Classification of activity derived from multiple locations

• US 10,025,987 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 24 Invincibles Limited
• Original Assignee: Performance Lab Technologies Ltd (Pear Sports, LLC)
• Inventors: Ackland, Jonathan Edward Bell, Nayler, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US15/035,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20170032191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 382103, 382236, 348169-172, 348352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2413 based on distances to training or reference patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 using classification, e.g. of video objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/42 of sport video content

Abstract

The invention provides a method of analyzing a sporting activity comprising receiving location data associated to a first player; receiving location data associated to a game object; receiving location data associated to a second player; determining a relative location of the first player in (5) relation to the game object location and the second player location, at least partly from the received location data associated to the first player, the game object and/or the second player; comparing the determined relative location of the first player with a set of reference relative locations of the first player; and determining a match between the determined relative location of the first player and at least one reference relative location of the first player. Other aspects of the (10) invention provide a classification system.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a sporting activity comprising:

receiving location data associated with a first player, a second player, and a game object;

determining, in view of the received location data, a relative location of the first player in relation to a location of the game object and a location of the second player;

comparing, by a processor, the determined relative location of the first player with a set of player positions associated with a team formation;

determining a match between the determined relative location of the first player and a player position of the set of player positions; and

labeling, by the processor, the first player with the player position associated with the team formation, wherein the player position is a defensive position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received location data associated with the first player, the game object, and the second player includes location data in relation to a playing area.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the received location data comprises at least one set of location values within a coordinate system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the playing area is generally rectangular in shape and comprises four corners, and wherein the coordinate system is centered on a location of one of the four corners of the playing area.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one set of location values represents a location in two dimensions in relation to a reference plane.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one set of location values represents a location in three dimensions in relation to a reference plane.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the relative location of the first player includes at least one set of location values within a coordinate system centered on a location of the second player in relation to the playing area.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a distance between the first player and the game object.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the relative location of the first player includes:

a first distance between the first player and the game object at a first timestamp; and

a second distance between the first player and the game object at a second timestamp.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a change between the first distance and the second distance.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the relative location of the first player includes at least one set of location values within a coordinate system centered on a location of the game object in relation to the playing area.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a distance between the first player and the second player.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the relative location of the first player includes:

a first distance between the first player and the second player at a first time stamp; and

a second distance between the first player and the second player at a second timestamp.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a change between the first distance and the second distance.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of player positions includes a plurality of location values within a coordinate system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the set of player positions represents a set of location values within a threshold tolerance from a reference location.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative location comprises a plurality of relative locations comprising a relative location of the first player in relation to the location of the game object and a relative location of the first player in relation to the location of the second player.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative location is associated to at least one game event.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the first player is associated to a first team participating in the sporting activity and the second player is associated to a second team participating in the sporting activity.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first team and the second team are the same.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the first team and the second team are different.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, in relation to the sporting activity, one or more of:

effort parameters;

physiological status;

postural status;

biomechanical status; and

environmental status.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the received location data associated with the first player and second player includes data obtained from at least one device worn by the first player, the second player, or the first player and second player respectively.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one device includes a memory configured to store location data.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one device includes a transmitter configured to transmit location data to a base station.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the received location data associated with the first player, the second player, and the game object includes data obtained from a plurality of video cameras.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the received location data associated with the first player, the game object and the second player is associated to a live sporting activity.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the received location data associated with the first player, the game object and the second player is associated to a historical sporting activity.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the game object comprises an object the possession of which is desirable during the sporting activity.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the game object comprises a ball for use in a sporting activity.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the game object comprises a puck for use in a sporting activity.

32. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of:

receiving location data associated with a first player, a second player, and a game object;

determining in view of the received location data a relative location of the first player in relation to a location of the game object and a location of the second player;

comparing, by the processor, the determined relative location of the first player with a set of player positions associated with a team formation;

determining a match between the determined relative location of the first player and a player position of the set of player positions; and

labeling, by the processor, the first player with the player position associated with the team formation.

33. A classification system comprising:

a memory;

a processor operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to;

receive location data associated to a first player, a second player, and a game object;

determine in view of the received location data a relative location of the first player in relation to a location of the game object and a location of the second player;

compare the determined relative location of the first player with a set of player positions associated with a team formation;

determine a match between the determined relative location of the first player and a player position of the set of player positions; and

label the first player with the player position associated with the team formation.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the received location data associated to the first player, the game object, and the second player includes location data of the first player, the game object, and the second player respectively in relation to a playing area.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the received location data associated to the first player, the game object, and the second player in relation to the playing area comprises at least one set of location values within a coordinate system.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the playing area is generally rectangular in shape and comprises four corners, and wherein the coordinate system is centered on a location of one of the four corners of the playing area.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the at least one set of location values represents a location in three dimensions in relation to a reference plane.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a distance between the first player and the second player.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the relative location of the first player includes:

a first distance between the first player and the second player at a first timestamp; and

a second distance between the first player and the second player at a second timestamp.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a change between the first distance and the second distance.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a distance between the first player and the game object.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the relative location of the first player includes:

a first distance between the first player and the game object at a first timestamp; and

a second distance between the first player and the game object at a second timestamp.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the relative location of the first player includes a change between the first distance and the second distance.

44. The system of claim 35 wherein the at least one set of location values represents a location in two dimensions in relation to a reference plane.

45. The system of claim 34 wherein the relative location of the first player includes at least one set of location values within a coordinate system centered on a location of the second player in relation to the playing area.

46. The system of claim 34 wherein the relative location of the first player includes at least one set of location values within a coordinate system centered on a location of the game object in relation to the playing area.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the set of player positions includes a plurality of location values within a coordinate system.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the set of player positions represents a set of location values within a threshold tolerance from a reference location.

49. The system of claim 33 wherein the relative location comprises a plurality of relative locations comprising a relative location of the first player in relation to the location of the game object and a relative location of the first player in relation to the location of the second player.

50. The system of claim 48 wherein the reference location is associated to at least one game event.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the first player is associated to a first team participating in the sporting activity and the second player is associated to a second team participating in the sporting activity.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the first team and the second team are the same.

53. The system of claim 51 wherein the first team and the second team are different.

54. The system of claim 33 wherein the data acquisition module is further adapted to receive, in relation to the sporting activity, one or more of:

effort parameters;

physiological status;

postural status;

biomechanical status; and

environmental status.

55. The system of claim 33 wherein the received location data associated to the first player and/or second player includes data obtained from at least one device worn by the first player, the second player, or the first player and second player respectively.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the at least one device includes a memory configured to store location data.

57. The system of claim 55 wherein the at least one device includes a transmitter configured to transmit location data to a base station.

58. The system of claim 33 wherein the received location data associated to the first player, the second player, and/or the game object includes data obtained from a plurality of video cameras.

59. The system of claim 33 wherein the received location data associated to the first player, the game object and/or the second player is associated to a live sporting activity.

60. The system of claim 33 wherein the received location data associated to the first player, the game object and/or the second player is associated to an historical sporting activity.

61. The system of claim 33 wherein the game object comprises an object the possession of which is desirable during the sporting activity.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein the game object comprises a ball for use in a sporting activity.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the game object comprises a puck for use in a sporting activity.