Vehicle information processing device and vehicle information processing program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle information processing device and a vehicle information processing program capable of processing information relating to a vehicle with a simple operation.SOLUTION: One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle information processing device including a control unit that combines a driving video captured while a vehicle is traveling with vehicle information acquired from the vehicle, the control unit has a function of controlling the storage of driving video in association with the shooting time, and storing vehicle information acquired using the vehicle's OBD (On Board Diagnostics) in association with the driving time, and a function of generating a composite video in which the driving video and the vehicle information are combined in a preset screen layout so that the time information of the shooting time and the driving time match each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle information processing device and a vehicle information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] When a vehicle runs on a designated course such as a circuit, the running time for each lap (lap time) or section time may be measured. Generally, a measurement system is used in which an antenna is buried in advance at a designated position on the course, and a receiver (transponder) mounted on the running vehicle receives a signal from the antenna to start / stop the time measurement. Some measurement systems use a magnetic bar instead of an antenna, and a magnetic sensor mounted on the vehicle detects the passage of the magnetic bar to start / stop the time measurement.

[0003] These measurement systems require the circuit to bury antennas and magnetic bars on the course in advance as equipment to control the time measurement. Because such measurement systems are costly, there are also devices that simply measure the running time on the vehicle side only. For example, there is a device that uses GPS (Global Positioning System) to detect the position information of the running vehicle to determine the number of laps around the circuit and measure the time.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle lap time measurement device that calculates the straight line of the finish line from position information obtained by GPS and measures the time required for a vehicle to complete one lap around the circuit after passing the finish line and then reach the finish line again.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a time measurement device that generates a course for time measurement on a map based on map data and measures running times based on radio waves from GPS satellites in order to reduce costs and ease restrictions on measurement locations. Patent Document 3 discloses a time measurement device that improves the measurement accuracy of the time a vehicle passes a predetermined reference position based on satellite signals from positioning satellites. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-088136 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2010-108231 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-228161 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When measuring lap times or section times while driving on a specified course such as a circuit using GPS position information, it is possible to achieve this with a simple configuration without using a measurement system installed on the course. In such a driving time measurement device using GPS position information, it is desirable to be able to measure with high accuracy, with simple operations, without placing an excessive burden on the driver.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a vehicle information processing device and a vehicle information processing program that can process information about a vehicle, such as measuring driving time with high accuracy through simple operations using GPS location information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle information processing device having a function of measuring the time required for a vehicle to travel a predetermined course, and includes a GPS receiving unit that acquires vehicle position information at a predetermined sampling rate, a reference designation unit that generates a reference position designation signal when the vehicle is positioned at a desired reference position on the course, a reference position acquisition unit that acquires the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiver unit as reference position coordinates based on the timing of receiving the reference position designation signal generated by the reference designation unit, a detection area calculation unit that calculates a rectangular detection area including the reference position coordinates acquired by the reference position acquisition unit and having two sides parallel to the vehicle's driving line, and a required time measurement unit that measures the time required for the current position coordinates received by the GPS receiver unit while the vehicle is traveling to leave the inside of the detection area and re-enter the inside of the detection area.

[0010] According to this configuration, when the vehicle is traveling on the course, a position on the course that is a reference for measuring the running time is specified while the vehicle is traveling, and a position (reference position coordinate) that triggers the start and stop of the running time measurement is set. When the reference position coordinate is set, a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinate and has two sides parallel to the vehicle's running line is calculated. In measuring the running time, the time required for the current position coordinate received by the GPS receiving unit while the vehicle is traveling to leave the inside of the rectangular detection area and re-enter the rectangular detection area is measured. Since the actual course on which the vehicle travels has a certain width (width), setting a rectangular detection area makes it easy to absorb deviations of the running line on the course and errors in the GPS.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle information processing device that processes information when a vehicle travels along a course, and includes a GPS receiving unit that acquires vehicle position information at a predetermined sampling rate, a reference position acquisition unit that acquires the coordinates of a desired reference position on the course as reference position information, a detection area calculation unit that calculates a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinates indicated by the reference position information detected by the reference position acquisition unit and overlaps with the course, and a memory unit that stores date and time information and vehicle position information when the current position coordinates received by the GPS receiving unit while the vehicle is traveling move from outside to inside the detection area.

[0012] According to this configuration, when the reference position coordinates are set in advance, a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinates and overlaps with the course is calculated. Then, the date and time information and the vehicle position information when the current position coordinates received by the GPS receiver while the vehicle is traveling enter the rectangular detection area from the outside to the inside are stored in the storage unit. Since the actual course on which the vehicle travels has a certain width (width), setting a rectangular detection area makes it easy to absorb deviations in the driving line on the course and GPS errors.

[0013] In the vehicle information processing device, the detection area calculation unit may calculate a driving line from the reference position coordinates and the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiving unit immediately before or after receiving the reference position designation signal, and calculate a rectangular detection area having the reference position coordinates as the center and including front and rear areas along the driving line and left and right areas along a direction perpendicular to the driving line. This makes it possible to automatically set a rectangular detection area having the reference position coordinates as the center and the vehicle's driving line as the reference.

[0014] In the vehicle information processing device, the detection area calculation unit may perform a correction to expand or offset the detection area in one direction perpendicular to the driving line according to the direction of the curve of the course before and after the reference position coordinates. This makes it possible to adapt the detection area to the width direction of the course by estimating where the vehicle's driving line based on the course layout is located in the width direction of the course.

[0015] In the vehicle information processing device, the detection area calculation unit may change the size of the detection area according to the vehicle speed at the time when the reference position acquisition unit receives the reference position designation signal. This increases the probability of acquiring GPS position information of the traveling vehicle within the detection area and improves measurement accuracy.

[0016] In the vehicle information processing device, the detection area calculation unit may change the size of the detection area in accordance with at least one of the sampling rate at which the GPS receiver acquires the vehicle's position information and the vehicle's speed, thereby increasing the probability of acquiring the GPS position information of the traveling vehicle within the detection area and improving the measurement accuracy.

[0017] In the vehicle information processing device, the detection area calculation unit may calculate a plurality of detection areas on the course, and the required time measurement unit may measure the required time from when the current position coordinates leave one of the plurality of detection areas to when they enter another detection area, thereby making it possible to measure the section time of the course.

[0018] The vehicle information processing device may further include a correction calculation unit that calculates a correction value of the required time based on a distance obtained from the difference between the current position coordinates in the vehicle's traveling direction and the reference position coordinates and a time per unit traveling distance obtained from the vehicle's most recent speed when the current position coordinates enter the detection area from outside, and the required time measurement unit may correct the measured required time based on the correction value to calculate the corrected required time. This makes it possible to correct an error in the measured time based on an error between the position where the GPS position information is obtained within the detection area and the reference position coordinates.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle information processing program that measures the time required for a vehicle to travel a predetermined course, the vehicle information processing program causing a computer to execute the following steps: a GPS receiving step for acquiring vehicle position information; a reference designation step for generating a reference position designation signal while the vehicle is positioned at a desired reference position on the course; a reference position acquisition step for acquiring the vehicle position information received in the GPS receiving step as reference position coordinates based on the timing of receiving the reference position designation signal generated in the reference designation step; a detection area calculation step for calculating a rectangular detection area including the reference position coordinates acquired in the reference position acquisition step and having two sides parallel to the vehicle's travel line; and a required time measurement step for measuring the time required for the current position coordinates received in the GPS receiving step to leave the inside of the detection area and re-enter the inside of the detection area while the vehicle is traveling.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle information processing program that processes information when a vehicle travels along a course, the vehicle information processing program causing a computer to execute a GPS receiving step of acquiring vehicle position information, a reference position acquisition step of acquiring coordinates of a desired reference position on the course as reference position information, a detection area calculation step of calculating a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinates indicated by the reference position information detected in the reference position acquisition step and overlaps with the course, and a storage step of storing date and time information and vehicle position information when the current position coordinates received in the GPS receiving step while the vehicle is traveling move from outside to inside the detection area.

[0021] In the above vehicle information processing program, the detection area calculation step may calculate the vehicle's driving line from the reference position coordinates and the vehicle's position information received in the GPS receiving step immediately before or immediately after receiving the reference position designation signal, and calculate a rectangular detection area consisting of front and rear areas along the driving line and left and right areas along a direction perpendicular to the driving line, with the reference position coordinates as the center.

[0022] In the vehicle information processing program, the detection area calculation step may perform a correction to expand or offset the detection area in one direction perpendicular to the driving line depending on the direction of the curve of the course before and after the reference position coordinates.

[0023] In the vehicle information processing program, the detection area calculation step may change the size of the detection area in accordance with the vehicle speed at the timing when the reference position designation signal is received in the reference position acquisition step.

[0024] In the vehicle information processing program, the detection area calculation step may change the size of the detection area in accordance with at least one of a sampling rate at which the vehicle position information is acquired in the GPS reception step and the speed of the vehicle.

[0025] In the above vehicle information processing program, the detection area calculation step may calculate a plurality of detection areas on the course, and the required time measurement step may measure the time required for the current position coordinates to leave one of the plurality of detection areas and enter another of the plurality of detection areas.

[0026] The vehicle information processing program may further include a correction calculation step of calculating a correction value of the required time based on a distance obtained from the difference between the current position coordinates and a reference position coordinate in the vehicle's traveling direction and a time per unit traveling distance obtained from the vehicle's most recent speed when the current position coordinates move from outside to inside the detection area, and the required time measurement step may correct the measured required time based on the correction value to calculate the corrected required time. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle information processing device and a vehicle information processing program that can process information about a vehicle, such as measuring driving time with high accuracy through simple operations using GPS location information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method using the vehicle information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a detection area. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a detection area and a driving line. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating error correction. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating setting of a detection area. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example using a detection area. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating differences in detection due to course layouts. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating measurement of section times. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for measuring a section time using the vehicle information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for measuring a section time using the vehicle information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating correction of a detection area. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a driving video uploading system that combines and uploads video and vehicle information. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for composite upload of video and vehicle information. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu screen. [Figure 17] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating examples of screens related to a camera. [Figure 18]13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of a setting screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen. [Figure 20] 13A is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen, and FIG. 13B is a diagram illustrating an example of a video selection screen. [Figure 21] 13A is a diagram illustrating an example of a video playback screen, and FIG. 13B is a diagram illustrating an example of an SNS posting screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of members that have already been described will be omitted as appropriate.

[0030] (Configuration of vehicle information processing device) FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle information processing device according to this embodiment. The vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment is a device having a function of measuring the time required for a vehicle to travel a predetermined course. The course includes not only a circular circuit but also a non-circular course (a rally course, a gymkhana course, a general road, etc.). The vehicle includes moving objects such as automobiles, race cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Note that this embodiment will be described mainly with respect to a case where the travel time of an automobile traveling a circuit is measured.

[0031] The vehicle information processing device 1 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 50, a reference designation unit 11, a reference position acquisition unit 12, a detection area calculation unit 13, and a required time measurement unit 14. In addition to the above configuration, the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment includes an input unit 10, an output unit 20, a storage unit 30, and a control unit 40. The reference designation unit 11, the reference position acquisition unit 12, the detection area calculation unit 13, and the required time measurement unit 14 may be included in the control unit 40. The control unit 40 may include a correction calculation unit 15.

[0032] The vehicle information processing device 1 is mounted on a vehicle that travels along a course. Each component of the vehicle information processing device 1 may be incorporated in a single housing, or may be configured in separate housings as necessary.

[0033] The input unit 10 is, for example, an input unit such as a button or a touch panel. The output unit 20 is, for example, a display unit such as a display or a touch panel, or a speaker that outputs sound. The storage unit 30 is, for example, a non-volatile memory. The control unit 40 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls each unit.

[0034] The GPS receiving unit 50 acquires vehicle position information at a predetermined sampling rate using GPS satellites. The reference designation unit 11 generates a reference position designation signal when the vehicle is located at a desired reference position on the course. For example, the driver operates the input unit 10 at the timing when the vehicle reaches a desired reference position on the course while traveling on the course, causing the reference designation unit 11 to generate a reference position designation signal. The reference designation unit 11 may generate a reference position designation signal at the timing when a signal sent from outside the vehicle is received.

[0035] The reference position acquisition unit 12 acquires, as reference position coordinates, the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 based on the timing of receiving the reference position designation signal generated by the reference designation unit 11. In other words, the reference position coordinates are GPS position information (such as the latitude and longitude of the reference position) corresponding to a desired reference position on the course.

[0036] The detection area calculation unit 13 calculates a rectangular (including substantially rectangular) detection area having two sides parallel (including substantially parallel) to the vehicle's driving line, including the reference position coordinates acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 12. A basic example of the calculation of the detection area by the detection area calculation unit 13 is to set the detection area to a rectangular region having preset ranges on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle's traveling direction, centered on the reference position coordinates.

[0037] For example, a rectangular area (10m long x 20m wide rectangular area) having a range of 5 meters (m) both in front and behind the reference position coordinates and 10m to the left and right of the reference position coordinates is calculated as the detection area. The front, rear, left and right ranges are preferably stored in the storage unit 30 as initial values. The front and rear ranges are values ​​that take into account the error range of GPS in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the left and right ranges are values ​​that take into account the width of a typical circuit. The front, rear, left and right ranges may be changeable by the user. An example of the calculation of the detection area by the detection area calculation unit 13 will be described later.

[0038] The required time measurement unit 14 measures the time required for the current position coordinates received by the GPS receiving unit 50 while the vehicle is traveling to leave the detection area and re-enter the detection area. The correction calculation unit 15 corrects the error in the measurement time based on the error between the position where the GPS position information is obtained within the detection area and the reference position coordinates. The correction of the error by the correction calculation unit 15 will be described later.

[0039] According to the vehicle information processing device 1 having such a configuration, when the vehicle is traveling on a course, a position on the course that is to be a reference for measuring the running time is specified while the vehicle is traveling, and a position (reference position coordinate) that is to be a trigger for starting and stopping the measurement of the running time is set. When this reference position coordinate is set, a rectangular detection area that includes this reference position coordinate and has two sides parallel to the running line of the vehicle is calculated.

[0040] In measuring the running time, the time required for the current position coordinates received by the GPS receiver 50 while the vehicle is running to leave the inside of a rectangular detection area and re-enter the inside of the rectangular detection area is measured. Since the actual course on which the vehicle runs has a certain width, setting a rectangular detection area makes it easier to absorb deviations in the running line on the course and errors in the GPS. In addition, since the detection area rectangle is composed of two sides parallel to the running line and two sides perpendicular to the running line, the boundary line of the detection area is set in a straight line in the width direction of the course, and the vehicle can be stably detected no matter where it passes in the width direction of the course.

[0041] (Method of measuring running time) FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a running time measurement method using the vehicle information processing device according to this embodiment. First, as shown in step S101, GPS reception and recording is performed. When the vehicle information processing device 1 receives power from the vehicle, the GPS receiver 50 starts receiving GPS position information, and records the received position information in the storage unit 30. The GPS receiver 50 receives signals from GPS satellites at a predetermined sampling rate, acquires position information, and sequentially records it in the storage unit 30.

[0042] Next, as shown in step S102, it is determined whether or not a reference position designation signal has been received. The reference position designation signal is received by the reference position acquisition unit 12 of the control unit 40. When measuring a driving time by driving a vehicle on a course, it is necessary to set a position (reference position) that serves as a reference for starting / stopping the time measurement. In this embodiment, for example, the driver designates a desired reference position while the vehicle is driving on the course.

[0043] For example, with the vehicle positioned at a desired reference position on the course, the driver operates the input unit 10 (for example, presses a button). This causes a reference position designation signal to be output from the reference designation unit 11. In step S102, it is determined whether the reference position designation signal output from the reference designation unit 11 has been acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 12. If not, the process returns to step S101, and GPS reception and recording are repeated.

[0044] Here, when measuring the time for one lap (lap time) during circuit driving, a control line set on the course is generally set as the reference position. In this case, even if an attempt is made to acquire position information by specifying the control line of the circuit from map information published on the Internet, it is not possible to specify it accurately due to the limitations of the map magnification. Furthermore, information on the traveling direction of the vehicle cannot be obtained from map information alone. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the vehicle is actually driving on the course, for example, the driver operates the input unit 10 at the timing when the vehicle reaches the reference position, and the reference position designation signal is generated from the reference designation unit 11. Note that the reference designation unit 11 may generate the reference position designation signal at the timing when the driver operates the input unit 10 or when a signal sent from outside the vehicle is received.

[0045] Next, as shown in step S103, reference position information is acquired. The reference position acquisition unit 12 acquires the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 based on the timing of receiving the reference position designation signal output from the reference designation unit 11 as the reference position coordinates.

[0046] Next, as shown in step S104, the detection area is calculated. The detection area is calculated by the detection area calculation unit 13 of the control unit 40. The detection area calculation unit 13 receives the reference position coordinates acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 12, and calculates a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinates and has two sides parallel to the vehicle's driving line.

[0047] Next, as shown in step S105, time measurement is performed. The time measurement is performed by the required time measurement unit 14 of the control unit 40. In the first time measurement after the reference position designation signal is output by the reference designation unit 11, the required time measurement unit 14 regards the timing at which the reference position designation signal is output as the start of the time measurement.

[0048] Next, as shown in step S106, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has re-entered the detection area. The required time measurement unit 14 starts time measurement, and then determines whether or not the vehicle's position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 indicates that the vehicle has once left the detection area, gone outside the detection area, and then re-entered the detection area. If the vehicle has not re-entered the detection area (if it is outside the detection area), the process returns to step S105 and the time measurement continues.

[0049] On the other hand, if the vehicle re-enters the detection area, it is determined that the vehicle has completed one lap of the course, and the measured time is output as shown in step S107 (output of lap time). The lap time is displayed on the output unit 20, for example, a display.

[0050] Then, as shown in step S108, if the measurement is to be ended, the time measurement process is ended, and if the measurement is to be continued, the process returns to step S105 and the subsequent processes are repeated. As a result, in the second and subsequent laps, the lap time is measured for each lap, with the end of the time measurement for the previous lap being the start of the time measurement for the next lap. In other words, from the second lap onwards, the lap time is automatically measured and output to the output unit 20 every time the vehicle's position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 re-enters the detection area.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the detection area. For example, when the driver specifies a desired reference position while the vehicle M is traveling on the course C, a reference position specification signal is output from the reference specification unit 11, and the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 based on the timing of receiving the reference position specification signal becomes the reference position coordinates RP. The detection area calculation unit 13 calculates a rectangular detection area SA that includes the reference position coordinates and has two sides parallel to the vehicle's driving line.

[0052] One example of calculating the detection area SA is to calculate a rectangular area having a length L (e.g., several meters) in front of and behind the vehicle M's direction of travel D, centered on the reference position coordinate RP, and a width W (e.g., several meters) on both sides of the vehicle M's direction of travel D, centered on the reference position coordinate RP, as the detection area SA.

[0053] Since the course C of a typical circuit is about 20 m wide, it is preferable that the left-right length (width) of the detection area SA is about 20 m. Also, taking into account the error range of the GPS, it is preferable that the front-rear length (length) of the detection area SA is about 10 m. The traveling direction D of the vehicle M is calculated from the reference position coordinate RP and the position information of the vehicle M received by the GPS receiver 50 immediately before or after receiving the reference position designation signal. In calculating the traveling direction D, information on the traveling line (traveling trajectory TL) of the vehicle M and information on the traveling direction (traveling direction) D of the vehicle M are obtained.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the detection area and the driving line. When vehicle M runs on a circuit, the driving line of vehicle M (where it passes in the direction of the width of the course) may differ depending on the lap (see Figures 4(a) and (b)). By setting a rectangular area as the detection area SA, it is possible to accurately detect whether vehicle M has entered the detection area SA even if the driving line of vehicle M shifts in the direction of the width of course C depending on the lap.

[0055] (Error correction) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating error correction. In this embodiment, a rectangular detection area SA is set, and the timing when the vehicle M enters this detection area SA is used as a trigger for starting / stopping the measurement of the running time. Therefore, depending on the timing of acquiring the position information by the GPS receiver 50, a deviation (error) may occur between the set reference position and the start / stop position of the time measurement.

[0056] 5(a) and (c) show a case where the timing when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA and first acquires GPS position information is earlier in the traveling direction than the reference position coordinate RP, and FIG. 5(b) shows a case where the timing when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA and first acquires GPS position information is later in the traveling direction than the reference position coordinate RP. If the control unit 40 is provided with a correction calculation unit 15, this error is corrected by the correction calculation unit 15.

[0057] An example of error correction by the correction calculation unit 15 is correcting the lap time when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA based on the relationship between the difference between the position information of the vehicle M acquired by the GPS receiver unit 50 and the reference position coordinate RP and the speed of the vehicle M.

[0058] That is, the correction calculation unit 15 acquires position information of the vehicle M at a predetermined sampling rate using the GPS receiving unit 50, and calculates the distance in the traveling direction D of the vehicle M from the current position coordinate CP of the vehicle M acquired when the vehicle M moves from the outside to the inside of the detection area SA and the reference position coordinate RP. In addition, the correction calculation unit 15 calculates the time per unit traveling distance obtained from the most recent speed of the vehicle M.

[0059] The current speed of the vehicle M may be calculated from the position information and sampling time immediately before or after the current position coordinate CP is acquired, or vehicle speed information obtainable from the vehicle M (such as a vehicle speed pulse).

[0060] Then, the correction calculation unit 15 calculates a correction value for the lap time based on the distance obtained from the difference between the current position coordinate CP and the reference position coordinate RP, and the time per unit travel distance obtained from the most recent speed of the vehicle M.

[0061] For example, as shown in Fig. 5(a), if the distance d1 in the traveling direction D between the current position coordinate CP of vehicle M acquired when vehicle M enters the inside of detection area SA from the outside, and the reference position coordinate RP is -2 m, and the most recent speed of vehicle M is 120 km / h, the error in the lap time is 0.06 seconds. Correction calculation unit 15 adds the error of 0.06 seconds to the lap time measured by required time measurement unit 14, and outputs the corrected lap time to output unit 20. Correction calculation unit 15 also instructs required time measurement unit 14 to add 0.06 seconds to the measurement start time of the lap time of the next lap.

[0062] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b), if the distance d2 in the travel direction D between the current position coordinates of vehicle M obtained when vehicle M enters the inside of the detection area SA from the outside, and the reference position coordinates, is +1.5 m, and the most recent speed of vehicle M is 150 km / h, the error in the lap time is 0.036 seconds (s).

[0063] The correction calculation unit 15 subtracts the error of 0.036 seconds from the lap time measured by the required time measurement unit 14, and outputs the corrected lap time to the output unit 20. The correction calculation unit 15 also instructs the required time measurement unit 14 to subtract 0.036 seconds from the measurement start time of the lap time of the next lap. This makes it possible to correct the error in the measurement time based on the error between the position where the GPS position information was obtained within the detection area and the reference position coordinates RP.

[0064] When measuring and correcting errors in travel time such as lap times using the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment, GPS signal reception may be lost (satellite loss) especially in tunnels, urban areas (places with many obstacles such as buildings), and mountainous areas. Taking this satellite loss into consideration, it is advisable to constantly obtain vehicle speed information from the OBD (On Board Diagnostics) of the vehicle M and use this information to perform error correction in time measurement and correction of travel distance, etc.

[0065] Specifically, when GPS satellite signal reception is temporarily insufficient, such as in a tunnel, an urban area with tall buildings, or a mountainous area, the vehicle speed information obtained from the OBD is used to calculate the travel distance of vehicle M. In other words, since the travel distance of vehicle M can be constantly calculated using the vehicle speed information obtained from the OBD, the travel distance and travel time are interpolated using the distance and time from when the satellite is lost until the GPS signal is again received.

[0066] In addition, since the time is accumulated by the crystal inside the hardware, the distance traveled can be calculated from the time during which the satellite is lost (accumulated value) and the vehicle speed during that time (average vehicle speed), and can be supplemented when the next GPS signal is captured. In addition, if the distance of one lap has already been determined, the travel time can be calculated from the travel distance and travel time. In addition, the travel direction and travel trajectory of the vehicle M can be obtained by calculating the change in the attitude of the vehicle M from the vehicle speed information, acceleration information, and information from the gyro sensor obtained from the OBD.

[0067] (Detection area setting) FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the setting of the detection area. In the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment, a rectangular detection area SA is calculated by the detection area calculation unit 13 (see FIG. 1). When measuring the running time of the vehicle M, the start / stop of the time measurement is triggered depending on whether the position information of the vehicle M obtained by GPS has entered from the outside to the inside of the detection area SA. Furthermore, the GPS receiving unit 50 acquires the GPS position information at a predetermined sampling rate. Furthermore, there is a possibility that an error may occur in acquiring the GPS position information.

[0068] For example, if the speed of the vehicle M is 100 km / h and the sampling rate is 10 times / second, the pitch SP of acquiring GPS position information is about 2.8 m. The error E of the GPS position information varies depending on the type of GPS satellite and the surrounding environment, but is about several meters to several tens of meters.

[0069] In this embodiment, to calculate the detection area SA, the width of a typical circuit course is set in the direction (width direction) perpendicular to the direction of travel of vehicle M, and a value estimated from the pitch SP of acquiring GPS position information calculated from the vehicle speed of vehicle M and the GPS sampling rate, and the error E of the GPS position information is set in the direction of travel (longitudinal direction) D of vehicle M.

[0070] As an example, if the pitch of acquiring GPS position information calculated from the speed of the vehicle M and the sampling rate of the GPS is SP, and the error of the GPS position information is E, the length of the rectangular detection area SA in the traveling direction (vertical direction) D of the vehicle M is 2×SP+E. In the specific example shown above, if the pitch SP=approximately 2.8 m and the error E=approximately 5 m, the vertical length of the detection area SA is 2×approximately 2.8 m+approximately 5 m=approximately 10.6 m. This ensures that the detection area SA can receive GPS position information at least once, taking into account the vehicle speed, sampling rate, and GPS error. In addition, if the width of the detection area SA is set to the general width of the course C of approximately 20 m, the detection area SA can reliably receive GPS position information even if the driving line of the vehicle M deviates in the width direction of the course C.

[0071] In this embodiment, the detection area calculation unit 13 may change the size of the detection area SA according to the speed of the vehicle M at the timing when the reference position acquisition unit 12 receives the reference position designation signal. For example, the faster the speed of the vehicle M at the timing when the reference position designation signal is received, the longer the length L (the length in the traveling direction D of the vehicle M) when calculating the detection area SA is changed, and the slower the speed of the vehicle M, the shorter the length L when calculating the detection area SA is changed. This increases the probability of acquiring GPS position information of the traveling vehicle M within the detection area SA and improves the measurement accuracy.

[0072] Furthermore, the detection area calculation unit 13 may change the size of the detection area SA according to the sampling rate at which the GPS receiver unit 50 acquires the position information of the vehicle M. For example, the lower the sampling rate of the GPS position information at the GPS receiver unit 50, the longer the length L (the length in the traveling direction D of the vehicle M) is changed when calculating the detection area SA, and the higher the sampling rate, the shorter the length L is changed when calculating the detection area SA. This increases the probability of acquiring the GPS position information of the traveling vehicle M within the detection area SA, and improves the measurement accuracy.

[0073] Here, the traveling direction D of the vehicle M can be determined from the travel distance and moving direction (change in position over time) obtained from GPS position information. Also, when satellites are lost, the traveling direction D and the current position of the vehicle M can be determined from the speed information of the vehicle M obtained by OBD and information from the acceleration sensor. That is, since position information from the GPS and vehicle speed information from the OBD are normally constantly being acquired, the current position and traveling trajectory (map information) of the vehicle M can be obtained from the vehicle speed and acceleration sensor information, and the traveling direction D of the vehicle M can also be ascertained.

[0074] Also, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle M is moving in the same direction near the detection area SA and to complement the accumulation of the lap time. For example, the position of the vehicle M is close to the detection area SA (for example, within a range (front-rear expansion range) expanded approximately two to ten times in the traveling direction D of the detection area SA), and it is determined whether the vehicle M is approaching the detection area SA or moving away from the detection area SA from the traveling direction D of the vehicle M. If the GPS position information within the detection area SA cannot be acquired between the time when it is determined that the vehicle M is approaching the detection area SA and the time when it is determined that the vehicle M is moving away from the detection area SA, it may be determined that the vehicle M has entered the detection area SA between the time when it was last determined that the vehicle M was approaching the detection area SA and the time when it was first determined that the vehicle M was moving away from the detection area SA (for example, an intermediate time), and the lap time may be measured.

[0075] In addition, when going around course C, the distance for one lap can be accumulated, and if the satellite is lost, the time it takes to travel the distance for one lap, which has been calculated in advance from the vehicle speed information from the OBD and the travel time, can be used as the lap time.

[0076] (Comparative Example) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example. In the vehicle information processing device according to the comparative example, the start line SL is calculated in a straight line based on the position information received by the GPS, the GPS position information of the traveling vehicle M is acquired, and when the position information crosses the straight line of the start line SL, it is determined that the vehicle has completed a lap and the time is measured. In this case, if there is an error in the position information acquired by the GPS, the following situation may occur.

[0077] First, as shown in Fig. 7(a), when GPS position information is acquired while a traveling vehicle M is located before the start line SL, there is a possibility that a false detection will occur in a portion S1 beyond the start line SL within the range of the GPS error E (the circular range in the figure). In this case, although the vehicle M is actually located before the start line SL, if a false detection occurs within the range of portion S1 when the GPS position information is acquired, it will be erroneously determined that the vehicle M has crossed the start line SL.

[0078] Next, as shown in Fig. 7(b), when GPS position information is acquired while a traveling vehicle M is positioned beyond the start line SL, there is a possibility that a false detection will occur in a portion S2 that does not cross the start line SL within the range of the GPS error E (the circular range in the figure). In this case, although the vehicle M is actually positioned beyond the start line SL, if a false detection occurs within the range of portion S2 when the GPS position information is acquired, it will be erroneously determined that the vehicle M has not crossed the start line SL.

[0079] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example using a detection area. The example using the detection area shown in Fig. 8 is the present embodiment. 8(a) shows a case where the relationship between the traveling vehicle M and the start line SL (reference position) is the same as in 7(a). In this case, even if an erroneous detection occurs in a portion S1 beyond the start line SL within the range of the GPS error E (the circular area in the figure), it is possible to determine that the vehicle has entered the detection area SA as long as the portion S1 is within the detection area SA.

[0080] 8(b) shows a case where the relationship between the traveling vehicle M and the start line SL (reference position) is the same as in 7(b). In this case, even if an erroneous detection occurs in a portion S2 that does not cross the start line SL within the range of the GPS error E (the circular range in the figure), it is possible to determine that the vehicle has entered the detection area SA as long as the portion S2 is within the detection area SA.

[0081] In other words, it is possible to make a more accurate start / stop trigger decision by determining whether or not the vehicle has entered the detection area SA than by determining the start line SL using a straight-line formula and then judging whether or not the vehicle has crossed the line.

[0082] In particular, when measuring the running time of the vehicle M, since the vehicle M moves in one direction on a course of a certain width, by setting a rectangular detection area SA, it is possible to accurately determine whether the running vehicle M has reached a reference position. Also, it is easier to calculate whether the vehicle M has entered the rectangular detection area SA than to determine whether the vehicle M has left a straight line from GPS position information.

[0083] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the difference in detection due to the course layout. In the case of the layout of course C shown in Fig. 9, if the start line SL is expressed as a straight line, the course C will cross the start line SL multiple times on its extension. In this case, the vehicle will cross the straight line of the start line SL in the direction of the arrow (from bottom to top in the figure) between the position of the start line SL shown in (1) on course C and the position shown in (2). In other words, the vehicle will cross the straight line twice while making one lap around course C, which will result in an erroneous detection of the number of laps.

[0084] On the other hand, when a rectangular detection area SA is set as in this embodiment, the detection area SA is limited to a predetermined region including the start line SL of the course C. Therefore, regardless of the course layout, it is possible to accurately detect when the vehicle has completed one lap around the course C, and to accurately measure the lap time for one lap.

[0085] (Measuring section times) Next, measurement of section times will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining measurement of section times. In the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment, the detection area calculation unit 13 may calculate a plurality of detection areas SA on the course C. In the example shown in FIG. 10, three detection areas SA1 to SA3 are set on one lap of the course C. In this case, the required time measurement unit 14 measures the time required for the coordinates of the current position, as determined by the GPS receiving unit 50 of the vehicle traveling on the course C, to leave one of the detection areas SA1 to SA3 and enter another detection area. This makes it possible to measure the section time for the course C.

[0086] 11 and 12 are flowcharts illustrating a method for measuring a section time using the vehicle information processing device according to this embodiment. First, as shown in step S201, the number of sections is acquired. The number of sections can be arbitrarily set by the driver in advance. Information on the number of sections is stored in the storage unit 30, and the control unit 40 acquires the information on the number of sections stored in the storage unit 30.

[0087] Next, as shown in step S202, GPS reception and recording is performed. When the vehicle information processing device 1 receives power from the vehicle, the GPS receiver 50 starts receiving GPS position information, and records the received position information in the storage unit 30. The GPS receiver 50 receives signals from GPS satellites at a predetermined sampling rate, acquires position information, and sequentially records it in the storage unit 30.

[0088] Next, as shown in step S203, it is determined whether or not a reference position designation signal has been received. The reference position designation signal is received by the reference position acquisition unit 12 of the control unit 40. When measuring a section time, for example, the driver designates a desired reference position at which the section time is to be measured while the vehicle is traveling on the course. For example, the driver operates the input unit 10 (e.g., presses a button) while the vehicle is positioned at the desired reference position on the course. This causes the reference position designation signal to be output from the reference designation unit 11. In step S203, it is determined whether or not the reference position designation signal output from the reference designation unit 11 has been acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 12. If not, the process returns to step S202, and GPS reception and recording are repeated.

[0089] Next, as shown in step S204, reference position information is acquired. The reference position acquisition unit 12 acquires the vehicle position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 based on the timing of receiving the reference position designation signal output from the reference designation unit 11 as the reference position coordinates.

[0090] Next, as shown in step S205, the detection area is calculated. The detection area is calculated by the detection area calculation unit 13 of the control unit 40. The detection area calculation unit 13 receives the reference position coordinates acquired by the reference position acquisition unit 12, and calculates a rectangular detection area that includes the reference position coordinates and has two sides parallel to the vehicle's driving line.

[0091] Next, as shown in step S206, it is determined whether or not there is a next section. If there is a next section, the process returns to step S202, and the next detection area is calculated based on the reference position designated by the driver or the like at the boundary of the next section.

[0092] After calculating the detection area for the number of sections acquired in step S201, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the detection area again, as shown in step S207. In other words, after calculating the detection area for the last section, entering the next detection area means that the vehicle has entered the detection area that was initially set on the course. This starts time measurement, as shown in step S208. The time measurement is performed by the required time measurement unit 14 of the control unit 40.

[0093] Next, as shown in step S209, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the next detection area. The required time measurement unit 14 starts time measurement, and then determines whether or not the vehicle's position information received by the GPS receiving unit 50 has temporarily gone outside the detection area and entered the inside of the next detection area. If the vehicle has not entered the next detection area (if it is outside the detection area), the process returns to step S208 to continue time measurement. On the other hand, if the vehicle has entered the next detection area, the measured time is output as shown in step S210, assuming that the vehicle has traveled one section set on the course (output of section time). The section time is displayed on the output unit 20, for example on a display.

[0094] Next, as shown in step S211, it is determined whether or not there is a next section. If there is a next section, the process returns to step S208, where time measurement is performed and the section time is output when the vehicle enters the next detection area. If there is no next section, as shown in step S212, the section times measured up to that point are totaled, and as shown in step S213, the total time is output. The total section time is calculated by the required time measurement unit 14.

[0095] When the section times have been measured for the number of sections, the vehicle will have completed one lap of the course. Therefore, the running time for one lap (lap time) can be calculated by adding up the section times for one lap. The lap time is displayed on the output unit 20, for example a display. At this time, it is preferable to display the last section time together with the lap time.

[0096] Then, as shown in step S214, if the measurement is to be ended, the time measurement process ends, and if the measurement is to be continued, the process returns to step S208 and the subsequent processes are repeated. As a result, in the time measurement from the second lap onwards, the section time and lap time for each lap are measured with the end of the time measurement for the previous lap being regarded as the start of the time measurement for the next lap, and are output to the output unit 20.

[0097] (Detection area correction) Next, correction of the detection area in accordance with the course layout will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the correction of the detection area. In the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment, the detection area calculation unit 13 may perform a correction to expand or offset the detection area SA in one direction perpendicular to the driving line according to the direction of the curve of the course C before and after the reference position coordinate RP. The correction of the detection area SA described below may be performed when the driver or the like selects to switch the control unit 40 from the normal mode (mode without correction) to the correction mode (mode with correction).

[0098] For example, in the case of course C with a layout as shown in Fig. 13, vehicle M often follows the driving line shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure. This is a line (a so-called out-in-out driving line) that is considered to enable vehicle M to travel faster when traveling course C, which is a combination of multiple curves. In this way, the position of vehicle M's driving line in the width direction of course C differs depending on the position of course C.

[0099] For example, at position P1 on course C shown in Fig. 13, the driving line of vehicle M is to the left in the width direction of course C (to the left when facing the direction of travel D). At position P2, the driving line of vehicle M is approximately in the center of course C. At position P3, the driving line of vehicle M is to the right of course C (to the right when facing the direction of travel D).

[0100] Here, if the detection area SA is widened, the probability that it can cover the entire width of the course C increases, but if it is made too wide, the measurement accuracy decreases and the possibility of erroneous detection (detection outside the course) increases. Therefore, it is preferable to set the detection area SA to the minimum necessary size.

[0101] When setting the detection area SA, the driver or the like sets a reference position while the vehicle M is traveling on the course C. At that time, if the vehicle M is traveling to one side in the width direction of the course C, the detection area SA may shift in the width direction of the course C. If the detection area SA shifts in the width direction of the course C and cannot cover the course C, there is a possibility that it will not be possible to detect that the traveling vehicle M has entered the detection area SA. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the detection area SA is calculated by the detection area calculation unit 13, a correction is made to expand or offset the detection area SA in one direction perpendicular to the traveling line according to the course layout.

[0102] Here, if the general driving line of the vehicle M is a so-called out-in-out driving line, it can be understood to some extent from the course layout where the general driving line of the vehicle M passes in the width direction of the course C. In the correction of the detection area SA in this embodiment, this characteristic is utilized to expand or offset the detection area SA.

[0103] Specifically, the direction of expansion or offset of the detection area SA is determined according to the direction of the curve of the course before and after the position where the detection area SA is set (right turn, left turn). In the vehicle information processing device 1, since the GPS receiver 50 acquires position information while the vehicle M is traveling, the traveling line (traveling trajectory TL) of the course C and the traveling direction D can be obtained. Based on this, the direction of the curve before and after a predetermined position on the course C (in which direction the curve is relative to the traveling direction D of the vehicle M) can be grasped.

[0104] In addition, in the case of a so-called out-in-out driving line, depending on the direction of the curves before and after a certain position, it is possible to determine which side of the width of the course C the vehicle M is more likely to travel on, as shown in (1) to (3) below.

[0105] (1) When the directions of the curves before and after a certain position on course C are both right-hand curves, at that position vehicle M is likely to travel to the left in the width direction of course C. For example, at positions P1 and P4 in Figure 13, the curve before is a right-hand curve (indicated as "right" in Figure 13; similarly below), and the curve after is also a right-hand curve. In this case, vehicle M is likely to travel to the left in the width direction of course C at positions P1 and P4. (2) When the directions of the curves before and after a certain position on course C are both left curves, at that position vehicle M tends to travel to the right in the width direction of course C. For example, at position P3 in Figure 13, the curve immediately preceding is a left curve (indicated as "left" in Figure 13, and the same applies below), and the curve after is also a left curve. In this case, vehicle M tends to travel to the right in the width direction of course C at position P3. (3) When the direction of the curves before and after a certain position on course C is a right curve on one side and a left curve on the other side, at that position, vehicle M is likely to travel near the center in the width direction of course C. For example, at position P2 in Figure 13, the curve before is a right curve and the curve after is a left curve. In this case, vehicle M is likely to travel near the center of course C at position P2.

[0106] When a driver or the like sets a reference position in a traveling vehicle M, if the above (1) is satisfied for the set reference position, the detection area calculation unit 13 performs a correction to expand or offset the detection area SA to the right in the direction perpendicular to the traveling line of the vehicle M. The amount of expansion or offset of the detection area SA may be a preset value, and may be, for example, about 1 / 2 to 1 / 3 of the width of the detection area SA. As a result, if the reference position is specified while the vehicle M is traveling leftward in the width direction of the course C, the detection area SA is expanded or offset to the right, making it easier to cover the width direction of the course C.

[0107] Furthermore, when the reference position is set and the above (2) is satisfied for that reference position, the detection area calculation unit 13 performs a correction to expand or offset the detection area SA to the left in the direction perpendicular to the driving line of the vehicle M. As a result, if the reference position is specified while the vehicle M is traveling to the right in the width direction of the course C, the detection area SA is expanded or offset to the left, making it easier to cover the width direction of the course C.

[0108] Furthermore, when a reference position is set, if the above condition (3) is satisfied for that reference position, the detection area calculation unit 13 does not expand or offset the detection area SA.

[0109] By correcting the detection area SA in this manner, it is possible to estimate where in the width direction of the course C the driving line of the vehicle M is located based on the layout of the course C, and to adapt the detection area SA to the width direction of the course C.

[0110] (Recording of measurement information) In the vehicle information processing device 1 according to this embodiment, the storage unit 30 may record various pieces of information at the time of measurement. For example, when the vehicle information processing device 1 measures a running time (lap time or total time) when the vehicle M runs on the course C, the storage unit 30 stores date and time information (year / month / day / hour / minute / second, etc.) when the vehicle M entered the detection area SA and the position information of the vehicle M based on the information received by the GPS receiving unit 50.

[0111] This recording should be performed automatically when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA. The records should be stored in a preset folder (e.g., a folder for each course C). This makes it easier to read out the measured time and driving history for each course C from the storage unit 30 and check or manage them (statistical processing or comparison processing).

[0112] In the vehicle information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the output unit 20 may have a function of outputting measured information (a log data output function). For example, the measured time and the driving history recorded in the storage unit 30 may be displayed on a display which is the output unit 20, or may be output to an external device (such as a mobile terminal or a vehicle display).

[0113] In the above, an example is shown in which information is recorded when the vehicle M travels on the course C of the circuit, but information may be recorded when the vehicle M travels on a public road. In this case, reference position coordinates on the public road are set in advance, and the detection area SA is calculated by the detection area calculation unit 13 based on the reference position coordinates. Then, when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA, date and time information when the vehicle M entered the detection area SA and the position information of the vehicle M are stored in the memory unit 30 based on the information received by the GPS receiving unit 50.

[0114] In this embodiment, when accurate coordinate information is obtained from map information, various databases, past driving history, or other sources such as information within the device or from an external device (such as a mobile terminal or computer) to acquire the reference position coordinates, the reference position coordinates may be sent to the reference position acquisition unit 12, and the detection area SA may be calculated from the reference position coordinates by the detection area calculation unit 13. In this case, the detection area calculation unit 13 may calculate a detection area SA that is a quadrangle (such as a square, rectangle, parallelogram, or rhombus) that includes the reference position coordinates and overlaps with the course.

[0115] This allows the entry of the detection area SA, which includes a reference position on the course that has been set in advance, to be stored as history. Also, when the vehicle M enters the detection area SA, the output unit 20, such as a display or speaker, may be configured to notify the vehicle M of its entry. For example, by setting a target point or destination as a reference position in advance, it is possible to record or notify the vehicle M when it reaches the target point or destination (enters the detection area SA). This allows the driver to easily know when the vehicle M has reached the target point or destination.

[0116] Here, various databases from which coordinate information that serves as the reference position coordinates is obtained include, for example, those that contain coordinate information for landmark locations, buildings, circuits, facilities, speed enforcement points, road alert positions, etc., as well as coordinate information for gas stations, charging infrastructure, and locations where vehicle maintenance can be performed.

[0117] Also, when the reference position coordinates are acquired from map information, for example, the reference position coordinates on the road may be specified, a direction that can be regarded as the road direction may be obtained from a straight line connecting the position coordinates on the road before and after the reference position coordinates, and a rectangular area having two parallel sides perpendicular to the direction may be calculated as the detection area SA. Also, a rectangular area having two parallel sides to the direction that can be regarded as the road direction may be calculated as the detection area SA.

[0118] When obtaining coordinate information from a past travel history, a position to be used as a reference is specified by using a touch panel or the like from a travel trajectory (for example, a travel trajectory shown on a map) included in the travel history of the vehicle M. The reference position acquisition unit 12 acquires reference position coordinates corresponding to this specified position from the coordinate information of the travel trajectory. Then, the detection area calculation unit 13 may obtain the travel direction when the vehicle M passed the reference position coordinates from the travel direction of the vehicle M included in the travel history (the travel direction obtained from information such as vehicle speed, acceleration, and gyro sensor), and calculate a quadrangular area including the reference position coordinates and having two parallel sides perpendicular to the travel direction as the detection area SA. Alternatively, a quadrangular area including the reference position coordinates and having two parallel sides parallel to the travel direction may be calculated as the detection area SA.

[0119] Alternatively, the reference position coordinates may be obtained by specifying two points in the width direction of the course from the map information, and a point (e.g., the midpoint) on the line connecting these two points may be set as the reference position coordinates. In this case, a quadrangle having two sides parallel to the line connecting the two points and centered on the line may be calculated as the detection area SA. In addition, when the course direction can be obtained from the map information or past driving history, a quadrangle having two sides parallel to the line connecting the above two points and centered on the line, and two sides parallel to the course direction may be calculated as the detection area SA.

[0120] In either case, the size of the detection area SA in the front-rear and left-right directions developed from the reference position coordinates can be a size or a variable value previously set in the storage unit 30 or the like. For example, the set size of the detection area SA in the front-rear direction (length direction) may be a fixed value, or may be changed according to at least one of the sampling rate and the vehicle speed (average vehicle speed for a predetermined period, etc.) at which the GPS receiver unit 50 acquires the position information of the vehicle M, or the type of road (such as a motorway, national highway, prefectural road, or city road) at the reference position coordinates obtained from the map information. In addition, the set size of the detection area SA in the left-right direction (width direction) may be a fixed value based on a general width, or may be changed according to, for example, the type of road (similar to the above) at the reference position coordinates.

[0121] In addition, when obtaining reference position coordinates from map information or various databases, or when setting reference position coordinates for a location with no past driving history, the set size of the detection area SA and the driving direction of the vehicle M may be determined using big data regarding the driving history of other vehicles.

[0122] The control unit 40 may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to determine on which road the vehicle M and the detection area SA are located. For example, when there are multiple roads (e.g., a highway and its side road, two roads with a grade separation, etc.) near the position coordinates of the vehicle M received by the GPS receiving unit 50 or the position coordinates of the area set as the detection area SA, it is possible to determine on which road the vehicle M is located by using AI from vehicle speed information and front and rear position information. The reference position acquisition unit 12 and the detection area calculation unit 13 may also use AI to set the reference position coordinates at an appropriate position on the road or set a detection area of ​​an appropriate size according to the road.

[0123] (Vehicle information processing program) The processing by the reference designation unit 11, reference position acquisition unit 12, detection area calculation unit 13, required time measurement unit 14 and correction calculation unit 15 of the control unit 40 described above can be realized as a vehicle information processing program (application software) executed by a computer (for example, the control unit 40 in this embodiment).

[0124] The vehicle information processing program according to the present embodiment may be stored in the storage unit 30, or may be recorded on a separate recording medium. The vehicle information processing program may be distributed via a network.

[0125] (Uploading combined video and vehicle information) Next, the composite upload of the video and the vehicle information will be described. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a driving video uploading system that uploads a composite image of video and vehicle information. The driving video uploading system 100 is a device having a function of synthesizing video captured while the vehicle is driving with information about the vehicle while driving, and uploading the synthesized video to a server of a social networking service (SNS).

[0126] The driving video uploading system 100 includes a main body 101, a terminal 102 provided separately from the main body 101, and application software 200 executed on the main body 101 or the terminal 102. In this embodiment, the application software 200 is executed on the terminal 102.

[0127] The main body 101 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 that acquires information about the vehicle while it is moving. The main body 101 is also provided with a monitor unit 1012, an input unit 1013, a storage unit 1014, and a communication unit 1015.

[0128] The vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 acquires information about the vehicle while it is running (vehicle speed, engine RPM, throttle opening, water temperature, gear position, mileage, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, voltage, etc.) using, for example, the vehicle's OBD. In addition, in the case of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, the battery current, battery voltage, battery temperature, motor RPM, motor torque, etc. are acquired.

[0129] In addition to the above vehicle information, the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 may acquire the acceleration (pitch, roll, yaw) of the vehicle while it is running, the lap time (section time) while running on a circuit, a course map, etc. The storage unit 1014 stores the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 in association with time information. For example, when a vehicle runs on a circuit, the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 acquires various types of vehicle information while it is running, and the vehicle information is stored in the storage unit 1014 in association with the running time.

[0130] A monitor unit 1012 of the main body 101 displays various types of vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011. An input unit 1013 of the main body 101 is, for example, a touch panel. A communication unit 1015 of the main body 101 transmits and receives data to and from the terminal 102 via a short-distance wireless network or wired communication.

[0131] The terminal 102 is, for example, a mobile phone or a portable terminal. The terminal 102 includes an imaging unit 1021, an input / output unit 1022, a storage unit 1023, a communication unit 1024, and a control unit 1025. The terminal 102 may include a GPS receiving unit 1026. The terminal 102 is installed, for example, inside a vehicle, and captures video while the vehicle is traveling using the imaging unit 1021. The captured video is stored in the storage unit 1023 in association with the capture time. The capture time information can be time information sent from a telephone line or information received by the GPS receiving unit 1026.

[0132] The input / output unit 1022 of the terminal 102 is, for example, a touch panel display. The communication unit 1024 of the terminal 102 has a function of communicating with the communication unit 1015 of the main body 101 and a function of communicating via an external network (the Internet, a LAN, a telephone line, etc.).

[0133] The control unit 1025 of the terminal 102 has a synthesis function 201 and a communication function 202. The synthesis function 201 and the communication function 202 are realized by application software 200 executed by the control unit 1025.

[0134] The composition function 201 creates a composite video by combining a video captured by the imaging unit 1021 and vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101. Here, the video captured by the imaging unit 1021 is stored in the storage unit 1023 together with shooting time information. Meanwhile, the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101 is stored in the storage unit 1014 of the main body 101. The composition function 201 creates a composite video by combining a video file designated by a user by operating the input / output unit 1022 with a vehicle information file stored in the storage unit 1014 of the main body 101 by matching the shooting time and the time associated with the vehicle information.

[0135] The communication function 202 performs a process of uploading the composite moving image created by the composition function 201 to a server designated by the user. An SNS server is registered in advance by the user in the terminal 102. The communication function 202 uploads the composite moving image to the SNS server designated by the user.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for uploading a combination of video and vehicle information. When uploading a composite image and vehicle information, it is assumed that a driving video has been captured by the imaging unit 1021 of the terminal 102 and stored in the memory unit 1023, and that the vehicle information has been acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101 and stored in the memory unit 1014. Here, the main body 101 and the terminal 102 are connected by the communication units 1015 and 1024, and when the imaging unit 1021 of the terminal 102 starts capturing a driving video, the vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101 automatically starts acquiring vehicle information. The captured driving video is stored in association with the capture time, and the acquired vehicle information is stored in association with the driving time.

[0137] First, as shown in step S301, vehicle information is acquired. That is, the user operates the input / output unit 1022 of the terminal 102 to specify a file of vehicle information to be synthesized that is stored in the storage unit 1014 of the main body 101. The synthesis function 201 of the terminal 102 acquires the file of vehicle information specified by the user from the main body 101, and stores it in the storage unit 1023 of the terminal 102.

[0138] Next, as shown in step S302, video information is acquired. The user operates input / output unit 1022 of terminal 102 to specify a file of the synthesized driving video stored in storage unit 1023 of terminal 102. Here, the acquisition of vehicle information shown in step S301 and the acquisition of video information shown in step S302 may be performed in the reverse order. In each information acquisition, based on the time information of the previously specified information, the user may be allowed to select only the other information that matches the time information (matches completely or partially).

[0139] Next, as shown in step S303, a process of synthesizing the vehicle information with the video is performed. The synthesis function 201 synthesizes the acquired vehicle information and video information so that their time information matches. The synthesized video is a video of the vehicle traveling with vehicle information acquired at the same time inserted therein.

[0140] Next, as shown in step S304, the upload destination is selected. The user operates the input / output unit 1022 of the terminal 102 to specify the SNS server to which the composite video is to be uploaded.

[0141] Next, as shown in step S305, the composite moving image is uploaded. That is, the communication function 202 performs a process of uploading the composite moving image to the SNS server designated in the previous step S304.

[0142] (Application software screen example) Here, the flow of processing will be described based on an example screen of the application software 200 of the driving video uploading system 100. 16 to 21 are diagrams showing example screens of application software. 16 to 21 show examples of screens when the application software 200 is executed by the terminal 102. FIG. When performing processing using the application software 200, the terminal 102 is connected in advance to the main body 101 via a short-distance wireless network or the like. An example of a menu screen is shown in Fig. 16. On the menu screen G1, a "Setting" icon A11, a "Camera" icon A12, an "Edit" icon A13, and an "SNS" icon A14 are displayed.

[0143] 17(a) to (c) show examples of screens related to the camera. When the "Camera" icon A12 on the menu screen G1 is tapped, the camera screen G2 shown in Fig. 17(a) is displayed. On the camera screen G2, a monitor display of the image captured by the imaging unit 1021 is displayed, and at the bottom of the screen, a camera setting icon A21, a recording start / stop icon A22, an icon A23 for accessing the library, and a composite video setting icon A24 are displayed.

[0144] By tapping the composite video settings icon A24, one can select from among the settings screen G3 shown in FIG. 17(b), the settings screen G4 shown in FIG. 17(c), the settings screen G5 shown in FIG. 18(a), and the settings screen G6 shown in FIG. 18(b).

[0145] 17(b) is an example of a screen for setting when recording is to be automatically started / stopped depending on the speed of the vehicle M. For example, the setting is to start recording when the vehicle speed reaches 5 km / h and stop recording when the vehicle speed becomes 0 km / h. The control unit 1025 of the terminal 102 gives instructions to the imaging unit 1021 to start and stop imaging according to this setting.

[0146] 17(c) is an example of a screen for setting the layout when creating a composite video. This setting screen G4 allows you to select the screen layout of the driving video and vehicle information when creating a composite image.

[0147] A setting screen G5 shown in Fig. 18(a) and a setting screen G6 shown in Fig. 18(b) are examples of screens for setting display items of vehicle information when creating a composite image. In the setting screen G5 shown in Fig. 18(a), items to be displayed in the area simulating a meter can be selected. In the setting screen G6 shown in Fig. 18(b), items to be displayed in the area adjacent to the part simulating a meter can be selected.

[0148] To manually record, tap the recording start / stop icon A22 on the camera screen G2 shown in FIG. 17(a). This changes the camera screen G7 to record as shown in FIG. 19(a). It is possible to determine whether the camera is in recording or stopped mode by the display mode of the icon A22. To manually stop recording, tap the icon A22 again. The recorded driving video is stored in the storage unit 1023 in association with the shooting time.

[0149] At the same time as the start of recording, the control unit 1025 instructs the main body 101 to start acquiring vehicle information via the communication unit 1024. The vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101 acquires information on the traveling vehicle upon receiving an instruction from the terminal 102. Also, at the same time as the stop of recording, the control unit 1025 instructs the main body 101 to end acquiring vehicle information via the communication unit 1024. The vehicle information acquisition unit 1011 of the main body 101 ends acquiring vehicle information upon receiving an instruction from the terminal 102. At the same time as the end, the vehicle information is stored in the memory unit 1014 of the main body 101. The acquired vehicle information is saved in the memory unit 1023 in a state associated with the traveling time. Since the start and end of recording are linked to the start and end of acquiring vehicle information, the shooting time of the saved traveling video and the traveling time of the vehicle information will match.

[0150] When the "Edit" icon A13 on the menu screen G1 shown in Fig. 16 is tapped, the setting screen G8 shown in Fig. 19(b) is displayed. When the "Edit settings" icon A81 on this setting screen G8 is tapped, the setting screen G9 shown in Fig. 20(a) is displayed. When the "Transfer data stored on the hard disk" on the setting screen G9 is tapped, the vehicle information stored in the memory unit 1014 of the main body 101 is transferred to the terminal 102.

[0151] When the "Video Selection" icon A82 on the setting screen G8 shown in FIG. 19(b) is tapped, a video selection screen G10 shown in FIG. 20(b) is displayed. Here, a driving video to be composited with vehicle information is selected. When a driving video is selected, a composite process of the driving video and the vehicle information is performed by the composition function 201 of the control unit 1025. In this composition process, a composite video is generated so that the shooting time associated with the driving video matches (matches) the acquisition time of the vehicle information.

[0152] When the "Play Video" icon A83 on the setting screen G8 shown in FIG. 19(b) is tapped, the video playback screen G11 shown in FIG. 21(a) is displayed. The video playback screen G11 displays a composite video in which a driving video and vehicle information are combined in a preset layout. When "Start" on the video playback screen G11 is tapped, the video is played, and when "Stop" is tapped, the video is stopped. Check the played composite video, and if there are no problems, tap the "Save to Library" icon A121. This causes the composite video to be saved in the memory unit 1023 of the terminal 102.

[0153] When the "SNS" icon A14 on the menu screen G1 shown in Fig. 16 is tapped, the SNS posting screen G12 shown in Fig. 21(b) is displayed. On the SNS posting screen G12, the user can select the SNS to which the composite video is to be posted (uploaded). By selecting the desired SNS, the composite video stored in the storage unit 1023 is uploaded to the SNS server.

[0154] With this type of synthesis uploading device and synthesis uploading method, a synthetic video of driving footage and vehicle information with matching timing can be generated with simple operations, and the synthetic video can be immediately uploaded to an SNS server.

[0155] Conventionally, the driving video and the vehicle information are input to a personal computer, and the vehicle information is inserted into the driving video using video processing software. In this case, it is difficult to match the timing of the driving video and the vehicle information. For example, when trying to match the timing of passing the control line of the course in the driving video of a circuit with the vehicle information at that time, it is difficult to read the timing of the vehicle body passing the control line from the vehicle information. For this reason, it takes practice to create a composite video with accurate timing. In this embodiment, the driving video and the vehicle information can be matched in time to automatically create a composite video, making it possible to easily create a composite video with accurate timing.

[0156] Furthermore, in the past, when uploading a composite video created with video processing software to an SNS server, several steps of operations were required, such as launching a separate SNS application, logging in, selecting the composite video, and uploading it. In this embodiment, after creating the composite video, it is possible to upload the composite video simply by selecting the SNS server using the same application software. Therefore, it is possible to easily upload a composite video of a driving video and vehicle information that is precisely timed to match the video to an SNS server.

[0157] In the composite uploading device and the composite uploading method according to the present embodiment, the driving video may be captured, the vehicle information may be acquired, a composite video may be created, and the composite video may be uploaded to the SNS server continuously while the vehicle is driving. This makes it possible to live-stream a composite video of the driving video and the vehicle information.

[0158] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a vehicle information processing device 1 and a vehicle information processing program that can process information about a vehicle M, such as measuring driving time with high accuracy through simple operations using GPS location information.

[0159] Although the present embodiment and its application examples have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples. For example, those in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds, deletes, or modifies the design of the above-mentioned embodiments or their application examples, or those in which the features of the embodiments are appropriately combined, are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they include the gist of the present invention.

[0160] This embodiment includes the following notes. [Appendix 1] A main body including a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires information about a vehicle in motion; A terminal provided separately from the main body, connected to the main body via a short-distance network or a wired connection, and including an imaging unit that captures video of the vehicle while it is traveling; application software executed on the main body or the terminal; Equipped with The application software includes: a synthesis function of synthesizing information about the vehicle acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit at a time that matches shooting time information associated with the video captured by the imaging unit, with the video to create a synthetic video; and a communication function that performs processing to upload the composite video synthesized by the synthesis function to a server connected to a network. [Appendix 2] A traveling video upload program that combines a video of a vehicle traveling with information about the vehicle traveling and uploads the video to a server, Computer, a synthesis means for synthesizing information about the vehicle acquired at a time that matches shooting time information associated with a video of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling with the video to create a synthesized video; a communication means for performing a process of uploading the composite moving image obtained by the composition function to a server connected to a network; Functions as a driving video upload program [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 1...Vehicle information processing device 10...Input section 11...Standard specification section 12...Reference position acquisition section 13…Detection area calculation unit 14…Time measurement section 15...Correction calculation section 20...Output section 30...Storage section 40...Control unit 50…GPS receiver 100...Driving video upload system 101...Main body 102...Terminal 200…Application software 201…Composition function 202…Communication functions 1011…Vehicle information acquisition unit 1012…Monitor section 1013...Input section 1014...Storage section 1015…Communications Department 1021…Imaging unit 1022…Input / output section 1023...Storage section 1024…Communications Department 1025...Control unit 1026…GPS receiver A11~14, A21~A24, A81~A83, A121...icon C…Course CP…Current position coordinates D…Direction of travel E…error G1...Menu screen G2…Camera screen G3~G6, G8~G9…Settings screen G7…Camera screen G10…Video selection screen G11…Video playback screen G12…SNS posting screen M…Vehicle RP…Reference position coordinates S1,S2…part SA, SA1, SA2, SA3…Detection area SL…Starting Line SP…Pitch TL…travel trajectory d1,d2…distance

Claims

1. A vehicle information processing device including a control unit that combines a driving video captured while a vehicle is traveling with vehicle information, The control unit is A function of controlling the storage of the driving video in association with a shooting time and the storage of the vehicle information acquired by utilizing an OBD (On Board Diagnostics) of the vehicle in association with a driving time; a function of generating a composite video in which the driving video and the vehicle information are composited in a preset screen layout so that time information of the shooting time and the driving time match each other; A vehicle information processing device comprising:

2. The control unit is The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a function of uploading the composite video to a social networking service (SNS) server.

3. The control unit is The vehicle information processing device of claim 1, further comprising a function of controlling the automatic start of recording of the driving video when the speed of the vehicle reaches a preset speed, and the automatic end of recording of the driving video when the speed of the vehicle reaches the preset speed.

4. The control unit is The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of continuously capturing the driving video, acquiring the vehicle information, generating the composite video, and uploading the composite video to a SNS (Social Networking Service) server while the vehicle is traveling.

5. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information includes information of the vehicle acquired from a source other than an On Board Diagnostics (OBD) of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information includes information on a lap time when the vehicle runs a predetermined course.

7. A vehicle information processing program that synthesizes a driving video captured while a vehicle is traveling with vehicle information, On the computer, A step of controlling the storage of the driving video in association with a shooting time and the storage of the vehicle information acquired by utilizing an OBD (On Board Diagnostics) of the vehicle in association with a driving time; A vehicle information processing program that executes a step of generating a composite video in which the driving video and the vehicle information are combined in a preset screen layout so that the time information of the shooting time and the driving time match.

8. The computer includes: The vehicle information processing program according to claim 7 , further comprising the step of uploading the composite video to a social networking service (SNS) server.

9. The computer includes: The vehicle information processing program of claim 7, further comprising a step of performing control to automatically start recording the driving video when the speed of the vehicle reaches a preset speed, and to automatically end recording the driving video when the speed of the vehicle reaches the preset speed.

10. The computer includes: The vehicle information processing program according to claim 7, further comprising the step of continuously capturing the driving video, acquiring the vehicle information, generating the composite video, and uploading the composite video to a SNS (Social Networking Service) server while the vehicle is traveling.

11. The vehicle information processing program according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle information includes information of the vehicle acquired from a source other than an On Board Diagnostics (OBD) of the vehicle.

12. 11. The vehicle information processing program according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes information on a lap time when the vehicle runs a predetermined course.

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