Video event statistic tracking system

• US 7,868,914 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Garci, Erik J., Cox, Brian C., Rosen, Matthew Lane, Dengler, John D., Tolman, Kenneth T., Hall, Gerard J., Weber, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): SENFI, BEHROOZ M
• Application Number:
  US11/146,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 348/157, 348/402.1, 348/401.1, 348/407.1, 348/169, 348/589, 348/159, 348/153, 348/161, 348/700, 348/699, 348/907, 348/150, 348/154, 348/155, 348/135, 348/137, 348/170, 382/128, 382/154, 382/103, 382/260, 382/255, 382/265, 382/238, 382/236, 382/165, 382/275, 382/268, 382/261, 375/240.25, 375/240.15, 345/632, 345/634, 345/647, 345/619
• US Class Current: 348/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85

Abstract

A method for calculating a parameter from an image sequence includes selecting a first frame and a second frame in an image sequence. The image sequence has a frame speed. The image sequence or another image sequence is enhanced using a calculation that considers the frame speed and selected frames. The enhancement may be with text, graphics or both such as those that may present statistics corresponding to an event in the image sequence.

Claims

1. A method of calculating a parameter from a frame sequence, the method comprising:

selecting a first frame in a frame sequence, wherein the frame sequence has a frame rate, wherein the frame sequence comprises a plurality of frames, wherein selecting the first frame includes selecting a first location of a first real world event in the first frame;

selecting a second frame in the frame sequence, wherein selecting the second frame includes selecting a second location of a second real world event in the second frame;

selecting an intermediate frame in the frame sequence;

calculating, via a computing device, a first parameter utilizing the frame rate;

calculating a second parameter utilizing the frame rate, wherein the second parameter comprises a third location in a fourth frame, wherein the fourth frame is positioned either between the first frame and the intermediate frame or between the second frame and the intermediate frame in the frame sequence; and

inserting, via the computing device, an image corresponding to the first parameter into a third frame of the frame sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first parameter corresponds to the first real world event in the first frame and the second real world event in the second frame.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the first frame and selecting the second frame are performed while the frame sequence is occurring in real time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the first frame and selecting the second frame are performed during a playback mode after the frame sequence has been recorded.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

calculating a first parameter comprises calculating a first parameter utilizing the frame rate and data corresponding to the first and second locations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating a first parameter comprises calculating a first parameter utilizing the frame rate and a factor corresponding to a real world event.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the factor comprises at least one of distance, length, space, height, altitude, and elevation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first parameter comprises at least one of distance, speed, and elapsed time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting an image comprises inserting an image in real time as the real world events occur.

10. A system for calculating a parameter from a frame sequence comprising:

an image viewing device configured to enable an operator to select a first frame, a second frame, an intermediate frame, and a fourth frame in a frame sequence with a frame rate, a first location of a first real world event in the first frame, a second location of a second real world event in the second frame, and a third location in a fourth frame, wherein the fourth frame is positioned between the first frame and the intermediate frame or between the second frame and the intermediate frame;

a parameter calculation device configured to calculate a first parameter using the frame rate and a unit of measure corresponding to the first frame and the second frame and to calculate a second parameter utilizing the frame rate and corresponding to the third location; and

an image displaying device configured to display the information from the first parameter in the form of a graphic that is inserted into a fifth frame of a second frame sequence.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the unit of measure comprises one or more of the following:

a number of elapsed frames, a difference in time codes, and a distance between selected points.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the displaying device is further configured to insert the information into an image sequence in correspondence to a time of occurrence of one or more of the first and second real world events.