Systems and methods for illustrating the flight of a projectile

• US 9,855,481 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trackman A/S
• Original Assignee: Trackman A/S
• Inventors: Tuxen, Fredrik, Brink, Frederik Ettrup
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzpatrick, Atiba O
• Application Number:
  US15/049,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0636 3D visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/065 Visualisation of specific exercise parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/16 Table tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0033 Handball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 : Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 : Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 : Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 : for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 : for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 : Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 : Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 : Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 : Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10044 : Radar image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30221 : Sports video; Sports image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30224 : Ball; Puck
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 : Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/248 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/32 : using correlation-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 : Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

A system for illustrating the flight of a sports ball includes a radar, an imager, and a controller. The imager is configured to image a moving sports ball. The controller is configured to (i) receive, from the imager, an image including the moving sports ball, (ii) receive, from the radar, radar data associated with the moving sports ball, (iii) determine, from the radar data, a portion of a trajectory of the moving sports ball, (iv) alter the image to illustrate the portion of the trajectory relative to the moving sports ball, and (v) output the altered image.

Claims

1. A system for illustrating the flight of a sports ball, the system comprising:

a radar;

an imager configured to image a moving sports ball; and

a controller configured to;

receive, front the imager, an image including the moving sports ball,

receive, from the radar, radar data associated with the moving sports ball,

determine, from the radar data, a portion of a trajectory of the moving sports ball,

alter the image to illustrate the portion of the trajectory relative to the moving sports ball, and

output the altered image,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a position at which the trajectory is to be illustrated in the altered image by mapping the trajectory determined from the radar data into the altered image based on a predetermined orientation and position of the radar coordinate system and the camera coordinate system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to output the altered image while the moving sports ball is in flight.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

project the portion of the trajectory onto a predetermined plane, and

illustrate the projected portion of the trajectory in the altered image.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined plane is a horizontal plane of a coordinate system having an origin at a point from where the moving sports ball was launched.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the trajectory is illustrated at positions of the moving sports ball in the altered image.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the imager is further configured to output a video sequence comprising a plurality of images including the moving sports ball, and wherein the controller is configured to alter all of the plurality of images of the video sequence to illustrate the portion of the trajectory of the moving sports ball.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, in at least one of the plurality of images of the video sequence, the illustrated portion of the trajectory ends at a position in the at least one image at which the moving sports ball is at a point in time of generation of the at least one image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the imager and the radar are fixed relative to one another.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate a target in the altered image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate a direction from a launch position of the moving sports ball to the target in the altered image.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate a 3D launch vector of the moving sports ball in the altered image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate, in the altered image, numeric values associated with movement of the moving sports balk the values including, a launch speed, a launch angle, a launch spin rate, an apex height, a carry distance, and/or a curvature.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the moving sports ball is one of:

a golf ball, a baseball, a tennis ball, a table tennis ball, a cricket ball, a soccer ball, a football, a handball, a volley ball, and a basketball.

37. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate, in the plurality of images, numeric values associated with the movement of the moving sports ball corresponding to substantially the same time as of each image, the values including a speed, a direction, a spin rate, a distance, a height, a curvature and/or a lateral deviation from a target line.

14. A system for illustrating the flight of a projectile, the system comprising:

a radar;

an imager providing an image of the projectile in flight; and

a controller determining a portion of a trajectory of the projectile based on data from the radar and determining a position of the portion of trajectory in the image, the controller inserting a visual representation of the portion of the trajectory into the image at a position corresponding to the position of the portion of the trajectory in the image, wherein the controller determines the position of the portion of the trajectory in the image by mapping the portion of the trajectory determined from the radar data into the image based on a predetermined orientation and position of the radar coordinate system and the camera coordinate system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller outputs the image, including the visual representation of the portion of the trajectory, while the projectile is in flight.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller determines a set of axes in the image, a first one of the axes corresponding to a vertical dimension in the image and second and third axes in the image defining a ground plane perpendicular to the first axis, the controller determining a projection of the portion of the trajectory on the ground plane and inserting the projection into the image for display in a position corresponding to a position of the projection of the portion of the trajectory in the image.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the portion of the trajectory is illustrated at positions of the projectile in the image.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the imager outputs a video sequence comprising a plurality of images including the projectile, and wherein the controller illustrates the portion of the trajectory of the projectile in all of the plurality of images of the video sequence.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein, in at least one of the plurality of images of the video sequence, the illustrated portion of the trajectory ends at a position in the at least one image at which the projectile is at a point in time of generation of the at least one image.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the imager and the radar are fixed relative to one another.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller illustrates a target in the image.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the controller further illustrates a direction from a launch position of the projectile to the target in the image.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein controller illustrates a 3D launch vector of the projectile in the image.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller illustrates, in the image, numeric values associated with movement of the projectile, the values including a launch speed, a launch angle, a launch spin rate, an apex height, a carry distance, and/or a curvature.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the projectile is one of:

a golf ball, a baseball, a tennis ball, a table tennis ball, a cricket ball, a soccer ball, a football, a handball, a volley ball, and a basketball.

38. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to illustrate, in the plurality of images, numeric values associated with the movement of the projectile corresponding to substantially the same time as of each image, the values including a speed, a direction, a spin rate, a distance, a height, a curvature and/or a lateral deviation from a target line.

26. A method for illustrating the flight of a projectile, the method comprising:

receiving, from an imager, at least one image including a projectile;

receiving, from a radar, radar data associated with the projectile;

determining, based on the radar data, at least a portion of a trajectory of the projectile;

determining a position of the portion of the trajectory in the image; and

inserting the portion of the trajectory into the image for display in a position corresponding to the position of the portion of the trajectory in the image,

wherein the step of determining a position of the portion of the trajectory in the image comprises mapping the portion of the trajectory determined from the radar data into the image based on a predetermined orientation and position of the radar coordinate system and the camera coordinate system.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising outputting the image while the projectile is in flight.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

projecting the portion of the trajectory onto a predetermined plane; and

illustrating the projected portion of the trajectory in the image.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined plane is a horizontal plane of a coordinate system having an origin at a point from where the projectile was launched.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising illustrating the portion of the trajectory at positions of the projectile in the image.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

outputting, from the imager, a video sequence comprising a plurality of images including the projectile; and

illustrating the portion of the trajectory of the projectile in all of the plurality of images of the video sequence.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein, in at least one of the plurality of images of the video sequence, the illustrated portion of the trajectory ends at a position in the at least one image at which the projectile is at a point in time of generation of the at least one image.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising illustrating a target in the image.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising illustrating a direction from a launch position of the projectile to the target in the image.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising illustrating a 3D launch vector of the projectile in the image.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising illustrating, in the image, numeric values associated with movement of the projectile, the values including a launch speed, a launch angle, a launch spin rate, an apex height, a carry distance, and/or a curvature.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the plurality of images of the video sequence is further modified by inserting, numeric values associated with the movement of the projectile corresponding to substantially the same time as of each image, the values including a speed, a direction, a spin rate, a distance, a height, a curvature and/or a lateral deviation from a target line.