Television – Image signal processing circuitry specific to television – Special effects
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-12
2001-10-02
Eisenzopf, Reinhard J. (Department: 2614)
Television
Image signal processing circuitry specific to television
Special effects
C348S157000, C348S159000, C348S153000, C348S161000, C348S901000, C725S022000, C725S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297853
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for superimposing a small video image into a larger video image.
International sports events or other spectacles generally draw the interest and attention of spectators in many countries. For example, the Olympics, Superbowl, World Cup, major basketball and soccer games, auto races etc. fit into this category. Such events are generally broadcast live by video to a large international audience. The locale in which these events take place, such as stadiums or courts, provide advertising space all around in the form of signs, posters or other displays on fences and billboards, and in fact on any unoccupied space suitably located, including sections of the playing field.
Due to the nature of the displays, which are mostly in the form of printed matter, they are not changed too frequently and remain at least for a day, or a series or a whole season, and are directed mostly at local audiences. In cases where two teams from different countries play each other, the advertisements are usually arranged so that one side of the stadium contains advertisements directed to audiences in one country, while the other side has advertisements directed to the spectators in the other country.
The video cameras in these instances film the event from opposite sides of the stadium for their respective audiences. This of course is logistically complicated and limits the angle from which the events can be seen in either of the countries represented in the game.
Another limitation to present methods of advertising is the stringent safety requirements for positioning the billboards, so as not to interfere with the game, nor disturb the view of the spectators in the stadium, nor pose a danger to the players. The displays must not be too close to the actual field of action, so as not to distract the players.
A most serious drawback of the present system for advertising at major world sports events is the fact that although the event is televised live throughout the world, the actual physical advertisements in the stadium, because of their broad international exposure, can only cater to products having a world market.
Local advertisers can only make use of such world-class televised events by locally superimposing messages on the TV screen, or by interrupting the real time of the event.
Another drawback of the existing system is that over long time periods, due to the scanning of the TV camera, the signs appear too blurred to be read by the TV viewers. On many other, occasions, only part of the sign is visible to the TV viewers and the sign cannot be read.
The following reference, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes Gaussian edge detection:
J. F. Canny, “A computational approach to edge detection”, IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 8, pp. 679-698, November, 1986.
The present invention relates to a system and method for detecting, identifying and scaling in a video frame, suitable distinct targets and areas and inserting into these areas virtual images stored in the memory of the system, so that all objects or shadows in front of the distinct areas blocking portions thereof from view will be seen in a video transmission as being in front of and blocking the same portions of the areas containing virtual images.
A particular feature of the invention is to operate the system in real time. The invention also provides apparatus for operating the system. The invention is particularly useful for advertising in sports courts.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for video transmission of active events, for example sports events, having in the background physical images in designated targets, wherein the physical images are electronically exchanged with preselected virtual images, so that objects or shadows actually blocking portions of the physical images will be seen by viewers as blocking the same portions of the virtual images, and the motion of players or a ball blocking the physical image will block corresponding regions of the exchanged virtual image, so that the exchanged electronic image will remain in the background of the event, exactly as the original image.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the physical image to be substituted is detected, recognized, and located automatically and is replaced within one TV frame so that the original image is not perceptible to the TV viewers. In this embodiment no man is required in the loop during line broadcasting.
Since the same physical image may be captured by a plurality of TV cameras deployed in various locations around the court, and each camera usually has a continuous zoom lens, the system is able to detect and identify a certain physical target in all possible spatial orientations and magnifications of the target.
The system is also capable of unequivocally identifying the scale and perspective of the physical target and normalizing the implanted virtual image into the same perspective.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method of implanting in video transmission, virtual images in predetermined “free” background areas generally unsuitable for displaying physical signs, like he sports court itself.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the task of detection and identification of these free ares is executed automatically.
A further object of the present invention is to automatically identify cases in which the physical billboard appears blurred due to camera scanning or jitter and to replace the blurred sign with a clearer one or to alternatively apply the same blurring degree to the replacing sign so that it will have an appearance similar to its neighboring signs.
Yet another object of the present invention is to automatically identify a case in which only a small portion of the billboard is visible in the camera's field of view and to replace this small portion with the whole image of the original billboard.
Still another object of the invention is to automatically identify cases in which the resolution of the captured billboard image is not sufficient for the TV viewers and to electronically replace them with larger virtual billboards so that their message may be conveniently captured by the viewers.
Another object of the invention is to perform the implantation described above on a succession of video frames.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide the above system and method for electronic exchange or planting of virtual images in real time.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system and method for video broadcasting the same event to different populations of viewers in real time, with different electronic messages substituted in the spaces occupied by physical displays.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for utilization of available space in a stadium unused by physical displays for the purpose of advertising by planting therein electronic virtual images during real time broadcasting of an event taking place in a stadium.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for use in video transmission for exchanging physical images with virtual images or planting virtual images in unused background areas during an event in real time video transmission, without disturbing the actual transmission of the event.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system and method for broadcasting active events being captured by a TV camera, wherein virtual images are electronically substituted in or superimposed on targets selected from physical displays and preselected background regions, including an electronic data bank of event locales and targets therein, a memory unit for storing digitized virtual images for substitution in the targets, apparatus for grabbing and digitizing video frames, apparatus for automatic target searching in digitized video frames and for detecting targets therein, apparatus for localization, verifying and ident
Sharir Avi
Tamir Michael
Eisenzopf Reinhard J.
Ladas & Parry
Lo Linus H.
Orad Hi-Tech Systems Ltd.
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