System and method for data assisted chrom-keying

• US 8,457,350 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gibbs, Simon, Hoch, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Mike
• Application Number:
  US13/225,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/209, 382/216, 382/103, 382/162, 345/616, 345/620, 345/629, 345/625, 345/469, 345/592, 345/589, 345/626
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/75 Chroma key

Abstract

The invention illustrates a system and method of displaying a base image and an overlay image comprising: capturing a base image of a real event; receiving an instrumentation data based on the real event; identifying a visual segment within the base image based on the instrumentation data; and rendering an overlay image within the visual segment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a camera device, wherein the camera device captures a base image of a real event and camera device instrumentation data associated with the base image;

a segment identifier module, wherein the segment identifier module receives a transmission of camera instrumentation data and performance instrumentation data related to an object within the real event, wherein the performance instrumentation data is received from one or more sensors coupled to the object and defines, based upon the camera instrumentation data and the performance instrumentation data, a visual segment within the base image;

a rendering module that renders an overlay image within the visual segment of the base image; and

a compositing module that receives the base image and the overlay image, and that simultaneously outputs the base image and the overlay image,

wherein the performance instrumentation data comprises force exerted on the object.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camera instrumentation data includes information associated with one or more of a camera position, a camera zoom, a camera pan, a camera tilt, a camera field-of-view, or a camera location.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the performance instrumentation data is associated with a participant in the real event.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the performance instrumentation data comprises a location of the object.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a color histogram module that analyzes a color distribution of the visual segment and that generates an updated chroma keying key color value, wherein the segment identifier module uses the updated chroma keying key color value to update the visual segment.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the segment identifier module tracks a location of the visual segment within the base image.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the visual segment is defined by a moving surface.

8. A method for identifying a visual segment, said method comprising:

capturing a base image of a real event and camera device instrumentation data associated with the base image;

defining the visual segment within the base image based upon camera instrumentation data and performance instrumentation data, wherein the performance instrumentation data is related to an object within the real event, and wherein the performance instrumentation data is received from one or more sensors coupled to the object;

rendering an overlay image within the visual segment of the base image; and

generating simultaneously the base image and the overlay image,

wherein the performance instrumentation data comprises force exerted on the object.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the camera instrumentation data includes information associated with one or more of a camera position, a camera zoom, a camera pan, a camera tilt, a camera field-of-view, or camera location.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the performance instrumentation data is associated with a participant in the real event.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the performance instrumentation data comprises a location of the object.

12. The method according to claim 8, comprises:

analyzing a color distribution of the visual segment; and

generating an updated chroma keying key color value, wherein the updated chroma keying key color value is used to update the visual segment.

13. The method according to claim 8, comprises tracking a location of the visual segment within the base image.

14. The method according to claim 8, comprises defining the visual segment by a moving surface.