Telestrator system

• US 20060087504A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportvision, Inc. (Sportsmedia Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsiao, Walter, White, Marvin S., Gloudemans, James R., Cavallaro, Richard H., Honey, Stanley K., Meier, Kevin R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A telestrator system is disclosed that allows a broadcaster to annotate video during or after an event. For example, while televising a sporting event, an announcer (or other user) can use the present invention to draw over the video of the event to highlight one or more actions, features, etc. In one embodiment, when the announcer draws over the video, it appears that the announcer is drawing on the field or location of the event. Such an appearance can be performed by mapping the pixels location from the user'"'"'s drawing to three dimensional locations at the event. Other embodiments include drawing on the video without obscuring persons and/or other specified objects, and/or smoothing the drawings in real time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for annotating video, comprising:

means for receiving an illustration from a user;

means for adding said illustration to said video.

2-10. -10. (canceled)