Apparatus and method for detecting sports highlights in a video program

• US 6,856,757 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V., Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dagtas, Serhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/815,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.5/91, H04/N00.5/93, 386/68, 386/67, 386/69, 386/70, 386/81, 386/82, 386/109, 386/111, 386/112, 386/124, 386/125, 386/126, 386/27, 386/33, 386 40- 55, 386/4
• US Class Current: 386/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/739 in form of a video summary, e.g. the video summary being a video sequence, a composite still image or having synthesized frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/786 using motion, e.g. object motion or camera motion
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method and system to automatically detect and isolate segments of interest from sports programs is provided. Accordingly, the method includes the steps of: segmenting incoming video programs into a plurality of segments; detecting a slow moving object between the frames; computing the corresponding gravity level of the detected segments representing the slow moving object; and, comparing the computed gravity level to a predetermined threshold. The system includes a segmentation circuit for segmenting each frame of incoming video programs into a plurality of segments, and a motion detection circuit for detecting the slow moving object between successive frames and for determining the gravity level corresponding to the slow moving object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically detecting slow-motion highlights in a plurality of incoming video programs, comprising:

a segmentation circuit for segmenting said video programs into a plurality of segments; and

,

a motion detection circuit for detecting a slow moving object between successive frames in said video programs, for determining a gravity level of said slow moving object in said video programs, and for comparing said detected gravity level to a predetermined threshold value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage medium for storing said segments indicative of said slow moving object in said video programs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a playback circuit capable of playing back said segments indicative of said slow moving object in said video programs in real time speed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion detection circuit further determines the degree of slowness in said segments indicative of said slow moving object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion detection circuit stores said segments indicative of said slow moving object in response to a determination that said detected gravity level is lower than said predetermined threshold value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motion detection circuit comprises an object tracking circuit for determining the plain coordinates of said slow moving object between said successive frames of said video programs to obtain a distance traveled by said slow moving object;

a compensator circuit for compensating camera motion associated with said plain coordinates; and

, a camera angle circuit for determining the angle of said slow moving objects relative to a direction of earth gravity, wherein the distance traveled by said slow moving object is calculated according to the output of said object tracking circuit, said compensator circuit, and said camera circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gravity level of said moving object is calculated according to the distance traveled by said moving object and a time duration of said slow successive frames representing the image of said slow moving object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slow motion detection circuit comprises a video processor capable of identifying said segments indicative of said slow moving object between said successive frames of said video programs and further capable of storing said identified segments in said storage medium.

9. An apparatus for automatically detecting slow-motion highlights in a plurality of incoming video programs, comprising:

a storage medium for storing the plurality of said video programs;

a recording circuitry for receiving the plurality of said video programs and storing said video programs in said storage medium;

a segmentation circuit for segmenting said video programs into a plurality of segments; and

,

a slow motion detection circuit for detecting a slow moving object between successive frames in said video programs, for determining the gravity level of said slow moving object in said video program, and for comparing said detected gravity level to a predetermined threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a playback circuit capable of playing back said segments indicative of said slow moving object in said video programs in real time speed.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said motion detection circuit further determines the degree of slowness in said segments indicative of said slow moving object.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said motion detection circuit stores said segments indicative of said slow moving object in response to a determination that said detected gravity level is lower than said predetermined threshold value.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said motion detection circuit comprises an object tracking circuit for determining the plain coordinates of said slow moving object between said successive frames of said video programs to obtain a distance traveled by said slow moving object;

a compensator circuit for compensating a camera motion associated with said plain coordinates; and

, a camera angle circuit for determining the angle of said slow moving objects relative to a direction of earth gravity, wherein the distance traveled by said slow moving object is calculated according to the output of said object tracking circuit, said compensator circuit, and said camera circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the gravity level of said moving object is calculated according to said final distance traveled by said moving object and a time duration of said slow successive frames representing the image of said slow moving object.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said slow motion detection circuit comprises a video processor capable of identifying said segments indicative of said slow moving object between said successive frames of said video programs and further capable of storing said identified segments in said storage medium.

16. A method for automatically detecting slow-motion highlights in a plurality of incoming video programs, comprising:

segmenting incoming video programs into a plurality of segments;

detecting a slow moving object between successive frames of said incoming video programs;

determining the corresponding gravity level of said detected segments indicative of said slow moving object; and

,

comparing said determined gravity level to a predetermined threshold value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of storing said detected segments indicative of said slow moving object in a storage medium in response to a determination that said determined gravity level is less than said predetermined threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of retrieving said detected segments indicative of said slow moving object from said storage medium and playing back in real time speed.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of computing the degree of slowness factor of the corresponding said detected segments indicative of said low moving object.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of retrieving said detected segments indicative of said slow moving object from said storage medium and playing back in real time speed by reversing the corresponding said computed degree of slowness.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of detecting said slow moving object comprises the steps of:

determining plain coordinates of said slow moving object between said successive frames to obtain a distance traveled by said slow moving object;

compensating for a camera motion associated with said plain coordinates;

determining an angle of a camera plane relative to a direction of earth gravity; and

,

calculating the distance traveled by said slow moving object according to said compensated plain coordinates and said determined angle.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the gravity level of said moving object is determined according to the distance traveled by said moving object and the time duration of said slow successive frames representing the image of said slow moving object.