Method of distributing sports entertainment

• US 7,956,892 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/518,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148, 348/157
• 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 from a perspective of one or more participants in a racing event to at least one individual viewer, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a first video camera attached to a first vehicle of a first of the one or more participants during the racing event to generate first information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the first of the one or more participants, wherein the first video camera is directionally repositionable by at least one of the one or more participants or others during the racing event;

operating a second video camera attached to a second vehicle of a second of the one or more participants during the racing event to generate second information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the second of the one or more participants, wherein the second video camera is directionally repositionable by at least one of the one or more participants or others during the racing event;

providing receiving and retransmission equipment adapted to receive the first information and the second information during the racing event, wherein the receiving and retransmission equipment is further adapted to direct the first information to a first channel of a distribution system and the second information to a second channel of the distribution system during the racing event, wherein the distribution system is a television distribution system, the Internet, or other network to which the at least one individual viewer has access;

receiving the first information and the second information at the receiving retransmission equipment during the racing event;

directing the first information to the first channel of the distribution system and the second information to the second channel of the distribution system during the racing event,

whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to select from the first and second channels during the racing event and thereby view the video images of the racing event on a television screen or computer monitor screen; and

providing the first information to a display based on the at least one individual viewer'"'"'s selection of the first channel, such that the individual viewer views the racing event from the perspective of the first of the one or more participants.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle includes a device to generate audio signals reflecting the perspective of the first of the one or more participants, and the first information includes the audio signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution system is a television distribution system configured to permit the at least one individual viewer to select from the first and second channels of the television distribution system during the racing event, wherein each of the first and second channels includes video information reflecting the perspective of a respective one of the one or more participants for displaying on a television screen or computer monitor screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution system is the Internet, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to select from the first and second channels during the racing event by operating keys or a mouse of a computer and thereby view the video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more respective participants on a display device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and second information reflects video images from the perspective of a respective first and second participant of the plurality of participants and the distribution system provides a split-screen option, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view the video images of the racing event from the perspective of a plurality of participants on a split screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution system provides a splitscreen option, whereby the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view, on a split screen, the video images of the racing event both from the perspective of one of the one or more participants and as a standard viewing program of the racing event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

adding advertising information to at least one of the first information and the second information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the one or more participants, whereby the at least one individual viewer views the advertising information along with the video images of the racing event.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

including information about the racing event or the one or more participants within the advertising information.

9. A system for distributing video images from a perspective of one or more participants in a racing event to at least one individual viewer, the system comprising:

a first video camera attached to a first vehicle of a first of the one or more participants in the racing event and adapted to generate first information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the first of the one or more participants during the racing event, the first video camera being directionally repositionable by at least one of the one or more participants or others during the racing event;

a first transmitter disposed on the first vehicle and adapted to transmit the first information regarding the video images generated by the first video camera during the racing event; and

receiving and retransmission equipment adapted to receive the first information transmitted from the first transmitter and second information transmitted from a second transmitter on a second vehicle during the racing event, the receiving and

retransmission equipment being further adapted to direct the first information and the second information to first and second respective channels of a distribution system during the racing event for remote viewing by the at least one individual viewer on a television screen or computer monitor screen, wherein the distribution system is a television system, Internet, or other network to which the at least one individual viewer has access,

wherein the at least one individual viewer is able to select from among the first channel and the second channel of the distribution system during the racing event and thereby view the video images of the racing event on the television screen or computer monitor screen.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first channel provides the first information as well as standard viewing program information, such that the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view, on a split screen, the video images of the racing event both from the perspective of the first of the one or more participants and as a standard viewing program of the racing event.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first information includes audio information reflecting the perspective of the first of the one or more participants.

12. The system of claim 9, further including:

one or more additional video cameras attached to one or more additional respective vehicles of one or more additional respective participants in the racing event each additional video camera adapted to generate additional information regarding video images reflecting the perspective of the respective additional participant during the racing event; and

one or more additional respective transmitters, each disposed on a respective additional vehicle and adapted to transmit the additional information regarding video images generated by a respective additional video camera during the racing event;

wherein;

the receiving and retransmission equipment is adapted to receive the additional information from each of the one or more additional transmitters and direct the additional information to one or more additional channels of the distribution system during the racing event for remote viewing by the at least one individual viewer, and

wherein the at least one individual viewer is able to select from the first channel, the second channel, and the one or more additional channels of the distribution system during the racing event.

13. A distribution system for distributing information about a racing event to at least one individual viewer, comprising:

receiving equipment configured to;

receive first information from a first transmitter associated with a first directionally repositionable video camera mounted on a first of two or more vehicles in the racing event, the first information including first video information reflecting images from the perspective of a first participant in the racing event;

receive second information from a second transmitter associated with a second directionally repositionable video camera mounted on a second of the two or more vehicles in the racing event, the second information including second video information reflecting images from the perspective of a second participant in the racing event; and

retransmission equipment configured to;

direct the received first information and the received second information to a respective first channel and second channel of the distribution system during the racing event, so that the at least one individual viewer is able to select a channel of the distribution system to view at least part of the racing event from the perspective of the first participant, and at least part of the racing event from the perspective of the second participant.

14. The distribution system of claim 13, wherein:

the receiving equipment is configured to receive continuous feeds from each of the first transmitter and second transmitter, as well as from additional transmitters associated with additional directionally repositionable video cameras mounted on additional of the two or more vehicles in the racing event; and

the feeds available for viewing are configured to change during the racing event based on the level of interest in particular participants.

15. The distribution system of claim 14, wherein:

the feeds available for viewing are determined based on the actions of a plurality of viewers during the racing event.

16. The distribution system of claim 13, wherein:

the first channel provides the first information as well as standard viewing program information, such that the at least one individual viewer is able to simultaneously view, on a split screen, the video images of the racing event both from the perspective of the first participant and as a standard viewing program of the racing event.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first information includes audio information reflecting the perspective of the first participant.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the receiving equipment is further configured to receive additional information from one or more additional transmitters associated with one or more respective video cameras mounted on one or more respective additional vehicles in the racing event, the additional information including additional video information reflecting images from the perspective of a respective participant in the racing event; and

the retransmission equipment is further configured to direct the received additional information to one or more additional respective channels of the distribution system during the racing event.