laser diode according to a modification; fig. 12 (c) is a perspective view showing a configuration of a light source of the laser radar according to the modified example.

The drawings, however, are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience, X, Y, Z axes orthogonal to each other are appropriately marked in each drawing. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are the short-side direction and the long-side direction of the line beam, respectively, and the positive Z-axis direction is the projection direction of the line beam.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical system and a circuit portion of the laser radar 10.

The laser radar 10 includes a light source 11, collimator lenses 12 and 13, a mirror 14, a scanning unit 15, an adjustment lens 16, an amplification lens 17, a condenser lens 18, and a light receiving element 19 as a configuration of an optical system. The outgoing optical system from the light source 11 to the magnifying lens 17 generates a line beam B10 that is long in the Y-axis direction from the laser light emitted from the light source 11.

The light source 11 emits laser light of a given wavelength. The light source 11 is formed by collecting a plurality of laser diodes. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the laser radar 10 is mounted on a vehicle. Therefore, the emission wavelength of each laser diode is set to the infrared band (for example, 905 nm). The emission wavelength of the laser diode can be appropriately changed according to the use of the laser radar 10.

Fig. 2 (a) and (b) are perspective views each showing the structure of the laser diode 110, and fig. 2 (c) is a perspective view showing the structure of the light source 11.

As shown in fig. 2 (a), the laser diode 110 has a structure in which the active layer 111 is sandwiched between the N-type cladding layer 112 and the P-type cladding layer 113. The N-type clad layer 112 is laminated on the N-type substrate 114. Further, a contact layer 115 is laminated on the P-type cladding layer 113. By applying a current to the electrode 116, laser light is emitted from the light emitting section 117 in the positive Z-axis direction. In general, the width W1 of the light-emitting portion 117 in the direction parallel to the active layer 111 is wider than the width W2 in the direction perpendicular to the active layer 111.

An axis in the short side direction of the light emitting section 117, that is, an axis in the direction perpendicular to the active layer 111 (X axis direction) is called a fast axis; the longitudinal axis of the light-emitting section 117, i.e., the axis in the direction parallel to the active layer 111 (Y-axis direction), is referred to as the slow axis. In fig. 2 (b), 118a denotes a fast axis, and 118b denotes a slow axis. The laser light emitted from the light emitting unit 117 has a larger spread angle in the fast axis direction than in the slow axis direction. Therefore, the shape of the light beam B20 becomes an elliptical shape elongated in the fast axis direction as shown in fig. 2 (B).

The intensity distribution (light emission profile) of light beam B20 emitted from light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction has a distribution shape close to a single gaussian because light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction has a narrow width. On the other hand, the intensity distribution (light emission profile) in the slow axis direction of light flux B20 emitted from light emitting section 117 is a complicated distribution shape including a plurality of peaks because the width of light emitting section 117 in the slow axis direction is wide. Therefore, optical control such as suppression of the spread angle of the light beam is relatively easy in the fast axis direction compared to the slow axis direction, and desired control can be performed more appropriately.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 (c), the plurality of laser diodes 110 are arranged side by side along the slow axis to constitute the light source 11. Therefore, the light emitting units 117 of the laser diodes 110 are arranged in 1 row in the slow axis direction. Here, each laser diode 110 is arranged such that the fast axis 118a of the light emitting section 117 becomes parallel to a direction (X-axis direction) corresponding to the short side direction of the line beam B10 shown in fig. 1.

In the present embodiment, all of the plurality of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 have the same emission characteristics. That is, when the same drive current is applied to each of the laser diodes 110, the laser beams are emitted at the same amplification factor.

Returning to fig. 1, the collimator lens 12 converges the laser beams emitted from the laser diodes 110 of the light source 11 in the fast axis direction, and adjusts the spread of the laser beams in the fast axis direction to be substantially parallel. That is, the collimator lens 12 has a function of collimating the laser beams emitted from the laser diodes 110 of the light source 11 only in the fast axis direction.

The collimator lens 13 converges the laser beams emitted from the laser diodes 110 of the light source 11 in the slow axis direction, and sets the spread of the laser beams in the slow axis direction to be substantially parallel. That is, the collimator lens 13 has a function of collimating the laser beams emitted from the laser diodes 110 of the light source 11 only in the slow axis direction.

The laser beams emitted from the laser diodes 110 of the light source 11 are converted into spread beams substantially parallel to each other over the entire circumference by the two collimator lenses 12 and 13. Since the light emitting unit 117 is not an ideal point light source, a slight positional deviation occurs strictly between the optical axes of the collimator lenses 12 and 13 and the light emitting point of the light emitting unit 117 of each laser diode 110. Therefore, the laser beams transmitted through the two collimator lenses 12 and 13 do not become ideal parallel beams, but slightly spread from the parallel beams.

The mirror 14 reflects the laser light transmitted through the collimator lenses 12 and 13 toward the scanner unit 15. The scanner unit 15 is formed of, for example, a MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) mirror. The laser beam reflected by the mirror 14 passes through the movable mirror 15a of the scanner unit 15 and is reflected in a direction toward the adjustment lens 16. The scanning unit 15 drives the movable mirror 15a by a drive signal from the mirror drive circuit 23, and scans the laser beam reflected by the mirror 14 in a direction (X-axis direction) parallel to a generatrix of the lens surface 17a of the magnifier lens 17.

The adjustment lens 16 adjusts the light intensity in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the line beam B10. Specifically, the adjustment lens 16 is configured to substantially uniformize the light intensity in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the line beam B10. The light intensity of the line beam B10 in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) is uniformized so that, for example, the variation width of the light intensity distribution converges to the degree of ± 5%.

The magnifying lens 17 expands the laser light incident from the adjustment lens 16 only in the Y-axis direction. The magnifying lens 17 includes a lens surface 17a curved only in the Y-axis direction. In the present embodiment, a concave lens having a lens surface 17a recessed inward is used as the magnifying lens 17. Instead of this, a convex lens (cylindrical lens) whose lens surface protrudes outward may also be used as the magnifying lens 17. In this case, the laser light is converged in the Y-axis direction to form a focal line, and then expanded in the Y-axis direction. The magnifying lens 17 is disposed such that a generatrix of the lens surface 17a becomes parallel to the X-axis direction. Thereby, the laser light expands in the Y-axis direction, forming an elongated line beam B10 in the Y-axis direction.

Fig. 3 (a) and (B) are views of the action of the optical system of the laser radar 10 as viewed in the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction of the line beam B10, respectively. For convenience, in fig. 3 (a) and (b), the reflecting mirror 14, the scanning unit 15, and the adjusting lens 16 are omitted, and the optical path from the light source 11 to the magnifying lens 17 is illustrated as being linearly extended.

The laser light emitted from the light source 11 is converged in the fast axis direction by the first collimator lens 12 and collimated in the fast axis direction. At this time, the laser light is not converged in the slow axis direction. Therefore, the laser light having passed through the collimator lens 12 is expanded in the slow axis direction at the same expansion angle as the expansion angle immediately after being emitted from the light source 11.

In addition, the collimator lens 12 may further have a converging action in the slow axis direction. When the collimator lens 12 does not have a converging action in the slow axis direction, the size of a lens or a mirror located on the rear side of the collimator lens 12 may need to be increased depending on the width or the spread angle of the light source 11 in the slow axis direction and the distance from the collimator lens 12. Therefore, in the configuration of the laser radar 10, even when it is necessary to suppress the size of the lens or the mirror on the rear stage side of the collimator lens 12 to a small size, the collimator lens 12 can be made to have a converging action in the slow axis direction.

Thereafter, the laser light is converged in the slow axis direction by the second collimator lens 13 and is parallel-actinic-ized in the slow axis direction. At this time, the laser light is not subjected to the convergence action in the fast axis direction. Therefore, the laser light transmitted through the collimator lens 13 is maintained as substantially parallel light in the fast axis direction. Thus, the laser beams collimated in the fast axis direction and the slow axis direction are incident on the magnifying lens 17.

Further, the second collimator lens 13 may further include: an optical action of converting the laser light from parallel light to slightly condensed light in the slow axis direction. The laser light incident on the magnifying lens 17 may be collimated or converged in the fast axis direction and in the slow axis direction. The collimator lens 13 may be disposed on the front stage side of the collimator lens 12.

The magnifying lens 17 diffuses the incident laser light only in the slow axis direction to form a line beam B10. Therefore, the line beam B10 advances toward the target region while being collimated by the collimator lens 12 in the fast axis direction. The width of the line beam B10 in the short side direction is determined by the first collimator lens 12. Thus, the line beam B10 is projected onto the target area.

Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the state of emission of laser light from the laser radar 10 and the intensity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 in the target region. In the upper stage of fig. 4, the sectional shape of the line beam B10 when viewed in the projection direction (Z-axis positive direction) and the distribution of the light intensity in the long-side direction (Y-axis direction) of the line beam B10 are schematically shown. Here, the light intensity distribution is obtained along the middle position (line L1 in fig. 4) in the short side direction of the line beam B10

As shown in fig. 4, in the present embodiment, the laser radar 10 is mounted on the front side of the vehicle 20, and projects a line beam B10 forward of the vehicle 20. The spread angle θ 11 of the line beam B10 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 120 °. The upper limit of the distance D11 that enables object detection is, for example, about 200 m. In fig. 4, the spread angle θ 11 is expressed smaller than it is for convenience. This is the same for fig. 7 and fig. 10 referred to later.

In the present embodiment, when the plurality of laser diodes 110 provided in the light source 11 are driven at the same emission magnification, the adjustment lens 16 is configured so that the intensity distribution of the line beam B10 in the longitudinal direction becomes substantially uniform. By uniformizing the intensity distribution of the line beam B10 in this way, the detectable distances of the objects at the respective positions in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 can be made equal to each other. The detectable distance of the object becomes longer as the intensity of the laser light increases. Therefore, if the intensity distribution of the line beam B10 is uniformized in the longitudinal direction as described above, the detectable distances of the objects at all positions in the longitudinal direction become substantially equal.

Returning to fig. 1, the reflected light of the line beam B10 reflected from the target region is condensed on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 19 by the condenser lens 18. The light receiving element 19 is, for example, an image sensor. The light receiving element 19 has, for example, a rectangular light receiving surface, and is disposed such that the long side of the light receiving surface is parallel to the Y axis. The longitudinal direction of the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 19 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 in the target region. The reflected light of the line beam B10 is focused on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 19 by the condenser lens 18 so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the light receiving surface.

Here, the Y-axis direction pixel position of the light receiving surface corresponds to the Y-axis direction position in the target region. Therefore, it is possible to detect at which position in the Y-axis direction of the target region an object is present, based on the position of the pixel generated by the light reception signal. As the light receiving element 19, a line sensor in which pixels are arranged in the Y axis direction may be used.

The laser radar 10 includes a controller 21, a laser drive circuit 22, a mirror drive circuit 23, and a signal processing circuit 24 as a circuit part.

The controller 21 includes an arithmetic Processing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and controls each Unit according to a preset program. The laser drive circuit 22 drives each laser diode 110 of the light source 11 according to control from the controller 21. The controller 21 and the laser drive circuit 22 constitute a control unit for controlling the light source 11.

The mirror drive circuit 23 drives the scanning unit 15 under the control of the controller 21. As described above, the controller 21 controls the scanning unit 15 to scan the laser beam in the direction parallel to the generatrix of the lens surface 17a of the magnifier lens 17. Thereby, in the target region, the line beam B10 is scanned in the short side direction of the line beam B10.

The signal processing circuit 24 outputs the light reception signal of each pixel of the light receiving element 19 to the controller 21. As described above, the controller 21 can detect at which position in the Y axis direction of the target region an object is present, based on the position of the pixel generated by the light receiving signal. The controller 21 calculates the distance to the object existing in the target region by a time difference between the timing at which the light source 11 is pulsed to emit light and the timing at which the light receiving element 19 receives the reflected light from the target region, that is, the timing at which the light receiving element 19 receives the light receiving signal.

In this way, the controller 21 detects the presence or absence of an object in the target region by scanning the line beam B10 with the scanning unit 15 while pulsing the light source 11, and measures the distance to the object and the position of the object in the Y-axis direction. These measurement results are sent to the vehicle-side control unit as needed.

< verification >

Here, as described above, the laser beam emitted from the laser diode 110 does not become perfectly parallel light in the fast axis direction even after passing through the collimator lens 12, but travels on the optical path after slightly spreading in the fast axis direction. Therefore, the line beam B10 generated through the magnifying lens 17 also becomes slightly spread in the short-side direction. As described above, this phenomenon is caused by the following reasons: the light emitting section 117 of the laser diode 110 has a width in the fast axis direction (X axis direction), and is not an ideal point light source. When the line beam B10 expands in the short-side direction, the optical density of the line beam B10 decreases and the accuracy of object detection decreases as the detection distance increases.

Therefore, the inventors verified the preferable range of the divergence angle of the line beam B10 in the short-side direction and the preferable range of the width of the light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction.

Fig. 5 (a) is a verification result obtained by verifying a preferable range of the divergence angle of the line beam B10 in the short side direction by optical simulation.

In fig. 5 (a), the horizontal axis represents the ratio θ 1/θ 0 of the divergence angle in the fast axis direction before and after transmission in the optical system for generating the linear light beam B10. θ 1 is a divergence angle in the fast axis direction (X axis direction) of the laser light after transmission in the optical system from the collimator lens 12 to the magnifier lens 17 shown in fig. 1; θ 0 is a divergence angle in the fast axis direction (X axis direction) of the laser light before transmission in the optical system (in other words, in the case where the optical system is omitted).

In fig. 5 (a), the vertical axis is a ratio D1/D0 of an object detectable distance D1 in the case where an optical system for generating the line beam B10 is arranged, and an object detectable distance D0 in the case where the optical system is omitted. In this verification, the detection possible distance means a distance at which the laser light can be irradiated at a given intensity.

As shown in fig. 5 (a), the smaller the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0, the larger the value of the ratio D1/D0, and the greater the detectable distance. In particular, in the range where the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less, the change in the value of the ratio D1/D0 becomes abrupt as the ratio θ 1/θ 0 decreases. Therefore, it is understood that if the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less, the detectable distance can be significantly increased. From this, it can be said that the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is preferably set to 0.1 or less. That is, it can be said that the spread angle of the line beam B10 in the short side direction is adjusted so that the ratio θ 1/θ 0 becomes 0.1 or less.

Fig. 5 (b) is a verification result obtained by verifying a preferable range of the width of the light emitting portion 117 in the fast axis direction by optical simulation.

In fig. 5 b, the horizontal axis represents the width of the light-emitting portion 117 of the laser diode 110 in the fast axis direction (corresponding to the width W2 in fig. 2 a), and the vertical axis represents the ratio θ 1/θ 0 which is the same as the horizontal axis in fig. 5 a.

From the verification result in fig. 5 (a), it is found that, in order to extend the detectable distance in the line beam formation, the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is preferably set to 0.1 or less. On the other hand, as a result of the verification in fig. 5 (b), it is understood that the width of the light emitting portion 117 in the fast axis direction in which the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less is 240 μm or less. Therefore, it can be said that the width of the light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction is preferably set to 240 μm or less.

In other words, in the laser diode 110 that can be used in the range in which the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less, the maximum width of the light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction reaches 240 μm, and when the laser diode 110 in which the maximum width of the light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction exceeds 240 μm is used, the light source increases as the light emitting section 117 expands, and therefore the light amount of the laser diode 110 itself increases, but the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0 of the increased light amount is 0.1 or more, and therefore, the contribution to the improvement of the value of the ratio D1/D0 is small. Therefore, this case is a design which is wasteful.

From the above verification, it can be said that the optical system is preferably configured such that the value of the ratio θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less. Therefore, it is understood that the characteristics of the laser diode 110 can be effectively used without waste by setting the width of the light emitting section 117 of the laser diode 110 in the fast axis direction to 240 μm.

In addition, the simulations of fig. 5 (a) and (b) were performed by replacing one collimator lens having the functions of both the collimator lenses 12 and 13 in the optical system shown in fig. 3 (a) and (b) with these collimator lenses 12 and 13. Here, the focal length of the collimator lens is selected so that the beam diameter after passing through the collimator lens becomes 2 mm. However, these focal length and beam diameter are not physical quantities that affect the verification results of fig. 5 (a) and (b). In the above simulation, the wavelength of the laser was set to 905 nm.

< control of light intensity 1>

Here, when the vehicle 20 travels straight, it is assumed that the distance required for detecting the object is different between the range of the center in the front of the vehicle and the range of the side in the front of the vehicle. That is, in the range of the center in front of the vehicle, it is preferable to detect the object at a distance as far as possible in order to detect the vehicle traveling ahead or the vehicle traveling ahead. On the other hand, in the range on the side in front of the vehicle, it is sufficient to detect that a pedestrian or a vehicle suddenly jumps out of a sidewalk, a corridor, or the like, and therefore, an object can be detected in a relatively short distance range.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a structure is devised to make the light intensity of the line beam B10 different in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10. Specifically, when the controller 21 varies the emission magnifications of the plurality of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11, the light intensity of the line beam B10 in the longitudinal direction is adjusted.

Fig. 6 (a) is a flowchart showing the magnification control of the light source 11 by the controller 21.

The controller 21 includes: a mode (uniform mode) in which the light intensity of the line beam B10 is set uniformly in the longitudinal direction; and a mode (both-side falling mode) in which the light intensity on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 is caused to fall from the center. The mode switching may be set by a user or may be set in response to an instruction from a control unit on the vehicle side. For example, when the vehicle 20 is in the straight-ahead running state, the vehicle-side control unit may issue a command to switch the mode to the two-side descending mode to the controller 21. Alternatively, the controller 21 may switch the mode when receiving information indicating that the vehicle 20 is in the straight-ahead running state from the vehicle-side control unit.

When the laser radar 10 is activated, the controller 21 determines at a predetermined timing which of the uniform mode and the both-side down mode is set as the mode of the light intensity of the line beam B10 (S101). Here, if it is determined to be in the uniform mode (no in S101), the controller 21 drives all the laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 at the uniformly equal output magnification (S102). Thus, line beam B10 is projected to the target area at a uniform light intensity as shown in FIG. 4.

On the other hand, when the double-side down mode is determined (S101: YES), the controller 21 makes the emission amplification factors of a predetermined number of laser diodes 110 arranged on both sides in the slow axis direction among the laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 lower than the emission amplification factors of the remaining laser diodes 110 (S103).

Fig. 6 (b) is a diagram schematically showing the emission state of each laser diode 110 when the double-side down mode is set in the control of fig. 6 (a). Here, the light source 11 is constituted by seven laser diodes 110 for convenience. However, the number of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 is not limited thereto.

When the two-sided descending mode is set, the drive current C2 applied to the two laser diodes 110 at the Y-axis positive side end and the two laser diodes 110 at the Y-axis negative side end is set to be lower than the drive current C1 applied to the three central laser diodes 110. Thereby, the emission magnification of the laser diode 110 at the end to which the drive current C2 is applied becomes lower than the emission magnification of the laser diode 110 at the center to which the drive current C1 is applied. Here, the decrease in the emission magnification of the laser diode 110 at the end portion relative to the laser diode 110 at the center is set to, for example, about 25%.

In addition, the number of the laser diodes 110 that lower the emission magnification is not limited to four. The number of laser diodes 110 for reducing the emission magnification can be changed as appropriate depending on the ratio of the range in which the light intensity is reduced in the linear beam B10, the number of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11, and the like.

Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a state of laser light emitted from the laser radar 10 and an intensity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 in the target region when the double-side down mode is set in the control of fig. 6 (a).

In an angular range θ 12 at the center of a spread angle θ 11 (for example, 120 °) of the linear light beam B10 in the longitudinal direction, the light intensity is maintained high; in the angular ranges θ 13 on both sides, the light intensity is reduced compared to the center. Here, the angle range θ 12 is, for example, about 60 °, and the angle range θ 13 is, for example, about 30 °. However, the angle ranges θ 12, θ 13 are not limited thereto.

In the case where the detectable distance of the object in the central angular range θ 12 is set to about 200m and the detectable distances of the objects in the angular ranges θ 13 at both ends are set to about 100m, the decrease in the light intensity of the angular range θ 13 with respect to the light intensity of the angular range θ 12 is adjusted to about 25%, for example. Further, the decrease in light intensity of the angle range θ 13 with respect to the light intensity of the angle range θ 12 is not limited to 25%.

By thus making the light intensity of the line beam B10 different, the detectable distance of the object is maintained long, for example, at about 200m in the central angular range θ 12; in the angle ranges θ 13 at both ends, the detection possible distance of the object becomes shorter than the center. However, even if the detectable distance in the angular ranges θ 13 on both sides is reduced in this way during the straight traveling of the vehicle, there is almost no obstacle to detecting the sudden escape of a pedestrian or a vehicle from a sidewalk, a corridor, or the like. In addition, by reducing the light intensity at both ends in this way, the power consumption of the entire light source 11 can be reduced. This reduces power consumption and enables more efficient detection of an object.

Here, the light intensity of the line beam B10 is made different by adjusting the drive current to each laser diode 110 constituting the light source 11, but the light intensity of the line beam B10 may be made different in the longitudinal direction by another method.

For example, as shown in fig. 8 (a), a plurality of laser diodes 110 having different emission capabilities may be arranged in the light source 11. That is, a plurality of laser diodes 110 that emit laser light at different emission magnifications even when the same drive current C0 is applied may be disposed in the light source 11.

In the example of fig. 8 (a), the emission capability of the two laser diodes 110 at the end of the Y-axis positive side and the two laser diodes 110 at the end of the Y-axis negative side becomes lower than that of the central three laser diodes 110 among the seven laser diodes 110. The controller 21 applies the same drive current C0 to all the laser diodes 110. Thereby, the emission magnification of the two laser diodes 110 at both ends becomes lower than the emission magnification of the three laser diodes 110 at the center.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 (b), the lens 16 may be adjusted so that the light intensity at both ends in the slow axis direction becomes lower than the light intensity at the center. In fig. 8 (b), the collimator lens 12, the mirror 14, and the scanning unit 15 are not shown for convenience.

In this configuration, all the laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 have the same emission capability. The controller 21 applies the same drive current C3 to all the laser diodes 110, and emits laser light from each laser diode 110 at an equal amplification factor. The laser light emitted from each laser diode 110 is converted into a light flux having a high light intensity at the center and a low light intensity at both ends in the slow axis direction by the adjustment lens 16. After that, the light beam is expanded in the slow axis direction by the magnifying lens 17. Thereby, the line beam B10 is generated.

With these configurations, as in fig. 7, the line beam B10 having a high light intensity at the center and low light intensities at both ends in the longitudinal direction can be obtained. In these cases, the decrease in light intensity in the angular range θ 13 at both ends of the light intensity with respect to the central angular range θ 12 is adjusted to, for example, about 25%.

In this configuration example, as in the configuration examples shown in fig. 6 (a) and (B), the light intensity of the line beam B10 cannot be switched between the uniform mode and the two-side down mode. However, in these cases, the light intensity at both ends is adjusted to be lower than that at the center, and therefore the laser beam that generates the linear beam B10 can be effectively used. This enables more efficient detection of the object.

< control of light intensity 2>

In the above, the light intensity at both ends of the line beam B10 is adjusted to be lower than the center, however, the manner of making the light intensity of the line beam B10 different is not limited thereto.

For example, in a case where the vehicle 20 is traveling in the leftmost lane of an expressway, etc., a roadside belt or a wall can be caused to continue on the left side of the vehicle 20. In such a case, it is not necessary to detect the object on the left side of the vehicle 20 up to a long distance. Therefore, when the controller 21 transmits a signal indicating such a state from the control unit on the vehicle side, the controller 21 may decrease the light intensity in the range of the line beam B10 corresponding to the left side of the vehicle 20.

Further, in the case where the vehicle 20 turns right at the intersection, it is necessary to detect an object up to a long distance in order to grasp a situation where the vehicle is traveling straight ahead from the front with respect to the front left of the vehicle 20; as for the right front side of the vehicle 20, it is sufficient that a person crossing the intersection or a vehicle parked on the right-hand road can be detected, and therefore, an object can be detected at a relatively close distance. Therefore, when a signal indicating that the vehicle 20 is turning right is transmitted from the vehicle-side control unit to the controller 21, the controller 21 may decrease the light intensity in the range of the line beam B10 corresponding to the right side of the vehicle 20.

In this way, the light intensity of the line beam B10 can be adjusted so that the light intensity is reduced at only one end portion side in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 as compared with the other portions.

Fig. 9 (a) is a flowchart showing the magnification control of the light source 11 in this case.

The controller 21 determines whether or not any of the preset right-side lowering condition (S201) and left-side lowering condition (S203) is sufficient.

Here, the right side lowering condition is a condition for lowering the light intensity in a predetermined range on the end portion side (Y-axis negative side) of the line beam B10 corresponding to the front right side of the vehicle 20. The vehicle 20 described above is involved in a right-side descent condition in a right turn. The right descending condition may include a condition other than that the vehicle 20 is turning right.

The left-side down condition is a condition for reducing the light intensity in a predetermined range on the end portion side (Y-axis positive side) of the line beam B10 corresponding to the front left side of the vehicle 20. The vehicle 20 described above is included in the left-side descending condition while traveling in the leftmost lane of the expressway. The left-side descending condition may include a condition other than that the vehicle 20 is traveling in the leftmost lane of the expressway.

When the right lowering condition is sufficient (yes in S201), the controller 21 makes the emission amplification factor of the laser diode 110 corresponding to the vehicle right side (Y-axis negative side) among the plurality of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 lower than that of the other laser diodes 110 (S202). That is, in this case, the controller 21 makes the emission amplification factor of a given number of laser diodes 110 from the Y-axis negative side among the plurality of laser diodes 110 arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction lower than that of the other laser diodes 110.

When the left-side lowering condition is sufficient (no in S201; yes in S203), the controller 21 makes the emission magnification of the laser diode 110 corresponding to the left side (Y-axis positive side) of the vehicle among the plurality of laser diodes 110 constituting the light source 11 lower than that of the other laser diodes 110 (S204). That is, in this case, the controller 21 makes the emission amplification factor of a given number of laser diodes 110 from the Y-axis positive side among the plurality of laser diodes 110 arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction lower than that of the other laser diodes 110.

If either the right-side lowering condition or the left-side lowering condition is insufficient (S201: no; S203: no), the controller 21 controls the light source 11 in the normal mode (S205). That is, the controller 21 causes all of the plurality of laser diodes 110 arranged in the Y-axis direction to emit light uniformly at the emission magnification for long distance. In this case, the light intensity of the line beam B10 is the same as that shown in fig. 4. The controller 21 repeatedly executes the process of (a) of fig. 9.

Fig. 9 (b) is a view schematically showing the emission states of the plurality of laser diodes 110 when the emission magnification of the left laser diode 110 is reduced in step S204 in fig. 9 (a).

Here, the light source 11 is constituted by seven laser diodes 110 for convenience. As in the case of fig. 6 (b), the seven laser diodes 110 have the same emission capability. The controller 21 sets the drive current C2 applied to the two laser diodes 110 at the Y-axis positive end lower than the drive current C1 applied to the other laser diodes 110.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a state of laser light emitted from the laser radar 10 and a distribution of light intensity in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 in the target region when the emission magnification of the left laser diode 110 is set to be decreased in step S204 in fig. 9 (a).

In the left-end angular range θ 14 in the spread angle θ 11 (for example, 120 °) of the line light beam B10 in the longitudinal direction, the light intensity is decreased as compared with the other angular range θ 15. The light intensity in the angular range θ 15 is maintained high as in the case of fig. 4. The angle range θ 14 is, for example, about 30 °; the angle range θ 15 is, for example, about 90 °. However, the angular ranges θ 14, θ 15 are not limited thereto.

In the case where the detectable distance of the object in the angle range θ 15 is set to about 200m and the detectable distance of the object in the angle range θ 14 on the left end is set to about 100m, the decrease in the light intensity of the angle range θ 14 with respect to the light intensity of the angle range θ 15 is adjusted to about 25%, for example. Further, the decrease in light intensity of the angle range θ 14 with respect to the light intensity of the angle range θ 15 is not limited to 25%.

By thus making the light intensity of the line beam B10 different, the detectable distance of the object is maintained long, for example, at about 200m in the angular range θ 15; in the angle range θ 14 at the left end, the detection possible distance of the object becomes shorter than the center. However, in the case where the vehicle travels in the leftmost lane of the expressway, there is a roadside belt or a wall on the left side of the vehicle, and therefore, even if the detectable distance in the left side angle range θ 14 is thus decreased, there is little hindrance to the travel of the vehicle. Thus, by reducing the light intensity at the left end in this way, the power consumption can be reduced, and the object can be detected more efficiently.

When the setting to lower the emission amplification factor of the right laser diode 110 is performed in step S202 in fig. 9 (a), the controller 21 performs control to lower the emission amplification factors of the rightmost laser diode 110 and the second laser diode 110 from the right among the seven laser diodes 110 shown in fig. 9 (b), for example, than those of the other laser diodes 110.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a situation in a case where the setting for lowering the emission magnification of the right laser diode 110 is performed in step S202 in fig. 9 (a).

Here, an example is shown in which the emission magnification of the laser diode 110 on the right side is lowered on the condition that the vehicle 20 makes a right turn at the intersection J10.

When the vehicle 20 turns right at the intersection J10 from the road R10 and advances toward the right-turn road R20, control is performed to decrease the light intensity for a predetermined range of the right-side end of the line beam B10 during a period from when the vehicle 20 starts turning right until when the turning right is finished. Thus, in a given range of the right-side end of the line light beam B10, the detection possible distance of the object decreases. In the other range of the line light beam B10, the light intensity is maintained high, and therefore, as in the case of fig. 4, the detectable distance of the object is ensured long.

Here, it can be said that, when the vehicle 20 is turning right at the intersection J10, in order to grasp a situation of an oncoming vehicle traveling in reverse on the front road R30 with respect to the front left of the vehicle 20, it is necessary to perform object detection up to a long distance. On the other hand, regarding the right front side of the vehicle 20, the person 30 crossing the crosswalk at the intersection J10, the vehicle in a parked state on the right turn road R20, and the like may be detected, and therefore, the object detection may be performed at a relatively short distance. Therefore, in the case where the vehicle 20 is turning right, even if the light intensity is decreased in the range of the line beam B10 corresponding to the right side of the vehicle 20 to decrease the detectable distance of the object, there is no obstacle to the traveling of the vehicle 20. Thus, by reducing the light intensity at the right end portion at the time of right turn in this way, it is possible to reduce power consumption and more efficiently detect an object.

In step S202 in fig. 9 (a), the number and the lowering width of the laser diodes 110 for lowering the emission magnification may be changed for each type of the right lowering condition sufficient in step S201. In addition, when the vehicle 20 turns right, the number of laser diodes 110 for reducing the emission magnification and the reduction width may be changed according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel from the neutral position.

Similarly, in step S204 of fig. 9 (a), the number and the lowering width of the laser diodes 110 for lowering the emission amplification factor may be changed for each type of the left lowering condition sufficient in step S203. The number of laser diodes 110 for reducing the output amplification factor and the reduction width may be changed according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 20. That is, in the group of laser diodes 110 that decrease the emission magnification, the emission magnification may be further made different for each laser diode 110 depending on a given condition such as a traveling state.

< effects of the embodiment >

According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.

As described with reference to (a) to (c) of fig. 2, the laser diode 110 is disposed such that the fast axis 118a, which is easier to optically control, is along a direction corresponding to the short side direction (X-axis direction) of the line beam B10. Therefore, the spread angle of the light beam in the short side direction of the line light beam B10 can be adjusted to be closer to parallel light. This can effectively suppress a decrease in energy density in the short-side direction of the line beam B10, and can detect an object at a longer distance.

As shown in fig. 2 (c), a plurality of laser light emitting units 117 are arranged along the slow axis direction of the laser diode 110. This can effectively increase the light amount of the line beam B10. As described with reference to fig. 6 (a) to 7 and 9 (a) to 11, the light intensity of the line beam B10 can be smoothly varied in the longitudinal direction by individually controlling the laser diodes 110.

In the configuration of fig. 2 (c), the plurality of laser diodes 110 are arranged in parallel and integrated in the slow axis direction, and the plurality of light emitting units 117 are arranged in the slow axis direction, but the laser diode 110 may be configured such that the plurality of light emitting units 117 are provided in the slow axis direction in one laser diode 110.

As shown in the verification result of fig. 5 (a), the optical system is preferably configured such that when the divergence angle of the laser beam in the fast axis direction before transmission in the optical system for generating the linear beam B10 is θ 0 and the divergence angle of the laser beam after transmission in the fast axis direction is θ 1, θ 1/θ 0 is 0.1 or less. This can greatly increase the detectable distance of the object.

As shown in the verification result of fig. 5 (b), the width of the light emitting section 117 in the fast axis direction of the laser diode 110 is preferably 240 μm or less. Thereby, the characteristics of the laser diode 110 can be effectively used without waste, and the detectable distance of the object can be effectively improved.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the scanner unit 15 is disposed closer to the light source 11 (laser diode 110) than the magnifier lens 17. This makes it possible to guide the laser beam having a small beam diameter before being expanded by the magnifying lens 17 to the scanning unit 15, and to use the scanning unit 15 which is small in size and high in sensitivity. This can reduce the cost and smoothly and appropriately scan the line beam B10.

In the present embodiment, as described with reference to fig. 1, the magnifier lens 17 includes a lens surface 17a curved in only one direction, and the scanner 15 scans the laser beam in a direction (X-axis direction) parallel to a generatrix of the lens surface 17a to scan the line beam B10 in the short-side direction. By thus scanning the laser beam in the direction parallel to the generatrix of the lens surface 17a, it is possible to suppress a large change in the optical action imparted to the laser beam from the magnifying lens 17 accompanying the scanning of the laser beam. This stabilizes the beam profile of the line beam B10, and improves the object detection accuracy.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the scanning unit 15 is disposed between the collimator lenses 12 and 13 and the magnifying lens 17. This makes it possible to guide the laser beam having a small beam diameter after collimated light to the scanning unit 15, and to use the scanning unit 15 which is small in size and high in sensitivity. This can reduce the cost and smoothly and appropriately scan the line beam B10.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the optical system for generating the line beam B10 includes the adjustment lens 16 for adjusting the light intensity of the line beam B10 in the longitudinal direction. Thus, for example, as shown in fig. 4, the light intensity of the line beam B10 can be made substantially uniform in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10, and the object can be detected with high accuracy at all positions in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 (B), the light intensity of the line beam B10 can be made different in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 by adjusting the lens 16.

As shown in fig. 6 (a) to 11, the light intensity of the line beam B10 is made different in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10, whereby the laser light emitted from the light source 11 can be used more effectively.

For example, as shown in fig. 6 (a) to 8 (B), by adjusting the light intensity of the line beam B10 so that the light intensity decreases at both end portions in the longitudinal direction as compared with the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10, the laser light can be used more effectively during straight traveling. That is, in the front of the vehicle where object detection is required to be performed at a long distance, the detectable distance can be secured while maintaining the normal light intensity; the light intensity camera can be made to shorten the detection possible distance for detecting a sufficient vehicle side with an object at a relatively short distance. This enables more efficient use of the laser light emitted from the light source 11.

Further, as shown in fig. 9 (a) to 11, by adjusting the light intensity of the line beam B10 so that the one end side in the longitudinal direction is reduced as compared with the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10, the laser light can be used more effectively when driving on an expressway, turning right at an intersection, or the like.

For example, in the case where the vehicle 20 is traveling in the leftmost lane of the expressway, a roadside belt or a wall continues on the left side of the vehicle 20, and thus detection of an object at a long distance is not necessary. In this case, the detectable distance is shortened by decreasing the intensity of the left end of the line beam B10, and the object detection can be performed appropriately while using the laser light more effectively.

Alternatively, when the vehicle 20 is turning right at an intersection, it is sufficient that a person crossing a crosswalk can be detected and the vehicle is stopped on the right side of the vehicle 20, and therefore, it is not necessary to detect an object at a long distance. In this case, the intensity of the right end of the line beam B10 is reduced to shorten the detectable distance, thereby enabling more efficient use of the laser light and appropriate object detection.

In the case where the light source 11 is configured by arranging a plurality of light-emitting portions 117 in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 as shown in fig. 2 (c), it is preferable that the light intensity of the line beam B10 is made different in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 by controlling the output of each light-emitting portion 117 by the controller 21 as shown in fig. 6 (a) and 9 (a). This enables the light intensity of the line beam B10 to be dynamically adjusted according to various situations.

However, for example, in the case where the light intensity of the line beam B10 is fixed to the intensity distribution shown in fig. 7, as shown in fig. 8 (a), the light intensity of the line beam B10 can be made different in the longitudinal direction by making the emission capabilities of the plurality of laser diodes 110 different; alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 (B), the adjustment lens 16 may be configured such that the light intensity in the longitudinal direction of the line beam B10 is different in the longitudinal direction.

< modification example >

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications can be made separately.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 (c), the light source 11 is configured such that the plurality of light emitting portions 117 are arranged in the slow axis direction, but the light source 11 may be configured such that the light emitting portions 117 are also arranged in the fast axis direction.

Fig. 12 (a) to (c) are diagrams showing a configuration example of this case.

In this configuration example, as shown in fig. 12 (a), a plurality of light emitting units 117 are provided in parallel in the fast axis direction (X axis direction) in one laser diode 110. Between N-type substrate 114 and contact layer 115, a set of active layer 111, N-type clad layer 112, and P-type clad layer 113 is laminated via tunnel junction layer 119. Thereby, three light emitting portions 117 are formed.

As in the case of fig. 2 (a), the width W1 of the light-emitting portion 117 in the direction parallel to the active layer 111 is wider than the width W2 in the direction perpendicular to the active layer 111. By applying a drive current to the electrode 116, laser light is emitted from each of the three light emitting sections 117 as shown in fig. 12 (b). The spread angle of the light beam B20 in the direction parallel to the fast axis 118a becomes larger than in the direction parallel to the slow axis 118B. Therefore, the light beam B20 has an elliptical shape elongated in the fast axis direction.

In this configuration example, as shown in fig. 12 (c), the light source 11 is configured by arranging a plurality of laser diodes 110 in parallel in the slow axis direction. Thus, the plurality of light emitting portions 117 are arranged not only in the slow axis direction but also in the fast axis direction.

In this configuration example, since the number of the light emitting portions 117 is increased as compared with the configuration of fig. 2 (c), the light amount of the line beam B10 can be increased. However, since the positions of the upper and lower light emitting sections 117 are shifted from the optical axis of the collimator lens 12, the laser beams emitted from these light emitting sections 117 are likely to spread out from parallel beams. Therefore, in this configuration, it is preferable to reduce the interval between the light emitting portions 117 arranged in the fast axis direction as much as possible. From the verification result in fig. 5 (b), it can be said that the interval between the uppermost light-emitting portion 117 and the lowermost light-emitting portion 117 is preferably 240 μm or less. The number of light emitting portions 117 arranged in the fast axis direction is not limited to three, and may be other numbers such as two.

In this configuration example, the light intensity of the line beam B10 may be made different in the longitudinal direction by the same method as that described with reference to fig. 6 (a) to 11.

In the above embodiment, the laser light is collimated by using the two collimator lenses 12 and 13, but the laser light may be collimated by one collimator lens having the functions of both the collimator lenses 12 and 13. In the optical system shown in fig. 1, the laser light is guided to the scanning unit 15 by the mirror 14, but the mirror 14 may be omitted and the laser light transmitted through the collimator lens 13 may be directly incident on the scanning unit 15. The configuration of the optical system that generates the line beam B10 can be changed as appropriate.

In the above-described embodiment, the laser diode 110 is disposed such that the fast axis 118a of the light emitting portion 117 of the laser diode 110 is parallel to the direction (X-axis direction) corresponding to the short-side direction of the line beam B10, but the fast axis 118a of the light emitting portion 117 may not be strictly parallel to the direction corresponding to the short-side direction of the line beam B10, or may be slightly inclined from being parallel to the direction corresponding to the short-side direction of the line beam B10.

In the above embodiment, the laser radar 10 is mounted on the vehicle 20, but the laser radar 10 may be mounted on another mobile body. The laser radar 10 may be mounted on a machine or equipment other than a mobile body.

The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

-description of symbols-

10 … lidar

11 … light source

12. 13 … collimating lens

15 … scanning part

16 … adjusting lens

17 … magnifying lens

17a … lens surface

21 … controller

22 … laser driving circuit

110 … laser diode

117 … light emitting part

118a … fast axis

118b … slow axis

B10 … line beam.