Systems and methods for monitoring objects in athletic playing spaces
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring objects in athletic playing spaces, comprising:
- a camera positioned to capture images of an object in an athletic playing space, wherein the camera is configured to provide image data defining frames of the captured images, and wherein the image data is in a format relative to a first coordinate system;
a depth sensor positioned to sense depths for objects in the athletic playing space, wherein for one of the frames the depth sensor is configured to provide a depth map having a plurality of depth pixels corresponding with a plurality of Image pixels of the one frame, and wherein each of the depth pixels indicates a sensed depth for at least one corresponding image pixel of the one frame; and
at least one processor configured to identify a playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels and to determine a direction of gravity in the one frame based on the identified playing surface plane, the at least one processor further configured to calculate at least one performance parameter based on the image data and the determined direction of gravity, wherein the playing surface plane corresponds to a playing surface of the athletic playing space in which athletes participate during a sporting event.
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Abstract
A system uses a camera, a depth sensor, and a processing module to track a moving object in an athletic playing space over time. The processing module receives image frames from the camera and depth data from the depth sensor. The processing module analyzes the depth data to identify which of the pixels are in a plane of a sufficiently large size to indicate that the identified pixels correspond to a playing surface of the athletic playing space. The processing module then determines that gravity is in a direction normal to the identified plane. By finding the direction of gravity within the images, the algorithm for calculating performance parameters based on the trajectory of a moving object within the athletic playing space can be greatly simplified, thereby decreasing the processing burdens associated with calculating the performance parameters and providing more accurate trajectory estimations with fewer measured trajectory points.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring objects in athletic playing spaces, comprising:
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a camera positioned to capture images of an object in an athletic playing space, wherein the camera is configured to provide image data defining frames of the captured images, and wherein the image data is in a format relative to a first coordinate system; a depth sensor positioned to sense depths for objects in the athletic playing space, wherein for one of the frames the depth sensor is configured to provide a depth map having a plurality of depth pixels corresponding with a plurality of Image pixels of the one frame, and wherein each of the depth pixels indicates a sensed depth for at least one corresponding image pixel of the one frame; and at least one processor configured to identify a playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels and to determine a direction of gravity in the one frame based on the identified playing surface plane, the at least one processor further configured to calculate at least one performance parameter based on the image data and the determined direction of gravity, wherein the playing surface plane corresponds to a playing surface of the athletic playing space in which athletes participate during a sporting event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for monitoring objects in athletic playing spaces, comprising:
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capturing images of an object in an athletic playing space with a camera, thereby defining frames of image data, wherein the image data is in a format relative to a first coordinate system; sensing depths for objects in the athletic playing space with a depth sensor, providing from the depth sensor a depth map for at least one of the frames, wherein the depth map has a plurality of depth pixels corresponding with a plurality of image pixels of the one frame, and wherein each of the depth pixels indicates a sensed depth for at least one corresponding image pixel of the one frame; identifying a playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels with at least one processor, wherein the playing surface plane corresponds to a playing surface on which athletes participate in a sporting event occurring in the athletic playing space; analyzing the playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels with the at least one processor; determining a direction of gravity for the one frame with the at least one processor based on the analyzing; and calculating, with the at least one processor, at least one performance parameter based on the image data and the determined direction of gravity. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for monitoring objects in athletic playing spaces, comprising:
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a camera positioned to capture images of an object in an athletic playing space, wherein the camera is configured to provide image data defining frames of the captured images, and wherein the image data is in a format relative to a first coordinate system; a depth sensor positioned to sense depths for objects in the athletic playing space, wherein for one of the frames the depth sensor is configured to provide a depth map having a plurality of depth pixels corresponding with a plurality of image pixels of the one frame, and wherein each of the depth pixels indicates a sensed depth for at least one corresponding image pixel of the one frame; and at least one processor configured to identify a playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels and to analyze the playing surface plane defined by the depth pixels for determining a direction of gravity for the one frame, the at least one processor further configured to calculate at least one performance parameter based on the image data and the determined direction of gravity, wherein the playing surface plane corresponds to a playing surface of the athletic playing space in which athletes participate during a sporting event. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification