System for enhancing the television presentation of an object at a sporting event

• US 6,154,250 A
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fox Sports Productions, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Setos, Andrew G., Hill, David Blyth, Gepner, Jerry Neil, Olsen, Patrick Wade, Rino, Charles Lawrence, Heidmann, Timothy Paul, Guthart, Harold, Evans, Philip Calvin, Cavallaro, Richard H., Honey, Stanley K., Burns, Alan Alexander, Heinzmann, Fred Judson, Phillips, Alan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, BRYAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/208,903
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/157, 348/169, 348/170, 348/171, 348/172, 348/477, 348/478, 348/571, 348/578, 348/584, 348/585, 348/586, 348/589, 348/598, 348/599, 348/600
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/14 Curling stone; Shuffleboard; Similar sliding games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system for enhancing the television presentation of an object at a sporting event includes one or more sensors which are used to determine the location of the object. Based on the location of the object and the field of view of a broadcast camera, a processor determines the position of the object in a video frame of the broadcast camera. Once knowing where the object is positioned within the video frame, the television signal can be edited or augmented to enhance the presentation of the object.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing a video, comprising the steps of:

receiving video during an event, said video including an image of a target area, said target area being at a first position in said video;

receiving field of view data from one or more sensors that do not use image recognition;

determining said first position in said video using said field of view data during said event;

inserting nonvideo data into said video during said event, said nonvideo data indicates said first position in said video;

transmitting said video, with said nonvideo data, to a remote location during said event receiving said video at said remote location;

reading said nonvideo data at said remote location;

receiving an indication from a user interface indicating whether to enhance or not to enhance; and

enhancing said video based on said first position if said indication from said user interface indicates to enhance said step of enhancing being performed at said remote location during said event said remote location is not a television studio.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining a three dimensional location of a target corresponding to said target area, said step of determining said first position uses said three dimensional location to determine said first position in said video.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of determining a three dimensional location of a target includes determining a three dimensional location of a moving object at said event.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said video includes a plurality of frames of video;

said event is a live sporting event;

said first position corresponds to a first frame of said plurality of frames of video; and

said step of inserting nonvideo data into said video includes inserting said nonvideo data into a vertical blanking interval portion of said video.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of inserting nonvideo data into said video includes inserting said nonvideo data into a vertical blanking interval portion of a television signal.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of enhancing includes adding an image to said video at said first position.

7. A method for enhancing a live television presentation of an event, comprising the steps of:

receiving a live broadcast television signal at a first location other than a television studio, said event being performed at a second location, said first location is remote from said second location, said television signal includes video data and nonvideo data, said video data includes images of said event, said images of said event include one or more images of a target area, said nonvideo data includes data indicating a position of said target area in at least one of said images of said event;

receiving an indication from a viewer to enhance said television signal;

reading said nonvideo data during said event; and

enhancing said at least one of said images of said event based on said position of said target area, said step of enhancing being performed at said first location during said event, said step of enhancing being performed in response to said indication from said viewer.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said step of enhancing includes adding an additional image to said at least one of said images, said additional image is added at said position of said target area.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein:

said indication from said viewer indicates a choice of said additional image from a set of two or more enhancements.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said data indicating said position is based on field of view data from one or more sensors that do not use pattern recognition.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said indication from said viewer indicates a choice of a particular enhancement from a set of two or more enhancements.

12. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

displaying said at least one of said images of said event on a computer monitor after said step of enhancing.

13. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

displaying said at least one of said images of said event on a television after said step of enhancing.

14. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said live broadcast television signal includes a vertical blanking interval portion; and

said data indicating a position of said target area is stored in said vertical blanking interval portion.

15. A method for enhancing a video of a sporting event, comprising the steps of:

receiving video during said sporting event, said video including an image of a target area, said target area being at a first position in said video;

determining said first position in said video during said sporting event;

inserting nonvideo data into said video during said sporting event, said nonvideo data indicates said first position in said video;

broadcasting said video to viewers during said sporting event;

receiving said broadcasted video at a viewer location other than a television studio, said step of determining being performed at a location remote from said viewer location;

reading said nonvideo data from said video, said step of reading includes reading said data indicating said first position;

receiving an indication from a user interface to enhance said video; and

in response to said step of receiving an indication, enhancing said video based on said first position, said step of enhancing being performed during said event at said viewer location.

16. A method according to claim 15, further including the step of:

receiving field of view data from one or more sensors that do not use image recognition, said step of determining said first position in said video uses said field of view data.

17. An apparatus for enhancing a live television presentation of an event, comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast television signal at a first location other than a television studio, said event being performed at a second location, said first location is remote from said second location, said television signal includes video data and nonvideo data, said video data includes images of said event, said images of said event include one or more images of a target area, said nonvideo data includes data indicating a position of said target area in at least one of said images of said event;

means for receiving an indication from a viewer to enhance said television signal;

means for reading said nonvideo data during said event; and

means, in response to said indication from said viewer, for enhancing said at least one of said images of said event based on said position of said target area, said enhancing being performed at said first location during said event.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

said indication from said viewer indicates a choice of a particular enhancement from a set of two or more enhancements.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

said means for enhancing adds an additional image to said at least one of said images at said position of said target area.

20. An apparatus for enhancing a live television presentation of an event, comprising:

a decoder, said decoder receives a television signal at a first location other than a television studio, said event being performed at a second location, said first location is remote from said second location, said television signal includes video data and nonvideo data, said video data includes images of said event, said images of said event include one or more images of a target area, said nonvideo data includes data indicating a position of said target area in at least one of said images of said event, said decoder reads said nonvideo data;

a display;

an input device; and

a processor in communication with said decoder, said display and said input device, said processor performs a method comprising the steps of;

receiving said position of said target area,

receiving an indication from a viewer to enhance said television signal, and

enhancing said at least one of said images of said event based on said position of said target area, said step of enhancing being performed at said first location during said sporting event, said step of enhancing being performed in response to said indication from said viewer.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said indication from said viewer indicates a choice of a particular enhancement from a set of two or more enhancements.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said step of enhancing adds an additional image to said at least one of said images at said position of said target area.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein:

said decoder reads said nonvideo data from a vertical blanking interval portion of said television signal.