DETECTING CONTACTS DURING SPORTING ACTIVITIES ETC.

• US 20090017919A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brennan Broadcast Group Pty Limited, Broadcast Group Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Brennan Broadcast Group Pty Limited
• Inventors: Brennan, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/102 Boxing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/22 Dancing
• 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 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are described for determining parameters of a contact between bodies occurring within an activity. A digital camera directed towards a target area during the activity captures image frames including infra red image data. Structure for comparing image data for multiple temporally spaced frames with image data of a reference datum records any localised infra red emission appearing in at least one incident frame. The image data for at least one of the incident frames is analysed to determine at least one parameter of the contact, and the image data for the incident frame is recorded. Visual display means displays the incident frames including the image data in the IR spectrum to enable visual inspection of the activity in the target area at the time of the incident frame and that gave rise to the contact producing the infra red emission.

Claims

1. A method of determining parameters of a contact between bodies occurring within an activity, particularly within a sporting, game, recreational or entertainment activity, the method comprising the steps of:

directing a digital image capture apparatus, such as a digital camera, towards a target area during the course of the activity and capturing thereby image frames of the target area including image data in the infra red region of the spectrum, said image data in the infra red region of the spectrum including any localised infra red emission appearing in at least one incident frame, such localised infra red emission being indicative of heat having been generated by a contact which has occurred in the target area and which has generated heat, such as by friction between the bodies or by deformation of at least one of the bodies involved in the contact;

recording the image data for the at least one incident frame;

selectively displaying the at least one incident frame by visual display means including the image data in the infra red region of the spectrum by presenting infra red image data in a visible display of the scene captured for the incident frame so as to enable visual inspection of the activity in the target area at the time of the at least one incident frame and that gave rise to the contact producing the infra red emission; and

analysing the image data for at least one of the incident frames to determine at least one parameter of the contact.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image capture apparatus, such as the digital camera, is operative to generate image data for the visible region of the spectrum in addition to image data in the infra red spectrum, the image data in the visible part of the spectrum being also recorded for the at least one incident frame, and wherein the step of selectively displaying said at least one incident frame comprises displaying the image data from the visible part of the spectrum so that the displayed image includes a more naturally recognisable scene of the target area in the visible part of the spectrum and the image data relating to the localised infra red emission is superimposed on the scene in a contrasting display in the visible part of the spectrum so that evidence of the contact is readily visible superimposed on the visible scene of the target area.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image data captured for the visible spectrum comprises for each pixel of each frame a net light intensity in the visible part of the spectrum, such as a grey scale measure or luminance measure, and for each pixel an infra red emission intensity is separately recorded as the image data in the infra red region of the spectrum.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes the further step of comparing image data for multiple temporally spaced frames with image data of a reference datum so as to detect any localised infra red emission indicative of heat having been generated by a contact by recording any significant increase in the intensity value of the infra red emission within at least one corresponding pixel of successive frames.

5. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the step of comparing image data for multiple frames with image data of a reference datum comprises comparing the image data with corresponding image data captured for preceding frames of the same target area so that the image data of the reference datum relates to the target area immediately or shortly before the contact generating the infra red emission.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analysing step includes verification of the or each incident frame as being indicative of a legitimate event in the activity giving rise to a contact of interest by analysing parameters of the infra red emission as recorded in the infra red image data including at least one of:

analysing the shape and/or size of the contact area exhibiting emissions in the infra red part of the spectrum and represented by contiguous pixels of the captured image framed;

analysing an infra red signature indicative of a contact of the type of interest such as the infra red spectral emission characteristics indicative of a pre-determined temperature change;

analysing the duration of decay of the infra red emission in the cluster of contiguous pixels; and

analysing the location of the cluster of contiguous pixels having significant infra red emissions within the target area of the activity.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of recording the image data for the at least one incident frame comprises recording the image data for several frames preceding the incident frame or preceding each incident frame or preceding the first of a number of successive incident frames, the step of displaying the incident frame(s) being preceded by displaying images from the preceding recorded frames so that a sequence of frames leading up to and including the at least one incident frame is displayed to the user.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the at least one incident frame by visual display means is carried out in response to user initiation of a display command.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of analysing the image data to determine at least one parameter of the contact is used to initiate generation of a signal indicative of a predetermined parameter of the contact.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activity is a tennis game, the target area comprises at least part of the tennis court including boundaries defined by outer sidelines and base lines and wherein the contact causing a localised infra red emission comprises impact of the tennis ball with the tennis court surface and wherein the step of analysing the image data to determine at least one parameter of the impact of the tennis ball comprises at least determination of the existence of an impact of the tennis ball with the court surface.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of analysing the image data to determine at least one parameter includes determination of the location of the contact or impact of the tennis ball with the court surface in relation to the tennis court line markings delineating the legitimate zones of play.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activity comprises a cricket game, the target area comprises at least part of the cricket pitch where a batsman is stationed and wherein the contact causing localised infra red emission comprises a contact involving the cricket ball, the contact also involving at least one of the following objects within the target area, namely the cricket bat, apparel being worn by the batsman, accessories being worn by the batsman including protective pads, gloves and helmet, and parts of the body of the batsman;

and wherein the step of analysing the image data to determine at least one parameter of the contact of the cricket ball comprises at least determination of the existence of a contact of the cricket ball with at least one of the said objects.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activity comprises a game which involves a player who uses an implement to strike a projectile, wherein the target area comprises at least an area where the player is stationed when using the implement to strike the projectile, and wherein the contact causing localised infra red emission comprises a contact of the implement with the projectile, and wherein the step of analysing the image data to determine at least one parameter of the contact comprises at least determination of the location on the implement where contact with the projectile occurs.

14. A method of determining parameters of a contact between bodies occurring within an activity, particularly within a sporting, game, recreational or entertainment activity, the method comprising the steps of:

directing a digital still camera having both visible spectrum and infra red spectrum recording functionality towards a target area during the course of the activity and capturing thereby a single image frame of the target area including both visible spectrum image data and image data in the infra red region of the spectrum, the digital still camera being calibrated to record the existence and location of a localised infra red emission indicative of heat having been generated by a contact between bodies which has occurred a short time before the image capture in the target area and which has generated heat by friction between the bodies or by deformation of at least one of the bodies involved in the contact.;

recording the visible and infra red image data for the frame; and

displaying the frame by visual display means including the image data in the IR spectrum by presenting IR data as a visible display of the scene captured for the frame superimposed on the visible spectrum display so as to enable visual inspection of the activity in the target area at the time of the frame and that gave rise to the contact producing the infra red emission.

15. An apparatus for determining parameters of a contact between bodies occurring within an activity, particularly within a sporting, game, recreational or entertainment activity, the apparatus comprising:

a digital image capture apparatus, such as a digital camera, directed towards a target area during the course of the activity and for capturing thereby image frames of the target area including image data in the infra red region of the spectrum, said image data in the infra red region of the spectrum including any localised infra red emission appearing in at least one incident frame, such localised infra red emission being indicative of heat having been generated by a contact which has occurred in the target area and which has generated heat, such as by friction between the bodies or by deformation of at least one of the bodies involved in the contact;

analysing means for analysing the image data for at least one of the incident frames to determine at least one parameter of the contact;

recording means for recording the image data for the at least one incident frame; and

visual display means for selectively displaying the at least one incident frame including the image data in the infra red region of the spectrum by presenting infra red image data in a visible display of the scene captured for the incident frame so as to enable visual inspection of the activity in the target area at the time of the at least one incident frame and that gave rise to the contact producing the infra red emission.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, and further including comparing means for comparing image data for multiple temporally spaced frames with image data of a reference datum so as to detect any localised infra red emission indicative of heat having been generated by a contact by recording any significant increase in the intensity value of the infra red emission within at least one corresponding pixel of successive frames.

17. A method of determining parameters of a contact between bodies occurring within an activity, particularly within a sporting, game, recreational or entertainment activity, the method comprising the steps of:

using a camera to capture image data for multiple successive image frames;

feeding image data, including infra red data values to a computer;

storing image data in a short term buffer memory (whilst overwriting oldest data);

in real time providing a visual display of the image frames;

inputting a command to stop capture, e.g. several seconds after an incident in the activity of potential interest; and

automatically searching data in the buffer memory to select the frame with highest infra red data value;

displaying an image of the captured frame having highest recorded infra red data value;

inspecting the displayed image and deciding if a contact of relevance or interest is present;

if “

yes”

, selecting an image point or zone where the contact is identified e.g. by a point and click operation, or by a selection box created by dragging a cursor across the contact zone in the displayed image;

automatically processing the image data at or around the selected image point or within the selection box to accentuate visibility of the source of increased infra red emissions; and

displaying enhanced image data for frames at and around the incident frame and, upon user command, generating on the visual display a slow motion replay of the images of the activity in the target area for several frames preceding the heat producing contact and for multiple frames after the contact.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein image signals, after the incident frame has been verified and the infra red emissions from the relevant contact enhanced, are supplied for further use selected from:

being supplied to long term memory for later selective replay for analysis, entertainment, or training;

being supplied to an audience at the location of the activity (sporting venue for example);

being supplied to an umpire or referee for review and judgment;

being supplied to television commentators and audience for discussion and entertainment.