Systems and methods for tracking dribbling and passing performance in sporting environments

• US 10,010,778 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pillar Vision Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pillar Vision Incorporated
• Inventors: Marty, Alan W., Carter, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US15/839,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20180099201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103, 382106-107, 382162, 382168, 382173, 382181, 382189, 382192, 382209, 382219, 382232, 382254, 382274, 382276, 382286-295, 382305, 382312, 382321, 473447, 463 37, 700 91, 348 46
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/42 of sport video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for tracking a dribbling and/or passing motion associated with a person engaged in either a training session for a sporting event or the live play of the sporting event. In sporting events, a dribbling motion can be associated with a repetitive movement or a short trajectory sequence between changes of direction of a ball, puck or other object used in the sporting event. A passing motion can be associated with the movement of the ball, puck or other object between two people during the sporting event. The system can use one or more sensors to capture information about a person dribbling and/or passing an object and at least one processor to analyze the information to determine and evaluate one or more characteristics associated with the dribbling, the passing motion, or a transition from dribbling to passing.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a transition from a dribbling motion to a passing motion by a player with an object, the system comprising:

at least one optical sensor configured to measure depth, the at least one optical sensor including at least one camera and configured to capture information associated with a player transitioning from dribbling an object to passing an object, the information indicative of at least one depth measurement by the at least one optical sensor for the player or the object;

memory;

at least one processor configured to receive the information from the at least one optical sensor, the at least one processor configured to identify a transition by the player from dribbling the object to passing the object based on the information, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a first parameter indicative of a performance of the player in dribbling the object and a second parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player in passing the object using both hands, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate at least one value characterizing player performance based on the first parameter, the second parameter, and the identified transition, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a third parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a right hand and a fourth parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a left hand; and

an output interface configured to provide, based on the at least one value, an output indicative of player performance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine based on the information a dribble type for a dribble by the player and to determine a passing type for a pass by the player based on the information, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a transition type for the transition based on the determined dribble type and the determined passing type.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate a time between when the player stops dribbling the object and when the player starts passing the object to determine the at least one value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a hand of the player used for dribbling the object and at least one hand of the player used for passing the object.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first parameter is indicative of a dribbling performance of the player using a left hand.

6. A training system for basketball, comprising:

at least one optical sensor positioned in the playing area and configured to measure depth, the at least one optical sensor including at least one camera and configured to capture information related to the player dribbling and passing the basketball in the playing area, the at least one camera configured to capture images of a player dribbling and passing a basketball in a playing area, wherein the information is indicative of at least one depth measurement by the at least one optical sensor for the player or the basketball;

at least one processor configured to receive image data defining the images from the at least one camera and sensor data defining the information from the at least one optical sensor, the at least one processor configured to identify the basketball based on the image data and to identify at least one transition by the player from dribbling the basketball to passing the basketball based on the image data and the sensor data, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine at least one parameter indicative of player performance in transitioning from dribbling the basketball to passing the basketball, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify dribbling motions and passing motions by the player based on the image data and the sensor data, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the identified passing motions, a first parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a left hand, a second parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a right hand and a third parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using both hands; and

an output interface configured to provide an output indicative of the player performance in transitioning from dribbling the basketball to passing the basketball based on the at least one parameter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate a time between when the player stops dribbling the basketball and when the player starts passing the basketball to determine the at least one parameter.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate, based on the at least one parameter, at least one value characterizing a transition performance of the player in transitioning from dribbling the basketball to passing the basketball.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store a plurality of parameters in the memory, each of the plurality of parameters characterizing one of a dribbling performance, a passing performance or a transition performance of the player in transitioning from dribbling the basketball to passing the basketball, wherein the output is based on each of the plurality of parameters.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a dribble type from the identified dribbling motion and to determine a passing type from the identified passing motion, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a transition type based on the determined dribble type and the determined passing type.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify at least one hand of the player used for the dribbling motion and at least one hand of the player used for the passing motion.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the identified dribbling motion, a fourth parameter indicative of a dribbling performance of the player using the left hand and a fifth parameter indicative of a dribbling performance of the player using the right hand.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to display a training sequence for the player on the output interface, wherein the training sequence includes at least one dribbling motion for the player, at least one passing motion for the player and at least one transition from a dribbling motion to a passing motion for the player.

14. A method for tracking a transition from dribbling a basketball to passing a basketball, comprising:

capturing, with at least one optical sensor for measuring depth, information associated with a player transitioning from dribbling an object to passing an object, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes at least one camera, and wherein the information is based on at least one depth measurement by the at least one optical sensor for the player or the object;

identifying, with at least one processor, a transition by the player from dribbling the object to passing the object based on the information;

determining, with the at least one processor, a first parameter indicative of a dribbling performance of the player in dribbling the object;

determining, with the at least one processor, a second parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player in passing the object using both hands;

determining, with the at least one processor, a third parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a left hand;

determining, with the at least one processor, a fourth parameter indicative of a passing performance of the player using a right hand;

determining, with the at least one processor, at least one value characterizing a performance of the player based on the first parameter, the second parameter, and the identifying; and

providing, via an output interface, an output indicative of the player performance based on the at least one value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying a dribbling motion and a passing motion by the player based on the information;

determining a dribble type from the identified dribbling motion;

determining a passing type from the identified passing motion; and

determining a transition type based on the determined dribble type and the determined passing type.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying, with the at least one processor, at least one hand of the player used for dribbling the object; and

identifying, with the at least one processor, at least one hand of the player used for passing the object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, with the at least one processor, a fifth parameter indicative of a dribbling performance of the player using the left hand; and

determining, with the at least one processor, a sixth parameter indicative of a dribbling performance of the player using the right hand.