THREE DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL RENDERING OF A LIVE EVENT

• US 20080186330A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportvision, Inc. (Sportsmedia Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Marvin S., Pendleton, Rand, Milnes, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A method is disclosed for three-dimensional rendering of a live event such as an automobile race over a client device such as a personal computer. Moving and stationary objects at the event may be rendered using computer-generated graphics of the moving and stationary objects and real time positional data giving the position of the moving objects over time. The positional data may be streamed to the client device and displayed in real time or substantially real time.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting data generated during an event, the data indicating a position of a moving object, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the data indicates the moving object occupies at least partially the same space as a second object from the event; and

(b) adjusting the data for at least the moving object to move the moving object out of the same space occupied by the second object in the event it is determined in said step (a) that the data indicates the moving object at least partially occupies the same space as the second object.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step (c) of receiving a prediction of the precision of the data indicating the positions of the moving and second objects.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, said step (b) comprising the step of adjusting the data for at least the moving object based on the predictions of the precision of the data received in said step (c).

4. A method as recited in claim 2, said step (b) comprising the step of adjusting the data for at least the moving object to move the moving object an amount proportional to a ratio of the predictions of the precision of the data received in said step (c).

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step (d) of rendering a computer-generated image of the moving object based on graphics data for the moving object and a position of the object indicated by data adjusted in said step (b).

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, prior to said steps (a) and (b), the steps of:

(e) obtaining a first estimate of the data indicating a position of the moving object by measuring a position of the moving object;

(f) obtaining a first prediction of the precision of the first estimate;

(g) obtaining a second estimate of the data indicating a position of the moving object by extrapolating a position of the moving object based on one or more prior positions of the object

(h) obtaining a second prediction of the precision of the second estimate; and

(i) obtaining the data indicating a position of the object used in said step (a) based at least on the first and second estimates and the first and second predictions.

7. A method of correcting data generated during a live event, the data indicating a position of a first object in the event, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the data indicates the first object occupies at least partially the same space as another object from the event; and

(b) adjusting the data for at least the first object to move the first object out of the same space occupied by the other object in the event if it is determined in said step (a) that the data indicates the first object at least partially occupies the same space as the other object.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the event is an automobile race and the first object is a car.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car transversely across the race track away from the other object.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car longitudinally along the race track away from the other object.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the other object is a second car, said step (b) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car away from the second car without changing an order of the first and second cars in the race.

12. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the other object comprises a wall, said step (b) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car away from the wall.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the other object comprises a second car, the method further comprising the steps of:

(c) generating data relating to the positions of the first and second objects prior to said step (a);

(d) generating predictions as to the precision of the data generated in said step (c) for the first and second cars.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (b) comprises adjusting the data relating to the position of the first and second cars to move each car a distance based on the predictions generated in said step (d).

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (b) comprises adjusting the data relating to the position of the first and second cars to move each car a distance proportional to a ratio of the predictions generated in said step (d).

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving GPS measurements of the position of the first and second cars.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving measurements from at least one of the Galileo positioning system, the GLONASS positioning system, a ground-based RF system, an optical tracking position determination system and a track modeling system.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving measurements from at least one of an optical tracking system and a ground-based RF position determination system.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving an indication of the movement of the first and second cars from inertia measurement units within the first and second cars.

20. A method of filtering data taken from an event, the data indicating a position of a moving object, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a first estimate of the data indicating a position of the moving object by measuring a position of the moving object;

(b) obtaining a first prediction of the precision of the first estimate;

(c) obtaining a second estimate of the data indicating a position of the moving object by extrapolating a position of the moving object based on one or more prior positions of the object;

(d) obtaining a second prediction of the precision of the second estimate;

(e) obtaining a third estimate of the data indicating a position of the moving object using historical data indicating a reference line representing an estimate of a path traveled by object at an earlier time;

(f) obtaining a third prediction of the precision of the third estimate; and

(g) obtaining a fourth estimate of the data indicating a position of the object based on the first, second and third estimates and the first, second and third predictions.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, said step (g) comprising obtaining the fourth estimate using a least squares estimation filter.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, said step (g) comprising obtaining the fourth estimate using a Kalman filter.

23. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving measurements from at least one of GPS, the Galileo positioning system, the GLONASS positioning system, a ground-based RF system, an optical tracking position determination system and a track modeling system.

24. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving an indication of the movement of the moving object from inertia measurement units within the first and second cars.

25. A method of rendering a three-dimensional computer-generated image of a live event on a client device, the event including at least a first and a second object, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating data relating to the positions of the first and second objects at a given time;

(b) generating predictions as to the precision of the data generated in said step (a) for the first and second objects at the given time;

(c) generating a first update of the data relating to positions of the first and second moving objects at the given time using a state estimation process; and

(d) generating a second update of the data relating to positions of the first and second moving objects at the given time using an overlap correction process.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the step of repeating steps (a) through (d) for subsequent time periods, and streaming the data for each given time generated by the second update of the data in step (d) to the client device.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising the step of sending graphics data relating to the appearance of the first and second moving objects to the client device.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of rendering at least one of the first and second moving objects on a display associated with the client device based on:

i) the graphics data relating to the appearance of the first and second moving objects to the client device, and ii) data streamed to the client device relating to positions of the first and second moving objects generated in the second update of the data in said step (d).

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein said step of rendering at least one of the first and second moving objects renders at least one of the first and second objects in a position representing a substantially real time position of the first or second objects.

30. A method as recited in claim 28, further comprising the step of providing computer code allowing playback or pause of the rendering of at least one of the first and second moving objects using streaming data buffered in memory of the client device.

31. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of providing a computer code to the client device for allowing a user to select a field of view of the event.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising the step of rendering at least one of the first and second moving objects on a display associated with the client device based on:

i) the graphics data relating to the appearance of the first and second moving objects to the client device, ii) data streamed to the client device relating to positions of the first and second moving objects generated in the second update of the data in said step (d), and iii) a field of view selected by the user.

33. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the event is an automobile race and the first and second objects are first and second cars, respectively.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving measurements from at least one of GPS, the Galileo positioning system, the GLONASS positioning system, a ground-based RF system, an optical tracking position determination system and a track modeling system.

35. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of receiving an indication of the movement of the moving object from inertia measurement units within the first and second cars.

36. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said step (c) comprises the use of a least squares estimation filter.

37. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said step (c) comprises the use of a Kalman filter.

38. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d1) determining whether the data indicates the first car occupies at least partially the same space as another object from the event; and

(d2) adjusting the data for at least the first car to move the first car out of the same space occupied by the other object in the event it is determined in said step (a) that the data indicates the first car at least partially occupies the same space as the other object.

39. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein said step (d2) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car transversely across the race track away from the other object.

40. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein said step (d2) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car longitudinally along the race track away from the second car.

41. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of adjusting the data of the first car to move the first car away from the second car without changing an order of the first and second cars in the race.

42. A method of rendering a three-dimensional computer-generated image of a live event on a client device, the event including moving objects, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer code allowing a user to specify a target for use in defining a field of view of the image; and

(b) providing a computer code allowing a user to specify an eye for use in defining the field of view of the image;

(c) distributing data relating to positions of the moving objects in the live event; and

(d) providing a computer code rendering the computer-generated image of the live event on a display of the client device, using at least the target specified by the user in said step (a), the eye specified by the user in said step (b), and the data relating to positions of the moving objects distributed in said step (c).

43. A method as recited in claim 42, further comprising the step of providing a computer code allowing a user to specify an orientation of the live event rendered on the display of the client device.