Positional locating system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of positionally identifying swimmers swimming within a swimming pool, the method comprising:
- associating an identification generated for each swimmer with a head device to be worn while the swimmer swims within the swimming pool;
controlling a beacon included within each head device to emit a signal at an interval specified within a beacon transmission schedule;
controlling a camera to record images representative of at least a portion of the swimming pool, each image plotting recorded signals within a two-dimensional field defined by a viewing angle of the camera;
calculating image-based positional coordinates for each signal appearing within each of the captured images, the image-based positional coordinates defining spatial positioning of the beacons emitting the signals relative to the two-dimensional field of each image;
reducing the image-based positional coordinates to pool-based positional coordinates, the pool-based positional coordinates defining spatial positioning of the beacons emitting the signals within at least a two-dimensional coordinate system defined relative to at least a length and width of the swimming pool; and
for each of the images, identifying the swimmer at each of the pool-based positional coordinates based on the identification of the swimmer scheduled to emit signals at the time the image was captured.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system are disclosed for locating or otherwise generating positional information for an object, such as but not limited generating positional coordinates for an object attached to an athlete engaging in an athletic event. The positional coordinates may be processed with other telemetry and biometrical information to provide real-time performance metrics while the athlete engages in the athletic event.
49 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of positionally identifying swimmers swimming within a swimming pool, the method comprising:
-
associating an identification generated for each swimmer with a head device to be worn while the swimmer swims within the swimming pool; controlling a beacon included within each head device to emit a signal at an interval specified within a beacon transmission schedule; controlling a camera to record images representative of at least a portion of the swimming pool, each image plotting recorded signals within a two-dimensional field defined by a viewing angle of the camera; calculating image-based positional coordinates for each signal appearing within each of the captured images, the image-based positional coordinates defining spatial positioning of the beacons emitting the signals relative to the two-dimensional field of each image; reducing the image-based positional coordinates to pool-based positional coordinates, the pool-based positional coordinates defining spatial positioning of the beacons emitting the signals within at least a two-dimensional coordinate system defined relative to at least a length and width of the swimming pool; and for each of the images, identifying the swimmer at each of the pool-based positional coordinates based on the identification of the swimmer scheduled to emit signals at the time the image was captured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20)
-
-
12. A method of generating positional coordinates for a plurality of moving objects, the method comprising:
-
instructing each of the plurality of objects to emit a locating signal according to a schedule, the schedule being set such that each of the plurality of objects is scheduled to emit the locating signal during a different period of time; capturing images of an area in which the plurality of objects are moving with one or more cameras, each image fixing a representation of any locating signals appearing at a time of capture; calculating positional coordinates for each of the representations, the positional coordinates reflecting a position of the object at the time of capture relative to the camera capturing the image having the representation; and associating the positional coordinates with the plurality of moving objects by cross-referencing the positional coordinates for each time of capture with the one of the plurality of moving objects scheduled to emit the locating signal at the time of capture. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A locating system comprising:
-
a plurality of devices each having a beacon configured to emit a non-modulated signal at a fixed wavelength; one or more cameras configured to take pictures of an area defined by a viewing angle of each camera; a master station configured to wirelessly communicate a broadcast schedule to each of the plurality of device, the broadcast schedule specifying a period of time during which each beacon is to emit the non-modulated signal; and wherein the master station is configured to generate positional coordinates for each beacon appearing within each of the pictures based on the beacon scheduled to emit the non-modulated signal at the time the picture was taken and a position of the camera taking the picture. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification