System for enhancing a video presentation

• US 6,252,632 B1
• Filed: 01/17/1997
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fox Sports Productions, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Cavallaro, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/785,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 348/585, 348/591, 348/592, 348/593, 348/596, 348/597, 348/601
• US Class Current: 348/585
• 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 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/12 Flip games , i.e. games using playing bodies being flipped or twirled up in the air, e.g. for hitting them with a bat; Games of tip-cat
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7865 using correlation of the live video image with a stored image
• 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

Abstract

A system for enhancing the television presentation of an object that can highlight the object without obscuring the image of the object. The system receives a first video image, matches a second video image to a portion of the first video image corresponding to the image of the object. Specific pixels within the portion of the first video image which are not part of the image of the object are modified using a pixel from the second video image.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing a video presentation of an object during a live event, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first video image, said first video image includes an image of said object;

examining said image of said object for a predetermined attribute; and

combining said first video image with a second image at least partially based on said predetermined attribute such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said steps of receiving, examining and combining are performed in real time during said live event.

3. A method according to claim 2, further including the step of:

broadcasting said first video image combined with said second image.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said object is a moving object.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein:

said first video image is a video frame.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein

said first video image includes a plurality of pixels;

said step of examining said image of said object examines said attribute for at least a subset of said pixels to determine whether said attribute meets a threshold; and

said step of combining adds said second image to pixels having said attribute meeting said threshold.

7. A method according to claim 4, further including the step of:

capturing said first video image.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein:

said step of combining includes keying said first video image with said second image.

9. A method according to claim 8, further including the step of:

preparing a key at least partially based on said attribute.

10. A method according to claim 4, further including the step of:

preparing said second image by creating a video frame with a highlight at a position in said video frame corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said first video image.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said image of said object being at a first position in said first video image; and

said step of combining includes adding said second image to said first video image such that at least part of said second image being at said first position.

12. A method according to claim 11, further including the step of:

determining said first position.

13. A method according to claim 12, further including the step of:

determining a three dimensional location of said object, said three dimensional location of said object being used in said step of determining said first position.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said attribute is brightness.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein:

said object is a hockey puck.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said object is a hockey puck, said hockey puck includes an electromagnetic transmitter;

said first video image includes a plurality of pixels;

said step of examining said image of said object examines said attribute for at least a subset of said pixels;

the method further includes the steps of;

determining a three dimensional location of said puck,

determining said puck'"'"'s position in said first video image using said three dimensional location, said step of combining includes adding said second image to said first video image such that at least part of said second image being at said puck'"'"'s position in said first video image, and

broadcasting said first video image combined with said second image.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of combining said first video image combines said first video image with said second image of said object such that an edge of said image of said object appears fuzzy.

18. A method of enhancing a video presentation of a moving object during a live event by combining a first video image with a second image, said first video image includes a set of pixels representing an image of said object, the method comprising the steps of:

examining said set of pixels to determine whether said pixels have an attribute meeting a threshold;

selectively altering an existing key signal for a subset of said set of pixels based on whether said set of pixels have said attribute meeting said threshold; and

combining said first video image with a second image at least partially based on said altered key signal such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

said steps of examining, selectively altering and combining are performed in real time during said live event.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

said second image includes a highlight at a position corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said first video image.

21. A method according to claim 20, further including the step of:

determining said position of said image of said object in said first video image.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

said step of combining said first video image combines said second image with said first video image such that an edge of said image of said object appears fuzzy.

23. A method of enhancing a video presentation of an object during a live event, comprising the steps of:

matching a first image to a portion of a second video image, said second video image including an image of said object, said first image is at a first position, said image of said object is at a second position, said first position overlaps with said second position;

examining said image of said object for a predetermined attribute, said image of said object includes a set of pixels, said step of examining includes determining whether at least a subset of said set of pixels has said predetermined attribute meeting a threshold; and

combining said first video image with a second video image based on said step of examining such that said first image appears behind said image of said object.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein:

said steps of matching, examining and combining are performed in real time during said live event.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein:

said first image includes a highlight at a position corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said second video image.

26. A method according to claim 25, further including the step of:

determining said position of said image of said object in said second video image.

27. A methods according to claim 23, wherein:

said step of matching includes identifying pixels that are candidates to be edited.

28. A method according to claim 23, wherein:

said step of combining said first video image combines said first video image with said second image such that an edge of said image of said object appears fuzzy.

29. One or more computer readable storage media having computer readable program code embodied on said computer readable storage media, said computer readable program code for programming a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first video image, said first video image includes an image of a moving object;

examining said image of said object for a predetermined attribute; and

combining said first video image with a second image at least partially based on said predetermined attribute such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

30. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 29, wherein:

said steps of receiving, examining and combining are preformed in real time during said live event.

31. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 29, wherein:

said second image includes a highlight at a position in said corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said first video image; and

said step of combining adds pixels from said second image to pixels from said first video image that have said predetermined attribute meeting a threshold.

32. One or more computer readable storage media having computer readable program code embodied on said computer readable storage media, said computer readable program code for programming a computer to enhance a video presentation of a moving object during a live event by combining a first video image with a second image, said first video image includes a set of pixels representing an image of said object, said computer readable program code comprising:

first program code, said first program code examines said set of pixels to determine whether said pixels have an attribute meeting a threshold;

second program code, said second program code selectively alters an existing key signal for a subset of said set of pixels based on whether said set of pixels have said attribute meeting said threshold;

third program code, said third program code combines said first video image with said second image at least partially based on said altered key signal such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

33. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 32, wherein:

said first program code, said second program code and said third program code are preformed in real time during said live event.

34. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 32, wherein:

said second image includes a highlight at a position corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said first video image.

35. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 34, wherein said computer readable program code further includes:

fourth program code, said fourth program code determines said position of said image of said object in said first video image.

36. An apparatus for enhancing a video presentation of a moving object during a live event by combining a first video image with a second image, said first video image includes a set of pixels representing an image of said object, comprising:

means for preparing said second image to highlight said object;

means for examining said image of said object to determine whether said pixels have an attribute meeting a threshold; and

means for combining said first video image with said second image based on said means for examining such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein:

said means for preparing, said means for examining and said means for combining are capable of operating in real time during said live event.

38. An apparatus for enhancing a presentation of an object during a live event, comprising:

a camera, said camera captures a first video image, said first video image includes a set of pixels representing an image of said object;

a processor, in communication with said camera, said processor programmed t

prepare a second image to highlight said object,

examine said pixels representing said image of said object to determine whether said pixels have an attribute meeting a threshold, and

combine said first video image with said second image at least partially based on said predetermined attribute such that said second image appears to be behind said image of said object.

39. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

said second image includes a highlight at a position corresponding to a position of said image of said object in said first video image.

40. An apparatus according to claim 39, further including:

at least one sensor, in communication with said processor, for detecting said object, said sensor being different from said camera.

41. An apparatus according to claim 40, further including:

one or more field of view sensors, in communication with said processor, capable of detecting said camera'"'"'s field of view.

42. An apparatus according to claim 41, further including:

a keyer in communication with said processor, said keyer receiving a video signal from said camera.

43. An apparatus according to claim 42, wherein:

said processor further programmed to

determine said object'"'"'s three dimensional location using data from said sensor, and

determine said position of said image of said object in said first video image based on said three dimensional location of said object and data from said one or more field of view sensors.