Method and system for creating event data and making same available to be served

• US 20050277466A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Playdata Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Playdata Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Lock, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2226 Determination of depth image, e.g. for foreground/background separation determining depth by image analysis in general G06T7/50; segmentation by image analysis in general G06T7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A method and system for creating event data including 3-D data representing at least one participant in an event and making the event data available to be served is provided. The system includes a communications network. A plurality of camera units are coupled to the communications network. The camera units are configured and installed at an event venue to generate a plurality of images from waves which propagate from objects in the event and includes the at least one participant in a plurality of non-parallel detector planes spaced about the event venue. The camera units include a plurality of detectors for measuring energy in the images in the detector planes to produce a plurality of signals obtained from different directions with respect to the at least one participant and a plurality of signal processors to process the plurality of signals from the plurality of detectors with at least one control algorithm to obtain image data. A processor subsystem is coupled to the communications network to process the image data to obtain the event data including the 3-D data. A server, which includes a data engine, is in communication with the processor subsystem through the communications network. The server is configured to receive the event data including the 3-D data from the processor subsystem and to make the event data available to be served.

Claims

1. A system for creating event data including 3-D data representing at least one participant in an event and making the event data available to be served, the system comprising:

a communications network;

a plurality of camera units coupled to the communications network, the camera units being configured and installed at an event venue to generate a plurality of images from waves which propagate from objects in the event including the at least one participant in a plurality of non-parallel detector planes spaced about the event venue, the camera units including a plurality of detectors for measuring energy in the images in the detector planes to produce a plurality of signals obtained from different directions with respect to the at least one participant and a plurality of signal processors to process the plurality of signals from the plurality of detectors with at least one control algorithm to obtain image data wherein the camera units are calibrated in 3-D with respect to the event venue;

a processor subsystem coupled to the communications network to process the image data to obtain the event data including the 3-D data; and

a server including a data engine, the server being in communication with the processor subsystem through the communications network, the server being configured to receive the event data including the 3-D data from the processor subsystem and to make the event data available to be served.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the waves are light signals reflected from the objects and wherein at least one of the detectors comprises an array of photodetectors.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the arrays of photodetectors includes a video camera.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3-D data represents 3-D positions, poses and appearance of the at least one participant.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3-D data represents a plurality of participants in the event and 3-D positions, poses and appearances of the participants.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the event data includes snapshots and video clips of the event.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the event data includes individual and group statistics.

8. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the event is an officiated event and wherein the event data includes officiating help data.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network is an ethernet network.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless network.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a client including an animation engine configured to receive the event data and to create an animated scenario including at least one animated participant in the event moving along a virtual path based on the event data.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the scenario is a play and the at least one participant includes at least one virtual player in the play.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one virtual player includes at least one virtual sports player.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the client includes an editor for editing the event data to obtain edited event data wherein the animated scenario is based on the edited event data.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the client includes means for creating a virtual environment based on the event data and wherein the animated scenario is simulated in the virtual environment.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the client includes means for controlling the animated scenario in the virtual environment.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the means for controlling controls a view point of a real human viewing the animated scenario.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server further includes a web server.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a client including a web browser interface configured to couple the client to the web server through the web browser interface to obtain the event data for at least one selected object in the event.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the client includes an animation engine to create an animated scenario including at least one animated virtual participant moving along a virtual path based on the served event data.

21. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an audio subsystem coupled to the communications network, the audio subsystem being configured and installed at the event venue to acquire and process a plurality of sounds from different locations at the event venue to obtain sound data wherein the processor subsystem processes the sound data to obtain 3-D sound data and wherein the event data includes the 3-D sound data.

22. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is an action-oriented event.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the action-oriented event is a sporting event.

24. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is a surveillance event.

46. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calibrated camera units produce 3-D directed line segments which represent 3-D positions.

25. A method for creating event data including 3-D data representing at least one participant in an event and making the event data available to be served, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of images from waves which propagate from objects in the event including the at least one participant in a plurality of non-parallel detector planes spaced about an event venue;

measuring energy in the images in the detector planes to produce a plurality of signals obtained from different directions with respect to the at least one participant;

processing the plurality of signals with at least one control algorithm to obtain image data;

processing the image data to obtain the event data including the 3-D data; and

making the event data including the 3-D data available to be served.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the waves are light signals reflected from the objects.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the 3-D data represents 3-D positions, poses and appearance of the at least one participant.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the 3-D data represents a plurality of participants in the event and 3-D positions, poses and appearances of the participants.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the event data includes snapshots and video clips of the event.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the event data includes individual and group statistics.

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the event is an officiated event and wherein the event data includes officiating help data.

32. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising creating an animated scenario including at least one animated participant in the event moving along a virtual path based on the event data.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the scenario is a play and the at least one participant includes at least one virtual player in the play.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the at least one virtual player includes at least one virtual sports player.

35. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising editing the event data to obtain edited event data wherein the animated scenario is based on the edited event data.

36. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising creating a virtual environment based on the event data and wherein the animated scenario is simulated in the virtual environment.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, further comprising controlling the animated scenario in the virtual environment.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the step of controlling controls a view point of a real human viewing the animated scenario.

39. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the step of making makes the event data available to be served over the Internet.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39, further comprising serving the event data over the Internet.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, further comprising creating an animated scenario including at least one animated virtual participant moving along a virtual path based on the served event data.

42. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising acquiring and processing a plurality of sounds from different locations at the event venue to obtain sound data and processing the sound data to obtain 3-D sound data wherein the event data includes the 3-D sound data.

43. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the event is an action-oriented event.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the action-oriented event is a sporting event.

45. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the event is a surveillance event.

47. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising processing the 3-D data to compensate for incomplete or missing event data.

48. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising utilizing 3-D data which represents position and velocity of the at least one participant with a 3-D model of the event to compensate for incomplete or missing event data.