Interactive sporting-event monitoring system

• US 6,195,090 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Riggins A. Stephen III
• Original Assignee: Riggins A. Stephen III
• Inventors: Riggins, A. Stephen III
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US09/028,439
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 348/476, 348/478, 348/6, 348/9, 348/1, 348/10, 455/66, 455/2, 455/6.3, 455/6.2, 455/3.1, 345/327, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.07, 340/870.11
• US Class Current: 725/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

An interactive sporting event monitoring system includes a determiner for determining whether video blanking interval data is present in a selected television channel, and a decoder for decoding video blanking interval data from the selected television channel. The video blanking interval data from the selected television channel comprises a number of channels of sporting-event audio information, and the decoder associates each of the plurality of channels of sporting-event audio information with a corresponding channel identifier. Each channel identifier distinguishes a corresponding channel of sporting-event audio information from other channels of sporting-event audio information. The interactive sporting event monitoring system further includes a user input for accepting a user-specified channel identifier from a user, and a monitor for placing the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user. The video blanking interval data may further include telemetry data.

Claims

1. An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a live sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify one or more contestants by contestant identifiers, each of a plurality of the one or more contestants having a radio transmitter on a distinct transmitting frequency for transmitting audio information to a data receiving station, the data receiving station comprising a plurality of radio receivers wherein each radio receiver is tuned to a corresponding contestant'"'"'s radio transmitter, wherein each radio receiver'"'"'s audio output is digitized and digitally tagged with the corresponding contestant identifier, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising:

tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising one or more channels of sporting-event audio information, wherein each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels;

detecting means for detecting the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information on the television channel, the detecting means being for associating each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information including audio information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier;

a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor; and

monitoring means for placing the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

2. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring means comprises display means for visually displaying information relating to a plurality of channels of sporting-event audio information.

3. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 2, wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

4. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 3, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

5. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 3, wherein the display means displays, in a visually distinctive format relative to other channel identifiers being displayed, those channel identifiers that currently have transmission activity.

6. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein the display means displays only the channel identifiers that have had transmission activity since the user began monitoring the sporting event.

7. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 6, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

8. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 7, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier as the channel identifier, for each channel identifier being displayed by the display means.

9. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein the user input is a remote control.

10. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 2, wherein the monitoring means comprises means for visually indicating the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format that is visually distinctive over the information relating to the plurality of channels on the display means.

11. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the television channel selected by the tuning means comprises a first television channel; and

the tuning means comprises means for simultaneously selecting a second television channel, the second television channel comprising a standard commercial video and audio broadcast of the sporting event.

12. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input is a remote control.

13. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

14. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claims 1, wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to select among audio and telemetry modes.

15. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the television channel comprises a video blanking interval;

and

the video blanking interval comprises at least one of the one or more channels of sporting event audio information.

36. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 or 16, wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow regular broadcast video and audio programming to be viewed in conjunction with over-laid or picture-in-picture graphics and over-laid audio from the real-time sporting event contestant audio and telemetry data streams.

16. An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify contestants by contestant identifiers, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising:

tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising a plurality of channels of telemetry information, wherein each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels;

detecting means for detecting the plurality of channels of telemetry information on the television channel, the detecting means being adapted to associate each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information including telemetry information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier;

a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor; and

monitoring means for placing the channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

17. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of telemetry data channels comprises at least one of speed data, position data, magnetic heading data, engine revolutions per minute (RPM) data, lateral acceleration data, throttle position data, brake on/off data, and gear data that corresponds to the particular contestant.

18. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the monitoring means comprises means for constructing a virtual reality sporting-event environment and for generating a virtual-reality contestant within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the monitoring means generating the virtual-reality contestant based upon at least one of the data, position data, magnetic heading data, engine revolutions per minute (RPM) data, lateral acceleration data, throttle position data, brake on/off data, and gear data that corresponds to a particular contestant.

19. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18, wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to view, from within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the sporting event from any vantage point on or above the field of play.

20. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 19, wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to view, from within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the sporting event from a vantage of any participant of the sporting event.

21. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18, wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to store telemetry data to provide instant replays, using the virtual reality sporting-event environment, from any angle and position on or above the field of play.

22. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the user input is a remote control.

23. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the monitoring means comprises display means for visually displaying information relating to a plurality of channels of telemetry information, and further comprises means for visually indicating the channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor in a format that is visually distinctive over the information relating to the plurality of channels on the display means.

24. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 23, wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

25. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 24, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

26. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 25, wherein the display means displays, in a visually distinctive format relative to other channel identifiers being displayed, those channel identifiers that currently have transmission activity.

27. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 26, wherein the display means displays only the channel identifiers that have had transmission activity since the user began monitoring the sporting event.

28. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 27, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

29. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 28, wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier as the channel identifier, for each channel identifier being displayed by the display means.

30. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 29, wherein the user input is a remote control.

31. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18, wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to generate and display real-time statistics for contestants in the sporting event.

32. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow the user to insert himself or herself into a virtual reality of the sporting event to participate with the actual competitors in real time.

33. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow the user to insert himself or herself into a virtual reality of the sporting event to participate with the actual competitors in a virtual re-creation of the sporting event alter the sporting event has concluded.

34. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein

the television channel comprises a video blanking interval; and

the video blanking interval comprises at least one of the plurality channels of telemetry information.

35. The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16, wherein the monitoring means comprises means for constructing a virtual reality sporting-event environment comprising virtual contestants, wherein movement of the virtual contestants are based on telemetry data streams transmitted from the live sporting event and wherein the user can enter the virtual reality sporting-event environment and participate in the virtual sporting event.