Automated camera-based tracking system for sports contests

• US 5,363,297 A
• Filed: 06/05/1992
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kent A. Stevens, Noble G. Larson
• Original Assignee: Kent A. Stevens, Noble G. Larson
• Inventors: Stevens, Kent A., Larson, Noble G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Application Number:
  US07/894,101
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 364/410, 367/127, 367/118, 273/29 R, 273/77 R, 273/32 R, 342/126, 342/59, 342/127, 342/129, 340/323
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• 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 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• 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 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking

Abstract

A system for the accumulation of detailed moment-to-moment information concerning the movements of players and of the ball in a sporting contest. One or more cameras (11, 12, 14) are situated so as to cover the entire playing area (10) of the event. The output of at least one of these cameras is provided to a digital image processor (22), which tracks the movements of the images, or silhouettes, of players in the camera images. By employing multiple camera views of the same playing area, the tracking processor can, in most cases, resolve ambiguities arising from overlaps in any one view. For the remaining, unresolved, cases, one or more human operators, provided with the same or similar camera views, are employed, through an interactive interface. The operators are provided with apparatus (30) for identifying players, through a query/response method, as requested by the tracking processor (22). The operators also provide initial player identification at the start of the event, and following breaks in the action, using the same apparatus. A varient system is described wherein the player identification task of the operator is performed, instead, by electronic tracking devices, such as radio transmitters, in conjunction with off-field electronics (60, 61, 67, 68), incorporating telemetry and triangulation in order to obtain identity and approximate position of all game participants.

Claims

1. An automated tracking system for obtaining a detailed data base, representing the position in time of the players in a sports contest conducted in a playing area, which comprises:

a first means for obtaining realtime video images of said sports contest from a plurality of views;

a second means for determining the player identity of each of said player images within said plurality of views at the commencement of said sports contest, and subsequently as requested by said system, through the use of a human operator provided with a monitor view of said playing, area equivalent to one of said plurality of views;

a third means for automatically locating and tracking the positions of said player images, within a subset of said plurality of views, using realtime computing elements, provided said player images move in trajectories isolated from one another, within each of the views included in the subset;

a fourth means for communicating the initial player identities provided by said second means to said computing elements, and to allow the maintenance of an on-going game record of the identity and position of each player image being tracked by said computing elements;

a fifth means for allowing said computing elements to resolve, if possible, the identity and position of players, whose player images overlap as seen from one view, by use of information available in a different view, among said subset of views;

a sixth means allowing said computing elements to detect when ambiguity as to the player identity associated with a player image has occurred due, for example, to the simultaneous overlap of player images in several of said subset of views, so as to prevent resolution by said fifth means;

a seventh means allowing said computing elements to signal said operator of the occurance of said ambiguity, and to represent such signaling, within the monitor view provided to the operator by said second means, by locating and highlighting a player image, in the monitor view, corresponding to the ambiguous player image, detected by the said sixth means;

an eighth means allowing said operator to indicate selection of said player image associated with said ambiguity and to communicate the actual identity of the player associated with that player image to said computing elements, after making a judgement on the basis of the monitor view provided by said second means;

a ninth means allowing said computing elements to re-establish the identity of the ambiguous player image of said sixth means, as the player identity communicated by said eighth means, and to, furthermore, propagate it backwards in time to the instant when said ambiguity was detected by said sixth means, so as to avoid gaps in the game record of said fourth means.

2. The automated tracking system of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises video camera images pre-recorded in a video storage medium.

3. The automated tracking system of claim 1 wherein said first means includes infrared sensing devices, sensitive to the radiation characteristic of human bodies.

4. The automated tracking system of claim 1 wherein said second means includes a plurality of operators.

5. The automated tracking system of claim 1 wherein the ball is tracked along with the players, and in a similar manner.

6. The automated tracking system of claim 1 wherein non-player participants, such as referees, are tracked along with the players, and in a similar manner.

7. The automated tracking system of claim 1 augmented by a means for analyzing said game record so as to provide a game analysis, therein including the game record, of said sports contest.

8. The automated tracking system of claim 1 augmented by a means for visualizing said game record.

9. An automated tracking system for obtaining a detailed data base, representing the position in time of the players in a sports contest conducted in a playing area, which comprises:

a first means comprising realtime video images of said sports contest from at least one view;

a second means for automatically locating, and tracking the positions of said player images in said view, using realtime computing elements, provided said player images move in trajectories isolated from one another;

a third means for obtaining, and communicating to said computing elements, the identity and approximate position of players by the use of electronic devices, such as radio or ultrasound transmitters, situated on each player, in conjunction with off-field electronics, incorporating telemetry and triangulation;

a fourth means for allowing the maintenance of an on-going game record of the identity, and position, of each player image being tracked by said computing elements;

a fifth means allowing said computing elements to detect when ambiguity as to the identity of a player image has occurred due, for example, to the overlap of player images in said view;

a sixth means allowing said computing elements to resolve the ambiguity detected by said fifth means by comparing the position of the ambiguous player image to the approximate positions provided by said third means, and selecting the identity associated with the best match;

a seventh means allowing said computing elements to re-establish the identity of the ambiguous player image of said fifth means, as the player identity selected by said sixth means, and to, furthermore, propagate it backwards in time to the instant when said ambiguity was detected by said fifth means, so as to avoid gaps in the game record of said fourth means.

10. The automated tracking system of claim 9 wherein said first means comprises video images pre-recorded in a video storage medium.

11. The automated tracking system of claim 9 wherein said first means includes infrared sensing devices, sensitive to the radiation characteristic of human bodies.

12. The automated tracking system of claim 9 wherein non-player participants, such as referees, are tracked along with the players, and in a similar manner.

13. The automated tracking system of claim 9 augmented by a means for analyzing said game record so as to provide a game analysis, therein including the game record, of said sports contest.

14. The automated tracking system of claim 9 augmented by a means for visualizing said game record.