TRUE SPACE TRACKING OF AXISYMMETRIC OBJECT FLIGHT USING DIAMETER MEASUREMENT
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a computer program used by a computing device, the computer program executed by the computing device to generate a three dimensional (3-D) trajectory of an axisymmetric object used in a play of a game from two dimensional (2-D) digital image data, the computer readable medium comprising:
- computer code for receiving a sequence of 2-D digital images from a single digital camera associated with the computing device wherein the 2-D digital images include the axisymmetric object and a secondary object used in the play of the game and wherein the game is being played and the 2-D digital images are captured using ambient lighting;
computer code for receiving orientation data which is used to determine or to specify an orientation of a lens of the single digital camera in 3-D physical space, said lens configured to receive light used to generate the 2-D digital images;
computer code for transforming pixel data in each of the 2-D digital images based upon the determined orientation of the lens;
computer code for identifying 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object and 2-D representations of the secondary object captured in the transformed pixel data associated with the 2-D digital images wherein a distance between the axisymmetric object and the secondary object is decreasing as a function in time in the 2-D digital images as the axisymmetric object approaches the secondary object;
computer code for determining first pixel coordinates of the 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object and second pixel coordinates of the 2-D representations of the secondary object in the 2-D digital images;
computer code for identifying first characteristic lengths associated with the 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object in the pixels of the 2-D digital images;
computer code for identifying second characteristic lengths associated with the 2-D representations of the secondary object in the pixels of the 2-D digital images wherein the second characteristic lengths are related to a known dimension of the secondary object;
computer code for determining first distances to the identified 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object from the lens based upon the first characteristic lengths, said first distances specified in units associated with 3-D physical space;
computer code for determining second distances to the identified 2-D representations of the secondary object from the lens based upon the second characteristic lengths and the known dimension of the secondary object, said second distances specified in units associated with 3-D physical space; and
computer code for determining 3-D coordinates of the axisymmetric object as a function of time in the 3-D physical space including 3-D coordinates of the axisymmetric object relative to the secondary object based upon the determined first distances, the determined second distances, the pixel coordinates of the 2 D representations of the axisymmetric object and 2-D representations the secondary object captured in the transformed pixel data associated with the 2-D digital images.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for determining a trajectory of a axisymmetric object in 3-D physical space using a digital camera which records 2-D image data are described. In particular, based upon i) a characteristic length of the axisymmetric object, ii) a physical position of the camera determined from sensors associated with the camera (e.g., accelerometers) and iii) captured 2-D digital images from the camera including a time at which each image is generated relative to one another, a position, a velocity vector and an acceleration vector can be determined in three dimensional physical space for axisymmetric object objects as a function of time. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus can be applied to determine the trajectories of objects in games which utilize axisymmetric object objects, such as basketball, baseball, bowling, golf, soccer, rugby or football.
25 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a computer program used by a computing device, the computer program executed by the computing device to generate a three dimensional (3-D) trajectory of an axisymmetric object used in a play of a game from two dimensional (2-D) digital image data, the computer readable medium comprising:
-
computer code for receiving a sequence of 2-D digital images from a single digital camera associated with the computing device wherein the 2-D digital images include the axisymmetric object and a secondary object used in the play of the game and wherein the game is being played and the 2-D digital images are captured using ambient lighting; computer code for receiving orientation data which is used to determine or to specify an orientation of a lens of the single digital camera in 3-D physical space, said lens configured to receive light used to generate the 2-D digital images; computer code for transforming pixel data in each of the 2-D digital images based upon the determined orientation of the lens; computer code for identifying 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object and 2-D representations of the secondary object captured in the transformed pixel data associated with the 2-D digital images wherein a distance between the axisymmetric object and the secondary object is decreasing as a function in time in the 2-D digital images as the axisymmetric object approaches the secondary object; computer code for determining first pixel coordinates of the 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object and second pixel coordinates of the 2-D representations of the secondary object in the 2-D digital images; computer code for identifying first characteristic lengths associated with the 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object in the pixels of the 2-D digital images; computer code for identifying second characteristic lengths associated with the 2-D representations of the secondary object in the pixels of the 2-D digital images wherein the second characteristic lengths are related to a known dimension of the secondary object; computer code for determining first distances to the identified 2-D representations of the axisymmetric object from the lens based upon the first characteristic lengths, said first distances specified in units associated with 3-D physical space; computer code for determining second distances to the identified 2-D representations of the secondary object from the lens based upon the second characteristic lengths and the known dimension of the secondary object, said second distances specified in units associated with 3-D physical space; and computer code for determining 3-D coordinates of the axisymmetric object as a function of time in the 3-D physical space including 3-D coordinates of the axisymmetric object relative to the secondary object based upon the determined first distances, the determined second distances, the pixel coordinates of the 2 D representations of the axisymmetric object and 2-D representations the secondary object captured in the transformed pixel data associated with the 2-D digital images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
6. (canceled)
-
8. (canceled)
-
27. (canceled)
Specification