Method and apparatus for detecting and signaling racetrack operation of a motor vehicle

摘要

A motor vehicle mounted system is responsive to sensed or estimated vehicle lateral acceleration and vehicle speed for detecting and signaling when the vehicle is operating on a racetrack. The system determines whether the vehicle is in a high lateral acceleration state or a low lateral acceleration state and when the vehicle is maintaining a minimum speed. The system increments a count when the vehicle is in the high lateral acceleration state if the vehicle has maintained the minimum speed for a first time since the last increment or decrement of the count and decrements the count when the vehicle is in the low lateral acceleration state if the vehicle has maintained the minimum speed for a second time since the last increment or decrement of the count. The system detects and signals operation on a racetrack while the count exceeds a predetermined threshold count and otherwise detects and signals no operation on a racetrack. Racetrack driving is thus detected through repeated episodes of high lateral acceleration during high speed turns on racetrack curves and corners.