Image analysis – Applications – Range or distance measuring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2001-10-16
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Applications
Range or distance measuring
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304665
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system for determining information about the path of travel of a moving object.
2. Description of the Related Art
The remarkable, often astonishing, physical skills and feats of great athletes draw millions of people every day to follow sports that range from the power of football to the grace of figure skating, from the speed of ice hockey to the precision of golf. Sports fans are captivated by the abilities of a basketball players to soar to the rafters, of a baseball player to hit home runs, of a runner to explode down the track, etc. In televising these events, broadcasters have deployed a varied repertoire of technologies—ranging from slow-motion replay to lipstick-sized cameras mounted on helmets—to highlight for viewers these extraordinary talents. Fans are intrigued and excited by the efforts of athletes and the comparative abilities of athletes become topics of endless debate at water coolers, in sports bars, on the Internet, etc.
One piece of information that has never been available to fans of sports like baseball is the distance a baseball would have traveled when a home run is hit. In most cases a home run consists of a batter hitting the baseball over the home run fence. After the ball travels over the fence, it usually lands in the seating area. Because the ball's path of travel from the bat to a natural impact on the ground is interrupted by the ball hitting the stands, it is not known how far the ball would have traveled. Such information will not only create a statistic that reflects a critical athletic skill—batting power—but will also provide announcers with information that will enhance their analysis of the game. This information will be of tremendous interest to baseball fans, and to date there have been no successful attempts to reliably provide such information during the telecast of a game.
Therefore, a system is needed that can determine information about the path of a moving object, for example, the distance a baseball would travel if its path is not interrupted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a system that can determine the distance a baseball will travel after being hit if its path is not interrupted. Thus, when a player hits a home run and the ball hits the stadium, the present invention can determine how far the ball would have traveled had the ball not collided with the stadium. The present invention can also be used to determine the path of a ball as well as the end of the path of the ball. In addition to baseball, the present invention can be used to determine similar information for moving objects at other events including sporting and non-sporting events.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the system determines one or more locations of the object or ball after the ball has been hit by a bat. The determined locations do not include the end of the ball's uninterrupted path, which is the location the ball would have landed if the ball's path was not interrupted (or obstructed) and the ball was allowed to land at the end of its natural path. After determining the one or more locations of the ball, the system uses the determined locations to determine the distance the ball would have traveled after being hit if the ball's path was not interrupted.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes capturing video images of an object and determining an end of a hypothetical uninterrupted path of the object based on the video images. The term uninterrupted path means the natural path an object would take without being obstructed (e.g. by a stadium or a pole). The term “hypothetical” is used to indicate that the ball did not or will not take the natural path; therefore, the path is not the actual path it is only a hypothetical path.
In another embodiment, the system initially determines a hypothetical uninterrupted path. The system subsequently determines a set of three dimensional locations of the object during its flight and updates the hypothetical uninterrupted path based on the set of three dimensional locations. Finally, the system determines the end of the hypothetical uninterrupted path. The determination of a path does not require that the coordinates of every point along the path be known. Rather, the determination of the path includes a determination of the mathematical relationship that can be used to find a point along the path. For example, knowing location and velocity data for a moving object, one or more equations can be created to describe the path of the moving object.
One implementation of the present invention includes a processor and a set of cameras in communication with the processor. The processor is also in communication with a storage element that stores program code for programming the processor to perform the methods disclosed herein.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4545576 (1985-10-01), Harris
patent: 4858922 (1989-08-01), Santavaci
patent: 5092602 (1992-03-01), Witler et al.
patent: 5138322 (1992-08-01), Nuttall
patent: 5363297 (1994-11-01), Larson et al.
patent: 5401026 (1995-03-01), Eccher et al.
patent: 5413345 (1995-05-01), Nauck
patent: 5446701 (1995-08-01), Utke et al.
patent: 5486002 (1996-01-01), Witler et al.
patent: 5513854 (1996-05-01), Daver
patent: 5605326 (1997-02-01), Spear, Jr.
patent: 5609534 (1997-03-01), Gebhardt et al.
patent: 5768151 (1998-06-01), Lowy et al.
patent: 5868578 (1999-02-01), Baum
patent: 5912700 (1999-06-01), Honey et al.
patent: 5926780 (1999-07-01), Fox et al.
patent: 6042492 (2000-03-01), Baum
patent: 6084979 (2000-07-01), Kanade et al.
patent: 6093923 (2000-07-01), Vock et al.
Glen Dickson, “ESPN Checks Swings With Bat Track”, magazine (Broadcasting & Cable) article, Jun. 22, 1998, pp. 46-47.
Cavallaro Richard H.
Gloudemans James R.
Honey Stanley K.
O'Brien Terence J.
Phillips Alan C.
Johns Andrew W.
Nakhjavan Shervin
Sportvision, Inc.
Vierra Magen Marcus Harmon & DeNiro LLP
LandOfFree
System for determining the end of a path for a moving object does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System for determining the end of a path for a moving object, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for determining the end of a path for a moving object will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2615890