Method for distributing sports entertainment

• US 7,106,360 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: U'R There Sport and Intellectual Property, LLC
• Original Assignee: U'R There Entertainment, Ltd.
• Inventors: Frederick, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/452,952
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 348/157, 348/143, 348/7, 348/148, 348/149, 348/61, 386/95, 709/224, 725/141, 725/138
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method for distributing sports entertainment includes the step of providing a plurality of video cameras positioned on vehicles or athletes that are participating in sporting events, transmitters for transmitting information from the plurality of cameras to a processing station, retransmission equipment for directing the camera feed from each of the plurality of cameras to separate channels for distribution and remote viewing at viewers'"'"' locations, and channel selectors that permit viewers to select from among the various channels, thereby allowing the viewers to select from the plurality of camera feeds. The cameras are simultaneously operated during the sporting event so as to generate a plurality of camera feeds during the event, each feed reflecting the perspective of an individual participant. The plurality of feeds is received by the retransmission equipment and retransmitted to selectable channels, each channel being associated with a respective camera feed. A viewer is thus allowed to select from the plurality of channels to thus enable his or her viewing of the sports event through the perspective of the participant of greatest interest to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for distributing video images and audio signals of a race car competition from the perspective of an individual race participant to one or more individual viewers comprising the steps of

providing each of a plurality of participants in said event with a video camera affixed to the race car and mechanically adjustable to provide a selectable view of the race and a microphone to provide sound, both from that participant'"'"'s perspective,

providing each of said cameras with a respective transmitter for transmitting information regarding video images and audio generated by the camera and microphone, respectively, which video image and audio reflect the participant'"'"'s view of the race,

providing retransmission equipment for receiving information transmitted by the transmitter and directing information regarding video images and audio, respectively, from each of the plurality of cameras and microphones to respective channels for remote viewing at a viewer'"'"'s location,

providing channel selectors that permit viewers at their individual locations to select from among the channels a particular participant'"'"'s view of the race,

simultaneously operating said cameras during the event so as to generate a plurality of camera and audio feeds during the event, each feed individually reflecting the perspective of the respective participant in real time,

transmitting the plurality of feeds to the retransmitting equipment, and

retransmitting the feeds to said channels, such that each of a plurality of viewers is able to select from a plurality of said channels the perspective of one or more individual participants or a group of participants,

wherein the video images and audio are transmitted by way of a pay-per-view television system or Internet or other computer network and displayed as a single or a plurality of selected images on a split television or monitor screen, based on viewer selection and wherein the view of the camera is selected by a mechanical adjustment by the participant or an outside party.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding video images and audio signals is transmitted by way of a pay-per-view television system, and the viewer selects video images and audio signals by selecting a particular pay-per-view channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding the video images and audio signals is transmitted by way of the Internet and the viewer selects video images and audio signals by operating keys or a mouse of a computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a split television or monitor screen shows a combination of video images from a camera associated with a selected participant and a standard viewing program of the sporting event.

5. The method of claim 1 in which a provider of the images adds advertising to the video information such that the viewer views advertising information along with images of the racing event.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the provider intersperses information about the racing event or the participant within the advertising information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the provider keeps track of viewers'"'"' requests for camera feed of the racing event as a function of the participants of interest and uses the resulting information to help satisfy viewer interest, compensate participants, and/or price advertising opportunities.

8. The method of claim 1 in which camera feed is generated for a select group of participants individually, wherein the select group is determined by the number of viewer requests.

9. The method of claim 1 in which a viewer selects camera feed relating to a group of participants, wherein the group consists of participants of a particular team or participants that are predicted winners of the event.

10. A system for distributing from the perspective of an individual participant in a racing event comprising a plurality of video cameras and microphones each mounted on the car of an individual participant in a racing event, a plurality of respective transmitters for transmitting information regarding video images from the plurality of cameras and audio signals from a plurality of microphones, retransmission equipment for receiving information from said transmitters and directing information regarding the video images and audio signals to respective channels for remote viewing and listening at individual viewers'"'"' locations, and channel selectors that permit an individual viewer to select from among the channels, thereby allowing the viewers to select and view video images and audio signals from at least one of said cameras and microphones and thereby obtain an individual participant'"'"'s view of the race, wherein the video images are transmitted by way of a pay-per-view television system, Internet or other computer network and displayed as a single or a plurality of selected images on a split television or monitor screen, based on viewer selection of a single participant or participant group and wherein the camera is affixed to the car and the video image transmitted by the camera is selected by mechanical adjustment of the camera by the race participant or an outside party to provide the participant'"'"'s view.