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] This specification discloses a race start determination device and a race start preparation determination device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems have been provided to acquire information about the driving of race vehicles participating in motorsports competitions. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for providing driving vehicle position information 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 Publication No. 2007-233462 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Now, let's consider how to determine the start of a race (more specifically, the point at which the race begins) in motorsport competitions. By determining the start of the race, it becomes possible to start recording various driving data (such as lap times and top speeds) related to the race vehicle's performance from the point at which the race begins. Typically, race circuits have a system that is linked to a start signal that notifies the driver of the start of the race, and this system determines when the race has started.

[0005] However, such systems are owned by the circuit administrators. Therefore, if a race organizer using a race at that circuit wishes to use such a system, they will need to obtain permission from the circuit administrator or pay a usage fee to the circuit administrator.

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

[0007] Generally, immediately before the start of a race, the participating race cars stop at a predetermined starting position. After stopping at the starting position, the race cars depart according to the start signal.

[0008] In this case, it would be desirable to be able to easily determine that the race vehicle has stopped at the starting position and is ready to begin the race before the race starts.

[0009] The purpose of the race start determination device disclosed herein is to enable the determination of the start of a race without using a system installed at the circuit. Alternatively, the purpose of the race start readiness determination device disclosed herein is to enable easy determination of whether a race vehicle is ready to start the race before the race begins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The race start determination device disclosed herein is characterized by comprising: a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of a race vehicle participating in a race; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed of the race vehicle; and a race start determination unit that determines that the race has started when it detects that the race vehicle has departed from the vicinity of the race start position based on race start position information indicating the position where the race vehicle should start the race, the vehicle position information, and the vehicle speed information.

[0011] a race start preparation determination unit that further determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race when it is detected 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 it is detected that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information, wherein the race start determination unit preferably determines that the race has started when it is detected that the race vehicle has departed based on the vehicle speed information after the race start preparation determination unit determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race.

[0012] Further, the race start preparation determination device disclosed in the present specification comprises: a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating a position of a race vehicle participating in a race; a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating a vehicle speed of the race vehicle; and a race start preparation determination unit that determines that the race vehicle is ready to start the race when it is detected 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 that is a position where the race vehicle should start the race and the vehicle position information, and it is detected that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information. [[Effects of the Invention]]

[0013] According to the race start determination device disclosed in the present specification, race start can be determined without using a system provided on a circuit. Alternatively, according to the race start preparation determination device disclosed in the present specification, it can be easily determined that a race vehicle is ready to start the race before the start of the race. [[Brief Description of the Drawings]]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a determination system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of content of course information. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a start line, a goal line, and a grid. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the determination device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the parameters used in the calculation to determine when a race car has stopped on the grid. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the processing flow of the determination device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the race vehicle determination system 10 according to this embodiment. The determination system 10 consists of a user terminal 12, a racing course server 14, and a determination device 16, which is installed in the race vehicle RC participating in the race, as a race start determination device or a race start preparation determination device. 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] RC race cars are not limited to race-specific vehicles such as F1 cars. Traditionally, races have been held in which commercially available vehicles can participate, and these vehicles participating in such races are also included in the definition of RC race cars. Furthermore, RC race cars are not limited to four-wheeled vehicles; they can also be two-wheeled vehicles. In addition, RC race cars can have any type of engine, and they can even be vehicles without an engine.

[0017] User terminal 12 is a terminal used by users such as drivers of the RC race car and staff of the racing team. User terminal 12 may be, for example, a smartphone or a PC.

[0018] The racing course server 14 is composed of, for example, a server computer. The memory 20 of the racing course server 14 stores course information 22 related to the racing courses to be managed.

[0019] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of course information 22. Course information 22 includes a course ID that uniquely identifies the course, an image showing the course layout, and positional information indicating the start line, finish line, and the location of each grid. In the example in Figure 2, each course is a loop course, but courses are not limited to loop courses. For example, they may be non-loop courses, such as rally courses.

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

[0021] In this embodiment, the positional information indicating the start line, finish line, and each grid is represented in polar coordinates such as latitude, longitude (or even altitude). "Start line (left)" refers to one end of the start line, and "Start line (right)" refers to the other end. In other words, in this embodiment, the start line is represented by the polar coordinates of one end and the polar coordinates of the other end. The same applies to the finish line and the grids.

[0022] Figure 3 shows examples of the start line SL, finish line GL, and grid GR. For example, in a race where each race car RC starts sequentially, the start line SL is the race start position, which is where the race car RC should start the race. In this case, the position information indicating the location of the start line SL becomes the race start position information. Also, on a circuit course, the start line SL is the line that serves as the reference line for measuring lap time (the time it takes for the race car RC to complete one lap of the course). In this case, the start line SL is also called the control line. The finish line GL is the line that indicates the finish position of the course. As shown in Figure 3, on a circuit course, the start line SL and the finish line GL are generally in the same position. On a non-circular course, the start line SL and the finish line GL are in different positions.

[0023] Multiple grids GR are provided behind the starting 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 as "rear." Multiple grids GR are provided in a line in the direction of travel of the race vehicle RC on the course. As shown in Figure 3, generally, two rows of grids GR are provided, for example, in order of proximity to the starting line SL, the first grid GR1 (the front of the first row), the second grid GR2 (the front of the second row) diagonally behind it, the third grid GR3 (the second in the first row) diagonally behind it, and so on. Generally, the first grid GR1, which is closest to the starting line SL, is provided in the row on the inside of the first corner of the course (the side in the direction of turning at the first corner).

[0024] In races where multiple race cars (RCs) start simultaneously from a stationary position (standing start), each grid position (GR) becomes the starting position for each race car (RC). In this case, the position information indicating the location of each grid position (GR) becomes the starting position information for each race car (RC). The starting position of each race car (RC) is determined by, for example, a qualifying race held prior to the main race. For example, race cars (RCs) with higher qualifying positions will start from a grid position closer to the first grid position (GR1). Alternatively, there is a reverse grid system where race cars (RCs) with lower qualifying positions will start from a grid position closer to the first grid position (GR1).

[0025] Figure 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 the race car RC.

[0026] The communication interface 30 consists of, for example, a network adapter. 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 consists of, for example, an antenna that receives radio waves from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites and a receiver that processes 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 vehicle position information intermittently. For example, the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 acquires 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 grid GR in the course information 22. The acquired vehicle position information is stored in the memory 40 described later.

[0028] The driving data acquisition unit 34 consists of, for example, a connector to which a cable from the vehicle sensor 36 is connected, or a short-range wireless communication device that communicates with the vehicle sensor 36 via short-range wireless communication. The driving data acquisition unit 34 acquires driving data, which is the detection data from the vehicle sensor 36. The race car RC is equipped with various vehicle sensors 36. The vehicle sensors 36 include various sensors such as an onboard camera, sensors that detect the amount of accelerator and brake operation, sensors that detect the amount of steering (handle) operation, and sensors that detect the gear status. In particular, the vehicle sensors 36 include a vehicle speed sensor 38 that detects the vehicle speed of the race car RC. As one of the driving data, the driving data acquisition unit 34 acquires vehicle speed information, which indicates the vehicle speed of the race car RC, from the vehicle speed sensor 38. In other words, the driving data acquisition unit 34 functions as a vehicle speed acquisition unit.

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

[0030] Memory 40 is composed of an SSD (Solid State Drive), eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory). As described above, memory 40 stores vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 and driving data acquired by the driving data acquisition unit 34. Memory 40 also stores a judgment program for operating each part of the judgment device 16. The judgment program can also be stored in a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. The judgment device 16 can read and execute the judgment program from such a storage medium.

[0031] The processor 42 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 42 is connected to the communication interface 30, the vehicle position acquisition unit 32, the driving 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 driving data recording processing unit 48, a race end determination unit 50, and a notification processing unit 52, according to the 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 race vehicle RC is participating, whether the race 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 that the race vehicle RC will run on in the race from among the multiple courses included in the course information 22 (see Figure 2). This can be done by comparing the running path obtained based on the multiple vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 when the race vehicle RC runs on the course during practice runs before the start of the race, with the position information indicating the layout of each course contained in the course information 22. Alternatively, the course may be specified by the driver of the race vehicle RC before the start of the race. Once the course that the race vehicle RC will run on in the race is identified, the race start preparation determination unit 44 identifies the start line, finish line, and the positions of each grid on that course based on the course information 22.

[0034] Next, the race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the race 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 explained with reference to Figure 5. It is assumed that information indicating which grid GR the race start position of the race vehicle RC is (for example, the result of the qualifying race) has been input into the determination device 16 in advance. Hereafter, the grid GR which is the race start position of the race vehicle RC will be simply referred to as grid GR. In addition, in the following explanation, the antenna of the vehicle position acquisition unit 32 is provided at the front end of the race vehicle RC, and the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC refers to the position of the front end of the race vehicle RC.

[0035] First, the race start preparation unit 44 converts the two polar coordinates indicating the positions of one end and the other end of the grid GR into Cartesian coordinates (xyz coordinates). Since the conversion to Cartesian coordinates can be done using known methods (e.g., "GPS Theory and Applications", B. Hoffmann-Wellenhoff, H. Lichtenegger, J. Collins, Springer-Verlag Tokyo, p. 319), a detailed explanation is omitted here. Similarly, the race start preparation unit 44 also converts the polar coordinates indicating the vehicle position of the race car RC into Cartesian coordinates.

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

[0037] The race start preparation determination unit 44 obtains a distance d between the front end of the racing vehicle RC and the grid GR in the following manner. First, a line segment A connecting A1 and A2 (that is, the latest travel trajectory of the racing vehicle RC) and a line segment B connecting B1 and B2 (that is, the grid GR) can be represented by the following equations (1) and (2). [Math.]]

[0038] When the vehicle position A2 of the racing vehicle RC at the current time is taken as the origin of the orthogonal coordinates, b A = 0, so equation (1) becomes [Math.]] . Here, the slope a of line segment A A , the slope a of line segment B B are respectively [Math.]] . Further, by transforming equation (2), we obtain [Math.]] .

[0039] An intersection L(x of the extension line of line segment A and line segment B L , y LIn this case, 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] The race start preparation determination unit 44 detects that the race vehicle RC is within a predetermined range from the grid GR, which is the race start position, when the calculated distance d is less than a predetermined distance threshold (for example, 2m) (in other words, it detects that the race 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 driving data acquisition unit 34. Note that, taking into account potential errors, the race start preparation determination unit 44 may also detect that the race vehicle RC is stopped if its vehicle speed is below a predetermined first vehicle speed threshold (e.g., 1 km / h).

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

[0044] The race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has departed based on the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32, after the race start preparation determination unit 44 has determined that the race vehicle RC is ready to start the race. In this embodiment, the race start determination unit 46 detects that the race vehicle RC has departed when the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC reaches or exceeds a predetermined second vehicle speed threshold (for example, 1 km / h). The first vehicle speed threshold and the second vehicle speed threshold may be the same or different.

[0045] The race start determination unit 46 then determines that the race in which the race vehicle RC is participating has started when it detects that the race vehicle RC has departed after it has finished preparing to start the race. For example, the race start determination unit 46 identifies the departure time of the race vehicle RC after it has finished preparing to start the race as the start time of the race.

[0046] In this embodiment, the race start determination unit 46 determined that the race had started when it detected that the race vehicle RC had departed after the race start preparation determination unit 44 had determined that the race vehicle RC was ready to start the race. However, 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 departed 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 driving 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 the same method as described with reference to Figure 5, the race start determination unit 46 determines whether the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC at the time of departure is within a predetermined range from the race start position, based on the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC immediately after departure (A1, A2 in Figure 5) and the race start position information (B1, B2 in Figure 5). The race start determination unit 46 then determines that the race has started from near the race start position, based on the fact that the vehicle position of the race vehicle RC at the time of departure is within a predetermined range from the race start position.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, the start of the race is determined by the determination device 16, so the start of the race can be determined without using a system installed at 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 when it is detected that the race vehicle RC has started from near the race start position. This prevents the race from being determined to have started when the race vehicle RC starts during the start practice, for example, when the race vehicle RC is stopped and then started again during the formation lap (when the race vehicle RC circles the course to move to the grid GR).

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the determination device 16 can easily determine when the race 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 various driving data acquired by the driving data acquisition unit 34 into the memory 40 from the start of the race. For example, the driving data recording processing unit 48 starts recording recorded images from an onboard camera, measured times, data indicating the amount or timing of accelerator and brake operations during the race, or data indicating handling operations.

[0051] If the course on which the race vehicle RC is running in the race is a circular course, the race termination determination unit 50 determines that the race has ended when it detects that the race vehicle RC has completed a predetermined number of laps, based on the running path obtained from multiple vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. If the course on which the race vehicle RC is running in the race is a non-circular course, the race termination 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 the 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 driving data recorded by the driving data recording processing unit 48 after the start of the race. For example, the notification processing unit 52 sends various driving data to the user terminal 12. The notification processing unit 52 may also send various driving data to the user terminal 12 in real time when the driving data recording processing unit 48 starts recording driving data.

[0053] The overview of the determination device 16 according to this embodiment is as described above. The processing flow of the determination device 16 according to this embodiment will now be explained according to the flowchart shown in Figure 6.

[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 stationary. 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 stationary, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0055] In step S12, the race start preparation determination unit 44 determines that the race 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 race vehicle RC is participating has started.

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

[0059] In step S20, the race completion determination unit 50 determines whether the race vehicle RC has completed a predetermined number of laps based on the driving path obtained from the multiple vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. If it is determined that the race vehicle RC has completed a predetermined number of laps, the process proceeds to step S22.

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

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

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

[0063] In this embodiment, the determination device 16 was a device installed in the race car RC, but the determination device 16 may also be a portable terminal (such as a smartphone) brought into the race car RC.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC was obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 38, but the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC may also be obtained based on radio waves from GNSS satellites obtained by the vehicle position acquisition unit 32. Specifically, the vehicle speed of the race vehicle RC may be obtained based on the frequency transitions caused by the Doppler effect resulting from the movement of the race vehicle RC, which occur in the radio waves output from the GNSS satellites. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Judgment system, 12 User terminal, 14 Racing course server, 16 Judgment 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 judgment unit, 46 Race start judgment unit, 48 Driving data recording processing unit, 50 Race end judgment unit, 52 Notification processing unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of race vehicles participating in a race, A vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed information indicating the speed of the aforementioned race vehicle, A race start determination unit 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 position where the race vehicle should start the race, the vehicle position information, and the vehicle speed information. A race start determination device characterized by comprising the following features.

2. A race start preparation determination unit 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 when it detects that the race vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle speed information, Furthermore, The race start determination unit determines that the race has started when it has determined that the race vehicle is ready to start the race, and then detects that the race vehicle has departed based on the vehicle speed information. The race start determination device according to feature 1.

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

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