Automated collection, processing and use of sports movement information via information extraction from electromagnetic energy based upon multi-characteristic spatial phase processing

• US 6,671,390 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Photon-X, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SPORT-X Inc.
• Inventors: Stilwell, Richard J., Stilwell, Jason M., Barbour, Blair A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayanti K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choobin, Barry
• Application Number:
  US09/691,741
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/154, 382/276, 348/148-157, 348/169-172, 359/333, 359/484, 702/40, 473/453, 345/632, 463/1, 342/28
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning

Abstract

A system and method for tracking movement of a sports participant or a sports object associated with a sports activity, wherein in one example the system includes an article associated with the sports participant. The article provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy. A receiver monitors the venue area within which the sports activity is occurring. Electromagnetic energy is received, wherein the received electromagnetic energy includes the electromagnetic energy from the article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic. The known spatial phase characteristic provided by said article is identified among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy to locate the article. Physical movement of the sports participant is tracked by tracking the location of the article.

Claims

1. A system for tracking movement that occurs during a sports activity, said system comprising:

an article, associated with the sport, providing a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy;

receiver means for monitoring an area within which the sports activity is occurring, said receiver means including means for receiving electromagnetic energy including the electromagnetic energy from said article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic;

means for identifying the known spatial phase characteristic provided by said article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy to locate said article; and

means for tracking physical movement of said article by tracking the location of said article.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for tracking physical movement of said article includes means for tracking orientation of said article.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said article is a sports participant.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said article is a sports object.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sports object is a ball.

6. A system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sports object is an object for interacting with a ball.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said article is a body portion of a sports participant.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sports activity is a sporting competition.

9. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sports activity is an activity performed in preparation for sporting competition.

10. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for tracking physical movement of said article includes means for tracking the location of said article relative to a sports background.

11. A system for tracking movement of a sports participant of a sports activity, said system comprising:

an article associated with the sports participant, said article provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy;

receiver means for monitoring a venue area within which the sports activity is occurring, said receiver means including means for receiving electromagnetic energy including the electromagnetic energy from said article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic;

means for identifying the known spatial phase characteristic provided by said article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy to locate said article; and

means for tracking physical movement of the sports participant by tracking the location of said article.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said article has a plurality of portions, each portion having a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy.

13. A system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of articles, each article being carried by a different sports participant, each of said articles provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy, each conveyance of spatial phase characteristic having a different property, said means for receiving electromagnetic energy being also for receiving the electromagnetic energy from said articles, said means for identifying being also for identifying each different property to located said articles, and said means for tracking being also for tracking movements of the sports participants by tracking the locations of said articles.

14. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the venue area is a playing field and the sports participant is engaged in sports competition.

15. A system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a sports activity article used by the sports participant, said sports activity article including a portion that provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy, said receiver means having means for receiving the electromagnetic energy from said sports activity article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic, means identifies the known spatial phase characteristic provided by said sports activity article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy, and means tracks physical movement of the sports activity article.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said sports activity article is a ball.

17. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said article associated with the sports participant is located on a clothing item.

18. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said article associated with the sports participant is located on an item used to perform the sports activity.

19. A system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said item upon which said article is located is a vehicle.

20. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the sports activity is a non-competition activity.

21. A system for tracking movement of a sports participant of a sports activity, said system comprising:

receiver means for monitoring an area within which the sports activity is occurring, said receiver means includes means for receiving electromagnetic energy having a plurality of spatial phase characteristics;

means for separating the plurality of spatial phase characteristics of the received electromagnetic energy;

means for identifying spatially segregated portions of each spatial phase characteristic, with each spatially segregated portion of each spatial phase characteristic corresponding to a spatially segregated portion of each of the other spatial phase characteristics in a group;

means for quantifying each segregated portion to provide a spatial phase metric of each segregated portion for providing a data map of the spatial phase metric of each separated spatial phase characteristic;

means for associating at least one spatial phase characteristic with the sports participant; and

means for tracking the at least one spatial phase characteristic to identify movement of the sports participant.

22. A system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising an article carried by the sports participant, said article provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy, said means for associating at least one spatial phase characteristic with the sports participant includes means for associating the known spatial phase characteristic provided by said article carried by the sports participant.

23. A system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said article has a plurality of portions, each portion having a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy.

24. A system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of articles carried by the sports participant, said articles provide known spatial phase characteristics conveyed via electromagnetic energy, said means for associating at least one spatial phase characteristic with the sports participant includes means for associating the known spatial phase characteristics provided by said articles carried by the sports participant.

25. A system as set forth in claim 24, further comprising means for identifying bodily movements of the sports participant by tracking the spatial phase characteristics provided by said articles carried by the sports participant.

26. A system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of articles, each article being carried by a different sports participant, said articles provide known spatial phase characteristics conveyed via electromagnetic energy, and said system further comprising means for associating the spatial phase characteristics with respective sports participants.

27. A system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the sports activity is a competition activity and the sports participant is engaged in the sports competition.

28. A system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the sports activity is a non-competition activity.

29. A system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a sports activity article used by the sports participant, said sports activity article including a portion that provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy, said receiver means having means for receiving the electromagnetic energy from said sports activity article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic, means identifies the known spatial phase characteristic provided by said sports activity article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy, and means tracks physical movement of the sports activity article.

30. A system as set forth in claim 29, wherein said sports activity article is a ball.

31. A system as set forth in claim 29, wherein said sports activity article is a vehicle.

32. A method for tracking movement that occurs during a sports activity, said method comprising:

providing an article, associated with the sport, that has a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy;

monitoring the area within which the sports activity is occurring, including receiving electromagnetic energy from the monitored area, the received electromagnetic energy including electromagnetic energy from the article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic;

identifying the known spatial phase characteristic provided by the article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy to locate the article; and

tracking physical movement of the article by tracking the location of the article.

33. A method for tracking movement of a sports participant of a sports activity, said method comprising:

associating an article with the sports participant, the article provides a known spatial phase characteristic conveyed via electromagnetic energy;

monitoring a venue area within which the sports activity is occurring, including receiving electromagnetic energy from the monitored area, the received electromagnetic energy including the electromagnetic energy from the article that conveys the spatial phase characteristic;

identifying the known spatial phase characteristic provided by the article among the spatial phase characteristics of electromagnetic energy to locate the article; and

tracking physical movement of the sports participant by tracking the location of the article.

34. A method for tracking movement of a sports participant of a sports activity, said method comprising:

monitoring an area within which the sports activity is occurring, including receiving electromagnetic energy having a plurality of spatial phase characteristics;

separating the plurality of spatial phase characteristics of the received electromagnetic energy;

identifying spatially segregated portions of each spatial phase characteristic, with each spatially segregated portion of each spatial phase characteristic corresponding to a spatially segregated portion of each of the other spatial phase characteristics in a group;

quantifying each segregated portion to provide a spatial phase metric of each segregated portion for providing a data map of the spatial phase metric of each separated spatial phase characteristic;

associating at least one spatial phase characteristic with the sports participant; and

tracking the at least one spatial phase characteristic to identify movement of the sports participant.