Simulation system

• US 8,977,585 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportsvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Cavallaro, Richard H., Borton, John Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zidanic, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/351,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46
• US Class Current: 706/46
• 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/74 Systems using reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/06 Simulation on general purpose computers

Abstract

A simulation system is proposed that makes use of historical and live data sensed for one or more objects (e.g., people, cars, balls, rackets, etc.). An event will include one or more decision points. A choice of an action to take at a decision point is made. That chosen action will be simulated based on the historical and live data. The simulation can be compared to the actual action taken in the event as a way to judge the choice. Although the choice of action to take at the decision point is simulated, the real event is not altered by the choice.

Claims

1. A method for performing a simulation, comprising:

accessing data from sensors used to track information about one or more real moving objects during an event, wherein the event includes a decision point, and wherein the data from sensors used to track information includes (i) data sensed during the event prior to the decision point, (ii) data sensed during the event subsequent to the decision point, and (iii) data sensed at prior events;

receiving a choice of an action for at least a subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event, wherein the choice of the action is for implementation at the decision point; and

simulating the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event using (i) the data sensed during the event prior to the decision point, (ii) the data sensed during the event subsequent to the decision point, and (iii) the data sensed at prior events;

wherein subsequent the decision point there is an actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event;

wherein the chosen action that is simulated differs from the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more moving real objects during the event; and

wherein a simulated result of the simulating the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event differs from an actual result of the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the chosen action is not actually carried out by the subset of the one or more moving objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the event does not change as a result of the choice of the action or the simulation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data from sensors used to track information includes data sensed about the subset of the one or more real moving objects and data sensed about real moving objects not in the subset; and

the simulating uses the data sensed about the subset of the one or more real moving objects and data sensed about real moving objects not in the subset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the event includes an impact window that runs after the decision point; and

the simulating the chosen action is performed after the decision point and concludes at an end of the impact window.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a video that depicts the simulating.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulating the chosen action comprises:

recognizing a predetermined action of the one or more real moving objects during an event;

accessing historical data about the predetermined action and the chosen action; and

determining a chance of success for the chosen action based on the historical data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises displaying, over a video display of the event, a list of options of action to take place at the decision point;

the chosen action is one of the options;

the data from sensors used to track information includes data tracking location and movement of the one or more moving objects during an event; and

the method further comprises displaying the data tracking location and movement of one or more moving objects during the event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the simulated chosen action to an actually performed action for the subset of the one or more moving objects; and

determining a score based on the comparing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the determining the score includes factoring in a handicap associated with a coach for the subset of the one or more real moving objects.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving additional choices for action of at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event;

simulating the additional chosen actions being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event using the data from the sensors;

comparing the simulated chosen action and the simulated additional chosen actions to an actually performed action for the subset of the one or more real moving objects;

determining scores for each choice based on the comparing; and

reporting the scores.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the subset of the one or more real moving objects is a single race car.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the choice of an action is whether to make a pit stop.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the subset of the one or more real moving objects is multiple players on a team.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the choice of an action is what offensive play to call.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data from sensors used to track information about one or more moving real objects during an event includes location data and state data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the event is a live event; and

the accessing, receiving and simulating are performed in real time during the live event.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the accessing, receiving and simulating are performed while viewing a recording of the event after the event has completed.

19. An apparatus for performing a simulation, comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory and communication interface, the processor configured to access data from sensors used to track information about one or more real moving objects during an event, receive a choice of an action for at least a subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event and simulate the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event using the data from the sensors;

wherein the event includes a decision point;

wherein the choice of the action is for implementation at the decision point;

wherein the data from sensors used to track information includes data sensed during the event prior to the decision point, data sensed during the event subsequent to the decision point, and data sensed at prior events; and

wherein the processor is configured to simulate the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event using the data sensed during the event prior to the decision point, the data sensed during the event subsequent to the decision point, and the data sensed at prior events;

wherein subsequent the decision point there is an actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event;

wherein the chosen action that is simulated by the processor differs from the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more moving real objects during the event; and

wherein a simulated result of the processor simulating the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event differs from an actual result of the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the chosen action is not actually carried out by the subset of the one or more real moving objects.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the data from sensors used to track information includes data sensed about the subset of the one or more real moving objects and data sensed about real moving objects not in the subset;

and

the processor simulates the chosen action being carried out using the data sensed about the subset of the one or more real moving objects and data sensed about real moving objects not in the subset.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the processor compares the simulated chosen action to an actually performed action for the subset of the one or more real moving objects and determines a score based on the comparing.

23. A method for performing a simulation, comprising:

accessing a log of occurrences that happen at an event, wherein the event includes a decision point, and wherein the log of occurrences includes data about occurrences that happen at the event prior to the decision point and data about occurrences that happen at the event subsequent the decision point;

receiving a choice of an action for at least a subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event, wherein the choice of the action is for implementation at the decision point; and

simulating the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event using the data about occurrences that happen at the event prior to the decision point and the data about occurrences that happen at the event subsequent the decision point, which are included in the log of occurrences;

wherein subsequent the decision point there is an actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event;

wherein the chosen action that is simulated differs from the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more moving real objects during the event; and

wherein a simulated result of the simulating the chosen action being carried out by at least the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event differs from an actual result of the actually carried out action by the subset of the one or more real moving objects during the event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the chosen action is not actually carried out by the subset of the one or more real moving objects.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the log of occurrences also include data about occurrences that happened at prior events; and

the simulating also uses the data about occurrences that happened at prior events, which are included in the log of occurrences.

26. A method for performing a simulation, comprising:

accessing data from sensors used to track information about one or more real moving objects during an event, wherein the event includes a particular time period, and wherein the data from sensors used to track information includes (i) data sensed during the event prior to the particular time period and (ii) data sensed during the event subsequent to the particular time period; and

simulating an alternative action of a particular real object of the one or more real moving objects during the particular time period of the event using the data from the sensors,

wherein the alternative action does not actually occur for the particular real object during the particular time period of the event, and

wherein the simulating uses (i) the data sensed during the event prior to the particular time period and (ii) the data sensed during the event subsequent to the particular time period;

wherein the alternative action that is simulated differs from an actually carried out action by the particular real object of the one or more real moving objects during the particular time period; and

wherein a simulated result of the simulating the alternative action differs from an actual result of the actually carried out action by the particular real object of the one or more real moving objects during the particular time period.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the data from sensors used to track information also includes (iii) data sensed at prior events; and

the simulating also uses (iii) the data sensed at prior events.