JPH09121344A - Arrival order and time judging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To confirm the accuracy of start timing by comparing the light emitting time of strobe illumination emitted synchronously with a timer start signal with timing operation start time. SOLUTION: A light emitting means 21 such is a strobe is arranged in the photographing range of a linear sensor camera 3 and a signal from the camera 3 is written in a picture memory 8 prior to the input of a timer start signal. During the writing of the signal in the memory 8, the timer start signal is inputted to a time generator 10 in a recording part 5 simultaneously with the start of a meet and an internal timer is driven to start timing. Simultaneously with the start of timing, an emitter 21 is emitted and the picture from the camera 3 is written in the memory 8 together with the time information. The picture written in the memory 8 is scanned and converted and the processed picture is displayed on a video monitor 14. The emitting time of the emitter 21 is compared with the timing operation start time based upon the displayed picture to confirm the accuracy of start timing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a boat race, a horse race, a bicycle race,
The present invention relates to a finish order and time determination device in athletics and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Publication No.
A technique disclosed as a "determination device" in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-24831 and an improved technique thereof are disclosed in JP-A-3-13.
There is a 9374 "electronic type immediate determination device" and the like.

These use a linear sensor camera for picking up an image of a moving object passing through a judgment reference line such as a goal line in accordance with this reference line, supplying the output of this camera to a storage section having a scan conversion function, and receiving the output. It is stored in the internal image memory together with the time information required for order determination, and the one-dimensional video signal of the linear sensor camera is scanned and converted into a two-dimensional video signal and the time information required for arrival order determination is stored from the storage unit. It is read out and output to a video monitor.

The time information necessary for determining the arrival order is recorded in time series with the stored image by starting the time counting operation of the internal timer by a timer start signal from the outside. In this case, in order to accurately determine the arrival order, in particular, to accurately measure the time, it is necessary to confirm the accuracy of the time until the internal timer starts operating by the timer start signal from the outside. Furthermore, the accuracy of the internal timer itself is also necessary.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned prior art,
There are time lags and variations from the input of the timer start signal to the start of the timer's timing operation, and the accuracy of the timer start is determined by the electrical and mechanical accuracy and the performance of the device itself. In particular, since the timer start signal at the start of each competition and the timing for starting the timing operation of the timer were not recorded, the accuracy could not be confirmed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrival order and time determination device capable of confirming the accuracy of timer start and making more accurate determination.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a linear sensor camera for picking up an image of a moving object passing on a judgment reference line such as a goal line, a timer start signal generating means, and a synchronous means therefor. Equipped with a light emitting means with sufficiently fast response speed such as a strobe, a time measuring means for starting a time counting operation by a timer start signal, and a means for writing a video signal from a linear sensor camera together with time information on an image memory, and a timer start signal input By writing a light-emitting body such as a strobe that occasionally emits light together with time information on the image memory through the linear sensor camera, it is possible to check the input accuracy of the timer start signal and the start accuracy of the timing operation.

Explaining the operation of the present invention, a light emitting means such as a strobe is installed in the photographing range of the linear sensor camera, and the signal from the linear sensor camera is written in the image memory in advance before the input of the timer start signal. To do. While writing to the memory, the timer start signal is input to the time generator of the recording unit at the same time as the start of the competition, the internal timer operates, and the time counting operation starts. At the same time, a light emitting body such as a strobe also emits light, and the image from the linear sensor camera is written on the image memory via the linear sensor camera together with the time information. The image written in the memory is scan-converted and displayed on the video monitor. With the displayed image, the time at which the light emitter emits light is compared with the time for starting the time counting operation to confirm the accuracy.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the order of arrival and time determination device of the present invention. In the arrival order and time determination device shown in FIG.
3 is a linear sensor camera, 5 is an image recording unit, 19 is an operating unit, 14 is a video monitor, 15 is an image filing device, 16 is a video printer, 17 is a timer start signal from the outside that serves as a reference for starting the timing operation, 18 Is a memory capture signal, 20 is a strobe controller, 21 is strobe lighting, 1 is a judgment reference line such as a goal line, and 2 is a moving body passing on the judgment reference line 1, for example, a runner.

The image recording section 5 will be described in more detail.
6 is an A / D conversion circuit for converting the video signal output from the linear sensor camera 3 into a digital signal, 7 is a writing circuit for storing the digital video signal from the A / D conversion circuit in a memory, 8 is a digital video signal and time A memory unit for storing digital information signals such as information, a reading circuit 9 for scanning and reading the digital video signals and digital information signals stored in the memory unit, and a reading unit 10 for timing operation by a timer start signal 17 from the outside. A time generator, 11 is an address control unit that controls writing and reading of the memory unit 8, 12 is a character generator, and 13 is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU).

A basic operation in a competition or the like will be described. First, when the memory capture signal 18 is first applied, the image from the linear sensor camera 3 is recorded in the memory unit 8. Next, the timer start signal 1 to start the competition
When 7 is input, the time generator 10 in the image recording unit 5 starts the time counting operation. At the same time, the strobe controller 20 operates and the strobe 21 emits light.

On the other hand, the linear sensor camera 3 installed so as to photograph on the judgment reference line 1 such as the goal line is used to move the moving body 2 passing over the judgment reference line 1 which is the subject to the lens 4
And the linear sensor camera 3 obtains a one-dimensional video signal. The video signal of the linear sensor camera 3 is output to the image recording unit 5, the video signal is converted into a digital video signal by the A / D conversion circuit 6, and is written and stored in the memory unit 8 via the writing circuit 7. .
The memory unit 8 stores the digital video data from the linear sensor camera 3 and, at the same time, displays a time generator 10 for superimposing and displaying the elapsed time from the start on the image, and characters, symbols such as a competition name, and a judgment line on the image. Digital information data from the character generator 12 for superposition is stored.
The readout circuit 9 reads out information necessary for determining the order of arrival and time from the digital video data and the digital information data stored in the memory unit 8 as a two-dimensional video signal and displays it as a television signal. Scan conversion is performed and output to the video monitor 14.

The video monitor 14 displays the image necessary for determining the order of arrival and time from the two-dimensional video signal output from the reading circuit 9. The arrival order is determined and the time is measured based on the displayed image. Further, the image can be printed on the video printer 16 as required. The write circuit 7, the memory unit 8, the read circuit 9 and the like are controlled by the control signal from the address control unit 11.
Control of writing and reading is performed. In addition, operating device 1
The CPU 9 and the CPU 13 can control the display of various information by selecting the signal recording and reading means.

In the present invention, the stroboscopic illumination 21 which is the light emitting means is installed on the judgment reference line 1 such as the goal line which is the photographing range of the linear sensor camera 3. Strobe lighting 21
Is the timer start signal 17 by the strobe controller 20.
The light is emitted in synchronization with the input trigger of. By the signal from the memory capture signal 18, the signal of the linear sensor camera 3 is written to the image memory 8 before the input of the timer start signal 17, and during the writing to this memory 8, the timer start signal 17 When the time is input to the time generator 10 of the recording unit 5 at the same time as the start, the internal timer operates to start the time counting operation. The signal from the linear sensor camera 3 is written in the image memory 8 together with the time information. The image written in the memory 8 is scan-converted and displayed on the video monitor 14.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the image data and information data such as time written in the memory 8 in the above embodiment are scan-converted into a two-dimensional television system image. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 22 is an image written when the strobe illumination 21 emits light, and is displayed in white because the luminance level is increased by the illumination. Reference numeral 23 denotes a time marker, which starts counting from 0 seconds at the same time as the input of the timer start signal and is displayed as a marker at the bottom and top of the screen. The strobe lighting 2 is displayed by this displayed image.
The accuracy of the start timing can be confirmed by comparing the time of light emission of No. 1 and the time counting operation start time.

The screen of FIG. 2 displays both the timing of the timer start and the strobe light 22 at the time of start, and FIG. 3 shows an image in which the image of the finish time is captured following this screen. 24 shows the timing of the timer start at the time of start, and 25 is the image which captured the video at the time of the goal after that. Mobiles such as runners 2
When the memory capture signal 18 is input when the vehicle passes over the judgment reference line 1 such as the goal line, the linear sensor camera 3
The video is written in the memory 8 of the image recording unit 5 via. At this time, the timer continuously performs the time counting operation after the timer start signal is input.

By recording the image 25 at the time of the goal together with the timing image 24 of the strobe lighting 21 at the start and the timing of the timer start, the start accuracy can be confirmed and verified, and even if the timer start is misaligned. Highly accurate time measurement can be performed by measuring the time from strobe lighting to the goal. Further, the stored image data in the memory unit 8 and information data such as time can be read out to the read-out circuit 9 by a selection signal from the operation device 19, and recorded and stored in the image filing device 15 as digital data. it can.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the start timing is compared by comparing the time when the strobe lighting, which emits light in synchronism with the timer start signal, with the time when the timer operation is started, by the image of the timer start timing at the start. The accuracy of can be confirmed. Also, by recording the image of the goal at the time of strobe lighting at the start and the timing of the timer start, it is possible to check and verify the start accuracy, and even if the timer start is misaligned, By measuring the time, the time can be corrected, and the time can be measured with high accuracy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a monitor image diagram for explaining a start timing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a monitor image diagram for explaining the measurement at the start timing and the goal according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Judgment Reference Line 2 Moving Object 3 Linear Sensor Camera 4 Lens 5 Image Recording Section 6 A / D Converter 7 Writing Circuit 8 Memory Section 9 Reading Circuit 10 Time Generator 11 Address Control Section 12 Character Generator 13 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ) 14 Video monitor 15 Image filing device 16 Video printer 17 Timer start signal 18 Memory capture signal 19 Manipulator 20 Strobe controller 21 Strobe lighting 22 Strobe light written in image memory 23 Time marker 24 Capture screen at start 25 Goal Capture screen

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for obtaining a video signal by imaging a moving body passing on a judgment reference line such as a goal line by a linear sensor, a time generating means driven by a start signal of the moving body, and the video signal. Means for recording signals from the obtaining means and the time generating means, a light emitting means arranged in the field of view of the linear sensor and controlled in emission by the start signal, and information recorded in the recording means. An arrival order and time determination device characterized by comprising reading means. 2. The arrival order and time determination device according to claim 1, wherein the video signal from the linear sensor is recorded in the recording means before the start signal is generated.