GPS based spectator and participant sport system and method

• US 9,445,225 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spatial Reality LLC
• Original Assignee: Herb's Holdings LLC, Huston Family Trust
• Inventors: Huston, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/111,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,059 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 4554561-4566, 345/659, 345/633, 348/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A spectator sport system and method that displays different views of a sporting event and, in particular, uses a position selected by the spectator to assist in displaying a view from the selected position. The spectator, using an internet device, can zoom, pan, tilt and change the view, as well as change the view to another position, such as a finish line, goal, or a participant position (e.g. Driver of car #3 or Tiger Wood'"'"'s position). The starting position can be specified, as well as the target position or orientation from the starting position. Vital information on the sporting event or a participant can be appended to the view. In some forms, augmented reality or any geographic referenced datasets can be used and combined, such as 3D imagery or 3D renderings, to enhance the experience.

Claims

1. A system for observing a live sporting event by a user in approximately real time comprising:

an internet connected server operable for communicating a plurality of sport participants'"'"' positions and information at the sporting event;

a portable internet device having a graphics display accompanying the user and coupled to the server for receiving participant positions and information, operable to overlay augmented reality information on a perspective view on said graphics display of at least a portion of said live sporting event, and said graphics display being selectable by the user to display different views of the sporting event, wherein the user can observe the live event in approximately real time and can select the position of the source of said perspective view and the target of the perspective view, and the perspective view is not an overhead plan view, and wherein the augmented reality information relates to the event; and

wherein the device is operable to authenticate with the server and the server communicates participant positions and information to the authenticated portable internet device based at least in part on the user selected source or target.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the target of the view on the display is an orientation of the view from the user'"'"'s selected source position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said internet device includes a processor for receiving said participant positions, the user can specify the target as a participant, and said device compares said moving participant positions with said user'"'"'s selected source position, and said graphics display generates said user view from the user'"'"'s selected source position to said moving participant position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said user view from the user'"'"'s selected source position is adjustable by the user to zoom in or out.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views is an overhead plan view of the venue for the sporting event.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said user'"'"'s selected source position is the position of one of the participants.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user'"'"'s different views on said graphics display include a composition of geographic referenced datasets, including at least imagery and participant positions use virtual renderings.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views includes geographic referenced positions of one or more participants overlaid said composition.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the source position is a participant position, and said perspective view is from said source participant to a target comprising the position of another participant.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein said perspective view is to said target and said source is selected as an orientation from the target.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said internet device includes glasses worn by the user.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said internet device comprises a window on a larger display.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said internet device comprises a window having virtual renderings and another portion having video imagery of said sporting event.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said sport participants'"'"' positions are determined by GPS.

9. A method for observing a live sporting event in approximately real time comprising:

determining multiple positions of a moving participant at the venue of the live sporting event;

transmitting the determined positions of said participant in approximately real time to a server;

authenticating with the server one or more portable devices accompanying one or more spectators remote from the venue, each spectator'"'"'s portable device having a graphics display operable to overlay augmented reality information on a perspective view of the event, and to select different views and communicate the selected view, wherein each view comprises a source location and a target location;

communicating participant positions from said server to an authenticated spectator'"'"'s portable device based at least in part on the selected source or target; and

viewing on the graphics display of the portable device in approximately real time a depiction of said moving participant positions on said perspective view at said venue, augmented reality information related to said event, whereby the spectator can selectively change said perspective view, and said perspective view is not an overhead plan view.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said device includes an input mechanism for selecting said source location, and said target location is selected by selecting an orientation from said source location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one of said points of view being an overhead plan view of said sporting event venue.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said participant position determining step comprises equipping a plurality of participants with a GPS receiver to determine participant position.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said spectator can select a geo-referenced location target or orientation from the selected source location.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein said depiction is a composition having at least imagery and virtual renderings.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein said depiction is imagery with augmented reality depicting said participant positions as said participant moves.

14. A method of viewing a live sporting event by a spectator in approximately real time comprising:

specifying a first source position for viewing the event, and said first source position is not an overhead plan view;

authenticating a spectator device with a server to receive participant positions;

transmitting the position of one or more participants at said sporting event to said server and communicating said participant positions to said authenticated spectator device in approximately real time;

specifying a first target position;

rendering on said authenticated spectator device having a graphics display a graphical depiction of said one or more participant positions at said sporting event, and including augmented reality information on a perspective view on said display of at least a portion of said sporting event;

viewing the graphical depiction in approximately real time in a first perspective view from said first source position to said first target position; and

selectively changing the first view of said graphical depiction on said spectator device from said first view to another view, wherein each view comprises a source position and target position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said graphical depiction comprises a background composition of imagery, and virtual renderings with said one or more participant positions superimposed in geo-referenced relation to said imagery.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein changing the view of said graphical depiction comprises rotating the depiction in a vertical axis to a tilt view.

17. The method of claim 14, the one or more participant positions are received over the internet.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein changing the view of said graphical depiction comprises specifying said target as a moving participant and changing the view as the location of said participant changes.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein said graphical depiction comprises video imagery with an augmented reality layer designating participant positions.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein said graphical depiction is on one portion of a display screen, and video imagery is on another portion of said display.