System and method for data assisted chroma-keying

• US 20060209088A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Hoch, Simon Gibbs
• Original Assignee: Michael Hoch, Simon Gibbs
• Inventors: Gibbs, Simon, Hoch, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/75 Chroma key

Abstract

The invention illustrates a system and method of displaying a base image and an overlay image comprising: capturing a base image of a real event; receiving an instrumentation data based on the real event; identifying a visual segment within the base image based on the instrumentation data; and rendering an overlay image within the visual segment.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computerized method:

capturing a base image of a real event and instrumentation data associated with the real event;

transmitting the captured base image and the instrumentation data;

receiving the transmitted base image and the instrumentation data;

using the received instrumentation data to identify a visual segment within the received base image;

rendering an overlay image within the visual segment; and

simultaneously outputting the base image and the overlay image within the visual segment.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the instrumentation data is associated with a camera device and includes information associated with at least one of a camera position, a camera zoom, a camera pan, a camera tilt, a camera field-of-view, and an object location.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the instrumentation data comprises performance instrumentation data associated with one or more physical parameters of the real event.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the performance instrumentation data is associated with a participant in the real event.

25. The method according to claim 21 further comprising tracking a location of the visual segment within the base image using the instrumentation data.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the visual segment is defined by a moving surface.

27. The method according to claim 21, further comprising identifying an updated key color value for a key color value from a color distribution of the visual segment.

28. The method according to claim 26 further comprising updating the visual segment by utilizing the updated key color value.

29. A system comprising:

a camera device, wherein the camera device captures a base image of a real event and camera device instrumentation data associated with the base image;

a sensor, wherein the sensor generates performance instrumentation data that measures a physical parameter of the real event; and

a segment identifier module, wherein the segment identifier module receives a transmission of the camera instrumentation data and the performance instrumentation data and defines, based upon the camera device and performance instrumentation data, a visual segment within the base image.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the camera instrumentation data includes information associated with at least one of a camera position, a camera zoom, a camera pan, a camera tilt, a camera field-of-view, and an object location.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein the performance instrumentation data instrumentation data is associated with a participant in the real event.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein the physical parameter comprises one of a force exerted on an object at the real event and a location of the object.

33. The system according to claim 29 further comprising a rendering module that renders the overlay image within the visual segment of the base image.

34. The system according to claim 29 further comprising a compositing module that receives the base image and the overlay image, and that simultaneously outputs the base image and the overlay image.

35. The system according to claim 29 further comprising:

a color histogram module that analyzes a color distribution of the visual segment and that forms an updated chroma keying key color value, wherein the segment identifier module is configured to use the updated key color value to update the visual segment.

36. The system according to claim 29, wherein the physical parameter comprises one of a force exerted on an object and a location of the object.

37. The system according to claim 30, wherein the segment identifier module tracks a location of the visual segment within the base image.

38. The system according to claim 30, wherein the visual segment is defined by a moving surface.

39. An apparatus comprising:

means for capturing a base image of a real event;

means for capturing and broadcasting instrumentation data associated with the real event;

means for identifying a visual segment within the base image by utilizing received instrumentation data;

means for rendering an overlay image within the visual segment; and

means for simultaneously outputting the base image and the overlay image within the visual segment.

40. The system according to claim 39 wherein the instrumentation data is associated with a camera device and includes one of a camera position, a camera zoom, a camera pan, a camera tilt, a camera field-of-view, and an object location.

41. The system according to claim 39 wherein the instrumentation data is associated with a participant in the real event.