Method of video enhancement

• US 9,479,713 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Presencia En Medios Sa De CV
• Original Assignee: Presencia En Medios Sa De CV
• Inventors: Sonabend, Roberto, Almeida, Jose Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US14/867,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 348/578, 348584-592
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing a stream of video images in real-time. A primary stream of video images of a real event is obtained using broadcast video cameras. That primary stream also contains images of a display-object that change in appearance during the broadcast. At the same time, a stream of images of an agent-object is obtained. This may, for instance, be an animated computer-generated figure and may be stored on a local computer hard drive. The animated figure is choreographed and synchronized to be in time with the change of appearance of the display-object. By combining the primary and secondary image streams using match-moving technology, a composite stream is formed in which the agent-object appears to be causally linked to the display-object.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing a video stream, comprising:

providing a live video broadcast of an event occurring in stadium, said stadium comprising changeable in-stadium signage displaying a display-object, said in-stadium signage being visible to spectators present in said stadium and to a television audience viewing said live video broadcast;

providing an agent-object comprising one or more images of a computer-generated cartoon character;

combining said images of said agent object with said live video broadcast using match-making methodology such that the computer-generated character is visible only to said television audience and appears to said television audience to be present in said stadium;

initiating a change of said display-object being displayed on said in-stadium signage;

said display-object and said change being visible to said spectators present in said stadium and to said television audience; and

choreographing a movement of said computer-generated cartoon character, visible only to said television audience, to coincide with said change of said display-object being displayed on said in-stadium signage such said computer generated cartoon character appears, to said television audience, to be real and to be causing said change of said display-object being displayed on said in-stadium signage.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said changeable in-stadium signage is a rotating perimeter board.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said changeable in-stadium signage is an LED equipped, digital perimeter board.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said event occurring in said stadium is a soccer match.

5. A system of enhancing a video stream, comprising:

a changeable in-stadium signage unit, located in a stadium in which a live video broadcast of an event is being televised, such that said changeable in-stadium signage unit'"'"'s display is displaying a display-object visible to spectators present in said stadium;

at least one broadcast quality camera positioned and functionally enabled to provide a primary image source for said live video broad cast, said primary image source comprising a stream of video images of said event that include at least a portion of said changeable in-stadium signage unit'"'"'s display, thereby also making said changeable, in-stadium signage visible to a television audience viewing said live video broadcast;

a real-time, match-moving graphics engine functionally enabled to obtain said stream of video images of said real, live event that is being televised and combine them with one or more images, obtained from a secondary image source, of an agent-object comprising a computer-generated cartoon character, to produce a composite stream of video images;

initiating a change of said display-object being displayed on said in-stadium signage; and

choreographing a movement of said computer-generated cartoon character to coincide with said change of said display-object being displayed on said in-stadium signage such that to the television audience, said computer generated cartoon character appears to be real and to be causing said change of said display object being displayed on said in-stadium signage.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said changeable in-stadium signage is a rotating perimeter board.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said changeable in-stadium signage is an LED equipped, digital perimeter board.

8. The system of claim 5 in which said event occurring in said stadium is a soccer match.

9. The system of claim 5 where said real-time, match-moving graphics engine comprises a suitably powerful and suitably programmed general purpose computer and the associated input, output and storage media.