Automatic instant video replay apparatus system for sporting

• US 20050153785A1
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dehchuan Sun
• Original Assignee: Dehchuan Sun
• Inventors: Sun, Dehchuan
• Application Number:
  US10/756,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20050153785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/151
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf

Abstract

An automatic instant video replay apparatus system for sporting, which relates to a computerized video recording and automatic instant replay apparatus system, can be used for providing instant video visualization of a golfer'"'"'s swing at home, at golf driving ranges, and at outdoor natural grass, and for other sport activities.

Claims

1. An instant automatic video replay system for recording and instantly replaying motion images, comprising:

(a) a time and motion trigger point, capable of placing a golf ball on it and to be used as a point for receiving an impact force onto the golf ball;

(b) a camera, installed near said time and motion trigger point, and adjusted to said point so as to acquire motion images of balls such as golf ball and players;

(c) a computerized image analysis and storing system, connected to said camera and then process, analyze and store the images caught by said camera;

(d) a display, connected to said computer system to display the images of said camera or the images analyzed by or stored in said computer;

(e) a control panel, connected to said computer system so as to monitor said computer system and said camera;

wherein said computerized image analysis and storing apparatus periodically analyzes the image frames of said computerized image analysis and storing apparatus and then determines whether said time and motion trigger point has already been activated;

if the time and motion trigger point has not yet been activated, then said display displays current images of said time and motion trigger point and the player;

if the time and motion trigger point has already been activated, then said computer system retrieves the complete motions of the players (consisting of the pre-hit, hit, and post-hit motion in the golfing) from the memory of said computer and then displays them on the display;

if said images have been completely displayed, then the display returns to said time and motion trigger point and the current images of the player.

2. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of cameras can be increased from one to multiple so as to simultaneously catch, analyze, store, and display the images of the player'"'"'s motions at different positions and directions.

3. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control panel can separately provide an “

Instant Replay”

key to replay the motions already stored in the memory and a “

Slow Replay”

key to replay the motions already stored in the memory at a reduced speed, a “

Save Swing”

key to store images into the harddisk and a “

Create CD”

key to store images into CD.

4. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said camera can be installed near the player to catch the continuous frames of said time and motion trigger point and periodically extract the frames from them to check the analysis of a specific area (or the whole frame), and, in accordance with the analysis of international standard color parameters such as RGB, HSB, and Grayscale, to determine whether the motion at said time and motion trigger point has already been activated.

5. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or a plurality of cameras can selectively be installed near the player to catch the multiple-angle frames of pre-launch and subsequent motions at said time and motion trigger point.

6. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digitalized images of a plurality of cameras are stored into the memory of said computer and then displayed on said display;

if there are a plurality of cameras, then the screen can be divided into multiple regions to display multiple continuous frames, and if the size of the memory of said computer is not sufficient or is full, then the new images will replace the memory taken by the old images so that one or multiple complete motions are repetitively stored.

7. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the image color analyzing software finds that the motion at said time and motion trigger point has already been activated, then the images of the pre-launch, trigger point, and subsequent motion will be retrieved from the memory of said computer and replayed on said display until the replay is completed, then afterwards, the computer returns to the original state, and then the cycle continues.

8. An instant automatic video replay system for recording and instant and automatic replay of motion images is composed of:

(a) a hitting area, on which a golf ball can be placed;

(b) a camera, installed near said hitting area and adjusted to said hitting area to catch the swing images of the golf ball and the golfers.

(c) a computerized image analysis and storing apparatus, connected to said camera to process, analyze and store the images caught by said camera;

(d) a display, connected to said computer system to display the images from said cameras or the images analyzed by or stored in said computer;

(e) a control panel, connected to said computer system to monitor said computer system and camera(s);

wherein said computerized image analysis and storing apparatus periodically analyzes the image frames stored in the computerized image analysis and storing apparatus based on colors and then determines whether the golf ball placed in said hitting area has already been hit;

if the golf ball has not yet been hit, then said display displays current images of said hitting area and the golfer;

if the golf ball has already been hit, then said computer system retrieves the complete swing motion (including the pre-hit, hit, and post-hit motion) of the golfer from the memory and then displays them on the display until the display of these images is completed such that afterwards, the computer returns to the current images of said hitting and the golfer'"'"'s swing motion.

9. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the number of cameras can be increased from one to multiple to simultaneously catch, analyze, store, and display the swing motions of the golfers at different locations and directions.

10. The instant automatic video replay system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a control panel can separately provide an “

Instant Replay”

key to replay the motions already stored in the memory, a “

Slow Replay”

key to replay the motions already stored in the memory at a reduced speed, and a “

Save Swing”

key to store images into the harddisk, and a “

Create CD”

key to store images into CD.