SYSTEMS TO TRACK A MOVING SPORTS OBJECT

• US 20160320476A1
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EDH US LLC
• Original Assignee: EDH US LLC
• Inventors: Johnson, Henri
• Granted Patent: US 10,338,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2955 Means for determining the position of the radar coordinate system for evaluating the position data of the target in another coordinate system G01S7/24 takes precedence; sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire F41G3/16; inertial navigation G01C21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/277 involving stochastic approaches, e.g. using Kalman filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer-readable media are provided for tracking a moving sports object. In one example, a method of tracking a moving sports object includes calibrating a perspective of an image of a camera to a perspective of a Doppler radar for simultaneous tracking of the moving sports object, and tracking the moving sports object simultaneously with the camera and Doppler radar. The method may further comprise removing offsets or minimizing differences between simultaneous camera measurements and Doppler radar measurements of the moving sports object. The method may also include combining a camera measurement of an angular position of the moving sports object with a simultaneous Doppler measurement of a radial distance, speed or other measurement of the moving sports object.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a moving sports object, the method including:

calibrating a perspective of an image of a camera to a perspective of a Doppler radar for simultaneous tracking of the moving sports object, and

tracking the moving sports object simultaneously with the camera and Doppler radar.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing offsets or minimizing differences between simultaneous camera measurements and Doppler radar measurements of the moving sports object.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

combining a camera measurement of an angular position of the moving sports object with a simultaneous Doppler measurement of a radial distance, speed or other measurement of the moving sports object.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

using a camera measurement to replace, augment, correct, or improve a measured angular position or horizontal or vertical position of the moving sports object.

5. A method of tracking a moving sports object, the method including:

arranging two sensors to track the moving sports object simultaneously;

combining simultaneous measurements of one or more of a spatial position, a translational velocity, a rotational velocity, a translational acceleration, and/or a rotational acceleration of the moving sports object made by the two sensors simultaneously, wherein one sensor is a Doppler radar and the other sensor is a camera.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

interpolating a three dimensional trajectory of a camera measurement of the moving sports object'"'"'s motion using radar data, based at least in part on a failure of one of the two sensors to provide measurements during a period that the moving sports object is being tracked.

7. A method of tracking a moving sports object, the method including:

combining simultaneous measurements of the sports object made by a Doppler radar and a camera, and

using the Doppler radar measurement to predict or identify an actual or expected position of a tracked moving sports object in the camera image.

8. A system for tracking a moving sports object, the system comprising:

processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

calibrating a perspective of an image of a camera to a perspective of a Doppler radar for simultaneous tracking of the moving sports object, and

tracking the moving sports object simultaneously with the camera and Doppler radar.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

removing offsets or minimizing differences between simultaneous camera measurements and Doppler radar measurements of the moving sports object.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

combining a camera measurement of an angular position of the moving sports object with a simultaneous Doppler measurement of a radial distance, speed or other measurement of the moving sports object.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

using a camera measurement to replace, augment, correct, or improve a measured angular position or horizontal or vertical position of the moving sports object.

12. A system for tracking a moving sports object, the system comprising:

processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

arranging two sensors to track the moving sports object simultaneously;

combining simultaneous measurements of one or more of a spatial position, a translational velocity, a rotational velocity, a translational acceleration, and/or a rotational acceleration of the moving sports object made by the two sensors simultaneously, wherein one sensor is a Doppler radar and the other sensor is a camera.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

interpolating a three dimensional trajectory of a camera measurement of the moving sports object'"'"'s motion using radar data, based at least in part on a failure of one of the two sensors to provide measurements during a period that the moving sports object is being tracked.

14. A system for tracking a moving sports object, the system comprising:

processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

combining simultaneous measurements of the sports object made by a Doppler radar and a camera, and

using the Doppler radar measurement to predict or identify an actual or expected position of a tracked moving sports object in the camera image.

15. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when read by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising, at least:

calibrating a perspective of an image of a camera to a perspective of a Doppler radar for simultaneous tracking of the moving sports object, and

tracking the moving sports object simultaneously with the camera and Doppler radar.

16. The medium according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

removing offsets or minimizing differences between simultaneous camera measurements and Doppler radar measurements of the moving sports object.

17. The medium according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

combining a camera measurement of an angular position of the moving sports object with a simultaneous Doppler measurement of a radial distance, speed or other measurement of the moving sports object.

18. The medium according to claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

using a camera measurement to replace, augment, correct, or improve a measured angular position or horizontal or vertical position of the moving sports object.