Method of distributing sports entertainment

• US 20070008412A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U'R There Sport and Intellectual Property, LLC
• Original Assignee: U'R There Entertainment, Ltd.
• Inventors: Frederick, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method for distributing sports entertainment includes the step of providing a plurality of video cameras positioned on vehicles or athletes that are participating in sporting events, transmitters for transmitting information from the plurality of cameras to a processing station, retransmission equipment for directing the camera feed from each of the plurality of cameras to separate channels for distribution and remote viewing at viewers'"'"' locations, and channel selectors that permit viewers to select from among the various channels, thereby allowing the viewers to select from the plurality of camera feeds. The cameras are simultaneously operated during the sporting event so as to generate a plurality of camera feeds during the event, each feed reflecting the perspective of an individual participant. The plurality of feeds is received by the retransmission equipment and retransmitted to selectable channels, each channel being associated with a respective camera feed. A viewer is thus allowed to select from the plurality of channels to thus enable his or her viewing of the sports event through the perspective of the participant of greatest interest to the viewer.

Claims

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15. A method for distributing video images from a perspective of one or more participants in a racing event to at least one individual viewer, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a video camera attached to a vehicle of the one or more participants during the racing event to generate information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants, wherein the video camera is directionally repositionable by at least one of the one or more participants or others during the racing event;

providing receiving and retransmission equipment adapted to receive the information during the racing event, wherein the receiving and retransmission equipment is further adapted to direct the information to a channel of a distribution system during the racing event, wherein the distribution system is a pay-per-view television system, the Internet, or other computer network to which the at least one individual viewer has access;

receiving the information at the receiving retransmission equipment during the racing event; and

directing the information to a channel of the distribution system during the racing event,

whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to select the channel during the racing event and thereby view the video images of the racing event on a television screen or computer monitor screen.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the video camera includes a microphone to generate audio signals reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants and the information includes the audio signals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the distribution system is a pay-per-view television system, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to select the channel of the pay-per-view television system during the racing event and thereby view the video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants on a television screen or computer monitor screen.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the distribution system is the Internet, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to select the channel during the racing event by operating keys or a mouse of a computer and thereby view the video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more respective participants on a television screen or computer monitor screen.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the information reflects video images from the perspective of a plurality of participants and the distribution system provides a split-screen option, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view the video images of the racing event from the perspective of a plurality of participants on a split television screen or a split computer monitor screen.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the distribution system provides a split-screen option, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view the video images of the racing event from the perspective of the one or more participants and a standard viewing program of the racing event on a split television screen or a split computer monitor screen.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising

adding advertising information to the information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants, whereby the at least one individual viewer views the advertising information along with the video images of the racing event.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising

adding information about the racing event or the one or more participants within the advertising information.

23. A system for distributing video images from a perspective of one or more participants in a racing event to at least one individual viewer, the system comprising:

a video camera attached to a vehicle of the one or more participants in the racing event and adapted to generate information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants during the racing event, the video camera being directionally repositionable by at least one of the one or more participants or others during the racing event;

a transmitter disposed on the vehicle and adapted to transmit the information regarding the video images generated by the video camera during the racing event; and

receiving and retransmission equipment adapted to receive the information transmitted during the racing event, the receiving and retransmission equipment being further adapted to direct the information to a channel of a distribution system during the racing event for remote viewing by the at least one individual viewer on a television screen or computer monitor screen, wherein the distribution system is a pay-per-view television system, Internet, or other computer network to which the at least one individual viewer has access,

wherein the at least one individual viewer is able to select the channel of the distribution system during the racing event and thereby view the video images of the racing event on the television screen or computer monitor screen.