Race start determination device and race start preparation determination device

Abstract

To determine start of a race without using a system provided in a circuit or to easily determine that a race vehicle completes preparation of the start of the race before starting the race.SOLUTION: A race start preparation determination unit 44 determines that a race vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from a race start position on the basis of race start position information showing a race start position, vehicle position information of the race vehicle RC acquired by a vehicle position acquisition unit 32, and vehicle speed information acquired by a travel data acquisition unit 34 included in course information 22, and determines that the race vehicle RC stops at the race start position when it is determined that the race vehicle RC stops. A race start determination unit 46 specifies a departure point of time at which the race vehicle RC departs after the race start preparation determination unit 44 determines that the race vehicle RC stops at the race start position as a start point of time of a race in which the race vehicle RC participates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a race start determination device and a race start preparation determination device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems have been provided that acquire information about the running of race vehicles participating in motorsport races. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a running vehicle position information providing system that calculates an offset representing the difference between the lap time of a race vehicle and a predetermined reference lap time, and calculates the position of the race vehicle on the course based on the elapsed time since the race vehicle passed a reference point on the course and the calculated offset. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-233462 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Now, in a motorsport competition, consider determining the start of a race (more specifically, the start time of the race). By determining the start of the race, for example, it is possible to start recording various driving data (such as time and top speed) related to the running of the racing vehicles in the race from the start time of the race. Typically, the circuit where the race is held has a system linked to a start signal that notifies the driver of the start time of the race, and the start of the race is determined by this system.

[0005] However, such systems are owned by the circuit administrator, and therefore, if a race organizer who uses a circuit to hold a race wishes to use the system, they must obtain permission from the circuit administrator and pay a system usage fee to the circuit administrator.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to be able to determine the start of the race without using a system installed on the circuit.

[0007] Generally, immediately before the start of a race, the race vehicles participating in the race stop at a predetermined race start position. After stopping at the race start position, the race vehicles start in response to a start signal.

[0008] In this case, it is desirable that the race vehicle stops at the race start position before the start of the race and that it is possible to easily determine that the race vehicle is ready to start the race.

[0009] The purpose of the race start determination device disclosed in this specification is to be able to determine the start of a race without using a system installed on the circuit, or to be able to easily determine before the start of the race that the racing vehicles are ready to start the race. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The race start determination device disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the positions of the race vehicles participating in the race, a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the race vehicles, and a race start determination unit that determines that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle has departed from near the race start position based on race start position information indicating the race start position where the race vehicle is to start the race, the vehicle position information, and the vehicle speed information.

[0011] The race system may further include a race start preparation determination unit that determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race when it detects that the race vehicle is within a predetermined range from the race start position based on the race start position information and the vehicle position information and detects that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information, and the race start determination unit may determine that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle has started based on the vehicle speed information after the race start preparation determination unit has determined that the race vehicle is ready to start the race.

[0012] The race start readiness determination device disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the positions of the race vehicles participating in the race, a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the race vehicles, race start position information that indicates the race start position where the race vehicle should start the race, and a race start readiness determination unit that detects that the race vehicle is within a predetermined range from the race start position based on the vehicle position information and determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race when it detects that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The race start determination device disclosed in this specification can determine the start of a race without using a system installed on the circuit. Alternatively, the race start preparation determination device disclosed in this specification can easily determine that the racing vehicles are ready to start the race before the race starts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a determination system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the content of course information. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a start line, a finish line, and a grid. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing parameters used in a calculation for determining whether a race vehicle has stopped on the grid. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by the determination device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] 1 is a schematic diagram of a race vehicle determination system 10 according to this embodiment. The determination system 10 includes a user terminal 12, a racing course server 14, and a determination device 16 that serves as a race start determination device or a race start preparation determination device and is provided in a race vehicle RC participating in a race. The racing course server 14, the user terminal 12, and the determination device 16 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication line 18 such as the Internet or wireless communication.

[0016] The race vehicle RC is not limited to a vehicle specifically designed for racing, such as an F1 car. Conventionally, races have been held in which commercially available general vehicles can participate, and general vehicles participating in such races are also included in the race vehicle RC. Furthermore, the race vehicle RC is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle, but may be a two-wheeled vehicle. Furthermore, the type of engine of the race vehicle RC may be any type, or the race vehicle RC may be a vehicle without an engine.

[0017] The user terminal 12 is a terminal used by a user such as a driver of the racing vehicle RC, a racing team staff member, etc. The user terminal 12 may be, for example, a smartphone or a PC.

[0018] The racing course server 14 is configured by, for example, a server computer. A memory 20 of the racing course server 14 stores course information 22 relating to the racing course to be managed.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the course information 22. The course information 22 includes a course ID that uniquely identifies the course, an image showing the layout of the course, and position information that shows the positions of the start line, finish line, and each grid. In the example of FIG. 2, each course is a circuit course, but the courses are not limited to circuit courses. For example, they may be non-circuit courses, such as rally courses.

[0020] The course information 22 may include not only an image of the course but also position information indicating the layout of each course. For example, the course information 22 may include position information indicating the position of each corner of the course and information indicating the order in which each corner is passed.

[0021] In this embodiment, the position information indicating the positions of the start line, finish line, and each grid is expressed in polar coordinates such as latitude and longitude (or even height). The start line (left) means one end of the start line, and the start line (right) means the other end of the start line. In other words, in this embodiment, the start line is expressed by the polar coordinates of one end and the polar coordinates of the other end. The same applies to the finish line and the grid.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing examples of a start line SL, a finish line GL, and a grid GR. For example, in a race in which each race vehicle RC starts sequentially, the start line SL is the race start position, where the race vehicle RC should begin the race. In this case, position information indicating the position of the start line SL is the race start position information. Also, in a circuit course, the start line SL is a line that serves as a reference for measuring lap time (the time required for the race vehicle RC to complete one lap around the course). In this case, the start line SL is also called a control line. The finish line GL is a line that indicates the finish position of the course. As shown in FIG. 3, in a circuit course, the start line SL and the finish line GL are generally located in the same position. In a non-circuit course, the start line SL and the finish line GL are located in different positions.

[0023] A plurality of grids GR are provided behind the start line SL. In this specification, the side of the course in the direction of travel of the race vehicle RC is referred to as "front," and the opposite side is referred to as "rear." The plurality of grids GR are provided side by side in the direction of travel of the race vehicle RC on the course. As shown in FIG. 3, the grids GR are generally provided in two rows, and are provided, for example, in order of proximity to the start line SL, as follows: a first grid GR1 (the frontmost grid in the first row), diagonally behind which is a second grid GR2 (the frontmost grid in the second row), and diagonally behind which is a third grid GR3 (the second grid in the first row). Generally, the first grid GR1, which is closest to the start line SL, is provided in the row on the inside of the first corner of the course (the side in the direction of the turn at the first corner).

[0024] In a race in which multiple racing vehicles RC start simultaneously from a stopped state (standing start), each grid GR serves as the race start position for each racing vehicle RC. In this case, position information indicating the position of each grid GR serves as the race start position information for each racing vehicle RC. Note that which grid GR each racing vehicle RC uses as its race start position is determined, for example, by a qualifying race held prior to the race. For example, the higher the ranking of a racing vehicle RC in the qualifying race, the closer the grid GR to the first grid GR1 it will use as its race start position. Alternatively, there is a method known as a reverse grid, in which the lower the ranking of a racing vehicle RC in the qualifying race, the closer the grid GR to the first grid GR1 it will use as its race start position.

[0025] 4 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the determination device 16 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the determination device 16 is mounted on a racing vehicle RC.

[0026] The communication interface 30 is configured by, for example, a network adapter, etc. The communication interface 30 performs the function of communicating with the user terminal 12 and the racing course server 14.

[0027] The vehicle position acquisition unit 32 is composed of, for example, an antenna for receiving radio waves from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites and a receiver for processing the received signals. The vehicle position acquisition unit 32 acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of the race vehicle RC based on the timing of receiving radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites. The vehicle position acquisition unit 32 acquires the vehicle position information intermittently. For example, the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 acquires the vehicle position information at a frequency of about 20 Hz (about 20 times per second). In this embodiment, the vehicle position information is expressed in polar coordinates, similar to the positions of the start line SL and the grid GR in the course information 22. The acquired vehicle position information is stored in a memory 40, which will be described later.

[0028] The traveling data acquisition unit 34 is composed of, for example, a connector to which a cable from the vehicle sensor 36 is connected, or a short-range wireless communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with the vehicle sensor 36. The traveling data acquisition unit 34 acquires traveling data, which is data detected by the vehicle sensor 36. The race vehicle RC is provided with various vehicle sensors 36. The vehicle sensors 36 include various sensors such as an on-board camera, a sensor that detects the amount of accelerator or brake operation, a sensor that detects the amount of steering (handle) operation, and a sensor that detects the gear state, etc. In particular, the vehicle sensors 36 include a vehicle speed sensor 38 that detects the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC. The traveling data acquisition unit 34 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC from the vehicle speed sensor 38 as one piece of traveling data. In other words, the traveling data acquisition unit 34 functions as a vehicle speed acquisition unit.

[0029] The travel data acquisition unit 34 acquires travel data over time from the vehicle sensors 36. The acquired travel data is stored in a memory 40, which will be described later.

[0030] The memory 40 includes a solid state drive (SSD), an embedded multi media card (eMMC), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or the like. As described above, the memory 40 stores the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 and the traveling data acquired by the traveling data acquisition unit 34. The memory 40 also stores a determination program for operating each unit of the determination device 16. The determination program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory or an SD card. The determination device 16 can read and execute the determination program from such a storage medium.

[0031] The processor 42 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) etc. The processor 42 is communicably connected to the communication interface 30, the vehicle position acquisition unit 32, the running data acquisition unit 34, and the memory 40 via a data bus. The processor 42 performs the functions of a race start preparation determination unit 44, a race start determination unit 46, a running data recording processing unit 48, a race end determination unit 50, and a notification processing unit 52 according to a determination program stored in the memory 40.

[0032] The race start preparation determination unit 44 determines, before the start of a race in which the racing vehicle RC is participating, whether or not the racing vehicle RC has stopped at the race start position and is ready to start the race.

[0033] First, the race start preparation determination unit 44 identifies the course on which the racing vehicle RC will run in the race from among the multiple courses included in the course information 22 (see FIG. 2). This can be done by comparing the driving route obtained based on multiple pieces of vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 when the racing vehicle RC ran on that course, such as during a practice run before the start of the race, with the position information indicative of the layout of each course contained in the course information 22. Alternatively, the course may be specified by the driver of the racing vehicle RC or the like before the start of the race. Once the course on which the racing vehicle RC will run in the race has been identified, the race start preparation determination unit 44 identifies the positions of the start line, finish line, and each grid of that course based on the course information 22.

[0034] Next, the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the racing vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the race start position. The details of this detection process by the race start preparation determination unit 44 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. It is assumed that information indicating which grid GR the racing vehicle RC's race start position is (for example, the results of the qualifying race) has been input in advance to the determination device 16. Hereinafter, the grid GR that is the racing vehicle RC's race start position will be simply referred to as grid GR. Furthermore, in the following description, it is assumed that the antenna of the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 is provided at the front end of the racing vehicle RC, and the vehicle position of the racing vehicle RC refers to the position of the front end of the racing vehicle RC.

[0035] First, the race start preparation determination unit 44 converts two polar coordinates indicating the positions of one end and the other end of the grid GR into Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z coordinates). Conversion to Cartesian coordinates can be performed using a known method (e.g., "GPS Theory and Applications," B. Hoffmann-Wellenhoff, H. Lichtenegger, J. Collins, Springer-Verlag Tokyo, p. 319), so a detailed description will be omitted here. Similarly, the race start preparation determination unit 44 also converts the polar coordinates indicating the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC into Cartesian coordinates.

[0036] In Figure 5, the position of the race car RC is shown in Cartesian coordinates A1(xA1 ,y A1 ) and A2(x A2 ,y A2 ), and one end of the grid GR is represented by the Cartesian coordinate system B1(x B1 ,y B1 ), and the other end of the grid GR is represented by the Cartesian coordinate system B2(x B2 ,y B2 ) A2 represents the current vehicle position of the race vehicle RC, and A1 represents the past vehicle position of the race vehicle RC. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 5, the z-axis coordinates of each position are omitted for convenience.

[0037] The race start preparation determination unit 44 calculates the distance d between the front end of the race vehicle RC and the grid GR as follows: First, the line segment A connecting A1 and A2 (i.e., the most recent running path of the race vehicle RC) and the line segment B connecting B1 and B2 (i.e., the grid GR) can be expressed by the following equations (1) and (2).

number

[0038] If the current position A2 of the race car RC is the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system, b A =0, so equation (1) becomes

number

number

number

[0039] Intersection point L(x L ,y L), the relationship between equation (1)' and equation (2) is as shown in equation (6) below.

number

number

number

[0040] According to the Pythagorean theorem, the distance d between the position of the race car RC and the grid GR is:

number

[0041] If the calculated distance d is less than a predetermined distance threshold (e.g., 2 m), the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the racing vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the grid GR, which is the race start position (in other words, it detects that the racing vehicle RC is in the vicinity of the grid GR).

[0042] Furthermore, the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the race vehicle RC is stopped based on the vehicle speed information acquired by the traveling data acquisition unit 34. Note that, taking into consideration errors, the race start preparation determination unit 44 may detect that the race vehicle RC is stopped when the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC is less than a predetermined first vehicle speed threshold (for example, 1 km / h).

[0043] Then, when the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the race vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the race start position and detects that the race vehicle RC is stopped, it determines that the race vehicle RC has stopped at the race start position and is ready to start the race.

[0044] After the race start preparation determination unit 44 determines that the race vehicle RC is ready to start the race, the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has started based on the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. In this embodiment, the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has started when the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined second vehicle speed threshold (for example, 1 km / h). Note that the first vehicle speed threshold and the second vehicle speed threshold may be the same or different.

[0045] Then, when the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has started after the race vehicle RC has become ready to start the race, it determines that the race in which the race vehicle RC is participating has started. For example, the race start determination unit 46 identifies the start time of the race as the start time of the race, which is the time when the race vehicle RC has started after the race vehicle RC has become ready to start the race.

[0046] In this embodiment, the race start determination unit 46 determines that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle RC has started after the race start preparation determination unit 44 determines that the race vehicle RC is ready to start the race, but the race start determination unit 46 may determine the start of the race without relying on the determination of the race start preparation determination unit 44. In this case, the race start determination unit 46 determines that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle RC has started from near the race start position, based on the race start position information specified in the course information 22, the vehicle position information of the race vehicle RC, and the vehicle speed information acquired by the traveling data acquisition unit 34.

[0047] In this case, the race start determination unit 46 first detects that the race vehicle RC has departed based on the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. Then, using a method similar to that described with reference to Fig. 5, the race start determination unit 46 determines whether the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC when it departed was within a predetermined range from the race start position based on the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC immediately after it departed (A1, A2 in Fig. 5) and the race start position information (B1, B2 in Fig. 5). Then, if the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC when it departed was within a predetermined range from the race start position, the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has departed from near the race start position and determines that the race has started.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, the start of the race is determined by the determination device 16, so that the start of the race can be determined without using a system provided on the circuit. In other words, the start of the race can be determined at low cost. In particular, in this embodiment, the start of the race is determined not simply when it is detected that the race vehicle RC has stopped and then started, but rather when it is detected that the race vehicle RC has started from near the race start position. This prevents, for example, if a practice start is performed in which the race vehicle RC is stopped and then started during a formation lap (when the race vehicle RC goes around the course to move to the grid GR), it is possible to prevent the start of the race from being determined as having started when the race vehicle RC starts during the practice start.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the determination device 16 can easily determine that the racing vehicle RC is ready to start the race.

[0050] When the race start determination unit 46 determines that the race has started, the driving data recording processing unit 48 starts recording the various driving data acquired by the driving data acquisition unit 34 in the memory 40 from the start of the race. For example, the driving data recording processing unit 48 starts recording images recorded by the on-board camera, measured times, data indicating the amount or timing of accelerator and brake operation during the race, data indicating handling operations, and the like.

[0051] If the course traveled in the race in which the race vehicle RC is participating is a circuit course, the race end determination unit 50 determines that the race has ended when it detects that the race vehicle RC has traveled a predetermined number of laps based on the travel route obtained from the multiple pieces of vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. If the course traveled in the race in which the race vehicle RC is participating is a non-circuit course, the race end determination unit 50 determines that the race has ended when it detects that the race vehicle RC has crossed the finish line GL based on the vehicle position information of the race vehicle RC and position information indicating the position of the finish line GL included in the course information 22.

[0052] The notification processing unit 52 notifies the user of various types of running data that have been recorded by the running data recording processing unit 48 after the start of the race. For example, the notification processing unit 52 transmits the various types of running data to the user terminal 12. The notification processing unit 52 may transmit the various types of running data to the user terminal 12 in real time as the running data recording processing unit 48 starts recording the running data.

[0053] The above is an overview of the determination device 16 according to this embodiment. The flow of processing by the determination device 16 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0054] In step S10, the race start preparation determination unit 44 determines whether the race vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the race start position and whether the race vehicle RC is stopped. If the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the race vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the race start position and that the race vehicle RC is stopped, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0055] In step S12, the race start preparation determining unit 44 determines that the racing vehicle RC is ready to start the race.

[0056] In step S14, the race start determination unit 46 determines whether or not the race vehicle RC has started, based on the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. If the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has started, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0057] In step S16, the race start determination unit 46 determines that the race in which the racing vehicle RC is participating has started.

[0058] In step S18, the traveling data recording processing unit 48 starts recording the various traveling data acquired by the traveling data acquisition unit 34 in the memory 40.

[0059] In step S20, the race end determination unit 50 determines whether or not the race vehicle RC has traveled a predetermined number of laps based on the travel route obtained based on the plurality of vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. If it is determined that the race vehicle RC has traveled the predetermined number of laps, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0060] In step S22, the race end determination unit 50 determines that the race has ended.

[0061] In step S24, the notification processing unit 52 transmits to the user terminal 12 the various types of driving data that began to be recorded in step S18.

[0062] The above describes embodiments of the race start determination device and race start preparation determination device according to the present disclosure. However, the race start determination device and race start preparation determination device according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the spirit thereof.

[0063] In this embodiment, the determination device 16 is a device provided in the racing vehicle RC, but the determination device 16 may be a mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone) brought into the racing vehicle RC.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle speed of the racing vehicle RC is acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 38, but the vehicle speed of the racing vehicle RC may also be acquired based on radio waves from GNSS satellites acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. Specifically, the vehicle speed of the racing vehicle RC may be acquired based on frequency shifts caused by the Doppler effect, which occurs in the radio waves output from the GNSS satellites and is due to the movement of the racing vehicle RC. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Determination system, 12 User terminal, 14 Racing course server, 16 Determination device, 22 Course information, 30 Communication interface, 32 Vehicle position acquisition unit, 34 Driving data acquisition unit, 36 Vehicle sensor, 38 Vehicle speed sensor, 40 Memory, 42 Processor, 44 Race start preparation determination unit, 46 Race start determination unit, 48 Driving data recording processing unit, 50 Race end determination unit, 52 Notification processing unit.

Claims

1. a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the positions of race vehicles participating in a race; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the racing vehicle; a race start determination unit that determines that the race has started when it is detected that the race vehicle has departed from near the race start position based on race start position information indicating a race start position where the race vehicle is to start the race, the vehicle position information, and the vehicle speed information; A race start determination device comprising:

2. a race start preparation determination unit that determines that the race vehicle is ready to start a race when it detects that the race vehicle is within a predetermined range from the race start position based on the race start position information and the vehicle position information and detects that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information; and Furthermore, the race start determination unit determines that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle has started based on the vehicle speed information after the race start preparation determination unit determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race.

2. The race start determination device according to claim 1.

3. a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the positions of race vehicles participating in a race; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the racing vehicle; a race start preparation determination unit that determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race when it detects that the race vehicle is within a predetermined range from the race start position based on race start position information indicating a race start position where the race vehicle is to start the race and the vehicle position information, and when it detects that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information; A race start preparation determination device comprising:

Images