Method and apparatus for enhancing a televised object
First Claim
1. A method of enhancing a televised object comprising the steps of:
- a. treating the object to make the same spectrally unique in a natural environment in order to provide a radiating spectral code;
b. scanning said natural environment including said object with television camera means sensitive to both said environment and said spectral code to form an electrical image of the environment and of the shape and position of the spectral code in the environment;
c. signal processing said image to detect the position of the spectral code;
d. electronically generating a representation of the object independent of the shape of the object detected by said scanning,e. substituting said representation in the position where the spectral code has been detected; and
f. displaying concurrently said image of the environment and said representation of the object on an output screen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image enhancement method and apparatus are provided for use with television equipment whereby a uniquely treated object within the field of a television camera is enhanced electronically for presentation on a television receiver to make it more readily observable to the viewer. A particular application involves treating, as by coating, a hockey puck, football or other target such as used in a sporting event that is being televised, with a material which radiates a spectral code or reflects light of a particular frequency not normally present to the same degree in ambient lighting conditions. The technique may be achieved with a single camera and a filter matched to the unique radiation from the target, or, a pair of ganged cameras where, one is of conventional design adapted to televise the entire scene and the other is particularly sensitive to the unique radiation of the target. Two images are formed in each case where the treated object is enhanced, either naturally or with a symbol, with respect to the overall scene making it easily observable to the viewer. A tracking system may be employed that is responsive to the position of the enhanced image whereby the cameras will automatically follow the puck, ball or the like.
57 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of enhancing a televised object comprising the steps of:
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a. treating the object to make the same spectrally unique in a natural environment in order to provide a radiating spectral code; b. scanning said natural environment including said object with television camera means sensitive to both said environment and said spectral code to form an electrical image of the environment and of the shape and position of the spectral code in the environment; c. signal processing said image to detect the position of the spectral code; d. electronically generating a representation of the object independent of the shape of the object detected by said scanning, e. substituting said representation in the position where the spectral code has been detected; and f. displaying concurrently said image of the environment and said representation of the object on an output screen.
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2. A method of enhancing the display of a scene where the scene includes a spectrally unique object having a shape and location within the scene comprising the steps of:
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scanning said scene to generate image signals representing said scene, sensing said image signals to detect the location of said spectrally unique object in said scene, generating a representation of said spectrally unique object independently of the shape of said object represented by said image signals, displaying said image signals to form a display of said scene, and concurrently displaying said representation superimposed on said display of said scene at said location. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A method of enhancing the display of a scene where the scene includes a spectrally unique object comprising the steps of:
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scanning said scene with camera means to generate image signals representing said scene, generating a representation of said spectrally unique object independent of the shape of said object represented by said image signals, storing a position address to form a stored address for defining the location of said spectrally unique object in said scene, sensing said image signals to form a detected address defining the location of said spectrally unique object in said scene, and updating said stored address with said detected address, displaying said image signals to form a display of said scene, concurrently displaying said representation superimposed on said display of said scene at said stored address. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for enhancing the display of a scene where the scene includes a spectrally unique object comprising,
means for scanning said scene to generate image signals representing said scene, means for sensing said image signals to detect the location of said spectrally unique object in said scene, means for generating a representation, when enabled, of said spectrally unique object, said means for generating operable independently of the shape of said object represented by said image signals, means for displaying said image signals to form a display of said scene, and means for concurrently enabling said means for generating to superimpose said representation on sid display of said scene at said location.
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8. An apparatus for enhancing the display of a scene where the scene includes a spectrally unique object comprising,
scanning means for scanning said scene to generate image signals representing said scene, address means for defining the scan address of said scanning means, sensing means for sensing said image signals to provide a detected signal when said spectrally unique object is detected, memory means for storing the scan address from said address means to form a stored address in response to said detected signal, a symbol generator for generating a symbol representing said spectrally unique object, display means for displaying said image signals to form a display of said scene, and control means for concurrently enabling said symbol generator to superimpose said symbol on said display of said scene at said stored address.
Specification