System for determining the position of an object

• US 6,133,946 A
• Filed: 03/11/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportvision, Inc. (Sportsmedia Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Marvin S., Gloudemans, James R., Cavallaro, Richard H., Honey, Stanley K., Gepner, Jerry N., Squadron, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US09/041,238
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47, 348/77, 348/135, 348/157, 348/169, 702/166
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20101 Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A system determines the vertical position of an object and report that vertical position in a format suitable for use on a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, the Internet or another medium. One example of a suitable use for the system includes determining the height that a basketball player jumped and adding a graphic to a television broadcast that displays the determined height. The system includes two or more cameras that capture a video image of the object being measured. The object'"'"'s position in the video images is determined and is used to find the three dimensional location of the object. The three dimensional location includes a height coordinate. In some cases, the height coordinate is the desired vertical position. In other cases, the height or size of the object may be subtracted from the height coordinate to determined the vertical position.

Claims

1. A method for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first video image from a first camera and a second video image from a second camera;

determining a first position of said object in said first video image and a second position of said object in said second video image;

determining said vertical position of said object, said step of determining said vertical position includes finding a location at or near a point of closest approach between a first vector and a second vector, said first vector corresponds to said first position and said second vector corresponds to said second position; and

reporting said vertical position.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said object is a basketball player;

said vertical position is a height of a jump of said basketball player;

said first position, said second position and said location correspond to a top of said basketball player'"'"'s head; and

said step of determining said vertical position includes subtracting said basketball player'"'"'s height from a vertical component of said location.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position further includes the steps of transforming said first vector from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming said second vector from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system, said location is in said second coordinate system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining a first position includes pointing to said first position and said second position using a pointing device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of reporting includes creating a graphic conveying said vertical position and adding said graphic to a video signal.

6. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

mapping said first camera and said second camera.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position uses registration parameters for said first camera and said second camera.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position includes;

transforming said first vector from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said object is a player; and

said step of determining said vertical position further includes subtracting said player'"'"'s height from a vertical component of said location.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of receiving includes receiving a first set of video images from said first sensor and a second set of video images from said second sensor, said first set of video images includes said first video image, said second set of video images includes said second video image.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of determining a first position and a second position includes the steps of:

finding a first frame of video in said first set of images depicting said object at said vertical position;

finding a second frame of video in said second set of images depicting said object at said vertical position;

finding said first position of said object in said first frame; and

finding said second position of said object in said second frame.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of determining said vertical position includes:

transforming said first vector from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming said second vector from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system, said location is in said second coordinate system.

28. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

drawing a line in said second video image, said second position being on said line, said step of drawing a line is performed after determining said first position and prior to determining said second position, said line is based on said first position.

29. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position includes determining a three dimensional location of said object, said vertical position is a vertical component of said three dimensional location.

30. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

said step of finding a second frame is performed automatically in response to said step of finding a first frame, said second frame corresponds in time with said first frame.

13. A method for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a first set of images from a first camera;

providing on-demand visual access to said stored first set of images;

finding a first image of said first set of images that depicts said object at said vertical position;

determining a first position of said object in said first image;

determining said vertical position of said object based on said first position in said first image; and

reporting said vertical position.

14. A method according to claim 13, further including the steps of:

receiving and storing a second set of images from a second camera;

finding a second image of said second set of images that depicts said object at said vertical position; and

determining a second position of said object in said second image, said step of determining said vertical position is based on said first position and said second position.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step of determining said vertical position includes the steps of:

transforming a first vector corresponding to said first position from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming a second vector corresponding to said second position from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system; and

finding a point of closest approach between said transformed vectors.

31. A method according to claim 13, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position includes determining a three dimensional location of said object, said vertical position is a vertical component of said three dimensional location.

32. A method according to claim 13, further including the steps of:

receiving a second set of one or more images from a second camera;

automatically finding a second image of said second set of images that depicts said object at said vertical position, said second image corresponds in time with said first image; and

determining a second position of said object in said second image, said step of determining said vertical position is based on said first position and said second position.

33. A method according to claim 32, further including the steps of:

drawing a line in said second image, said second position being on said line, said step of drawing a line is performed after determining said first position and prior to determining said second position, said line is based on said first position.

34. A method according to claim 13, wherein:

said step of determining a first position includes pointing to said first position using a pointing device.

16. A method for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first image from a first camera;

determining a first position in said first image corresponding to said object at said vertical position, said step of determining a first position includes pointing to said first position using a pointing device;

determining said vertical position based on said first position; and

reporting said vertical position.

17. A method according to claim 16, further including the steps of:

receiving a second image from a second camera; and

determining a second position in said second image corresponding to said object, said step of determining a second position includes pointing to said second position using a pointing device, said step of determining said vertical position is based on said first position and said second position.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein:

said step of determining a said vertical position includes the steps of;

transforming a first vector corresponding to said first position from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming a second vector corresponding to said second position from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system, and

finding a point of closest contact between said transformed vectors.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein:

said step of determining a second position in said second image includes drawing a line in said second image, said second position being on said line, said step of drawing a line is performed after determining said first position and prior to determining said second position, said line is based on said first position.

35. A method according to claim 16, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position includes determining a three dimensional location of said object, said vertical position is a vertical component of said three dimensional location.

20. An apparatus for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising:

one or more sensors, said sensors capture images;

a processor in communication with said one or more sensors;

a storage medium in communication with said processor, said storage medium storing code for programming said processor to perform a method of determining the vertical position of the object, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a first set of images from a first sensor,

receiving an indication of a first image of said first set of images that depicts said object at said vertical position,

receiving an indication of a first position of said object in said first image,

determining said vertical position of said object based on said first position, and

reporting said vertical position.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, further including:

a video switch including one or more inputs and one or more outputs, said inputs connected to said one or more sensors, said one or more outputs in communication with said processor.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, further including:

a time code reader in communication with said processor, said time code reader receiving a time code signal.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, further including:

a graphics generator in communication with said processor;

a replay unit for supplying replay video; and

a video modification unit in communication with said replay unit, said graphics generator and said processor in order to add a graphic to said replay video that reports said vertical position.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

receiving a second set of images from a second video camera;

finding a second image of said second set of images that depicts said object at said vertical position; and

determining a second position of said object in said second image, said step of determining said vertical position is based on said first position and said second position.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said step of determining said vertical position includes the steps of:

transforming a first vector corresponding to said first position from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming a second vector corresponding to said second position from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system; and

finding a point of closest approach between said transformed vectors.

26. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:

said one or more cameras includes a first set of cameras and a second set of cameras;

said first set of cameras pointed at a first area;

said second set of cameras pointed at a second area; and

said video switch is connected to said first set of cameras and said second set of cameras, said video switch is capable of switching between said first set of cameras and said second set of cameras.

27. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said object is a basketball player; and

said vertical position is a height of a jump of said basketball player.

36. A method for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first image from a first camera;

determining a first position of said object in said first image;

determining said vertical position of said object based on said first position, said step of determining said vertical position includes determining a vector from said first camera to said object and determining a location along said vector, said location includes a vertical component, said vertical position corresponds to said vertical component; and

reporting said vertical position.

37. A method for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first image from a first camera;

determining a first position of said object in said first image;

determining said vertical position of said object based on said first position, said step of determining said vertical position includes accessing a table using said first position, said table includes a set of video positions and corresponding height information for said video position; and

reporting said vertical position.

38. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming a processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first video image from a first camera and a second video image second camera;

receiving an indication of a first position of said object in said first video image and a second position of an object in said second video image;

determining said vertical position of said object, said step of determining said vertical position includes finding a location at or near the point of closest approach between a first vector and a second vector, said first vector corresponds to said first position and said second vector corresponds to said second position, and

reporting a vertical position of said object.

39. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein:

said step of determining said vertical position further includes the step of transforming said first vector from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming said second vector from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system, said location is in said second coordinate system.

40. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein:

said step of receiving an indication includes receiving position data from a pointing device.

41. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said step of receiving a first video image includes the steps of:

receiving and storing a first set of video images, including said first video image;

providing on-demand visual access to said first set of video images; and

receiving an indication that said object is at said vertical position in said first video image.

42. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 38, wherein said method further includes the step of:

drawing a line in said second video image, said second position being on said line, said step of drawing a line is performed after receiving an indication of said first position and prior to receiving an indication of said second position, said line is based on said first position.

43. An apparatus for determining a vertical position of an object, comprising:

one or more cameras;

a processor in communication with said one or more cameras;

a storage medium in communication with said processor, said storage medium storing code for programming said processor to perform a method of determining the vertical position of the object, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a first image from a first camera,

receiving an indication of a first position in said first image corresponding to said object at said vertical position, said step of receiving an indication includes receiving position data from a pointing device,

determining said vertical position based on said first position, and

reporting said vertical position.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

receiving a second image from a second camera; and

receiving an indication of a second position in said second image corresponding to said object, said step of determining a second position includes receiving additional position data from said pointing device, said step of determining said vertical position is based on said first position and said second position.

45. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein:

said step of determining a said vertical position includes the steps of;

transforming a first vector corresponding to said first position from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system and transforming a second vector corresponding to said second position from a third coordinate system to said second coordinate system, and

finding a point of closest contact between said transformed vectors.

46. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein:

said step of determining a second position in said second image includes drawing a line in said second image, said step of drawing a line is performed after receiving an indication of said first position and prior to receiving an indication of said second position, said line is based on said first position.