Estimating tracking sensor parametrization using known surface constraints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535310-B2
Application number	US-202418583303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2024
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A sensor system and a method of operating a sensor system including a plurality of sensors tracking a moving object in an area having known bounding surfaces. The apparatus and method calculate a time-specific position of the object based on data and sensor parameters from at least two of the plurality of sensors and determine errors between the calculated time-specific positions calculated. The method and apparatus calculate a minimum system error attributable to the at least two sensors by constraining at least one dimension in the data of the sensor used in the calculated time-specific position of the object associated with the sensor, the constraining based on an object/surface interaction, the minimum system error calculated by solving for modified sensor parameters for each sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of tracking an object comprising:
receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors; wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one visible and/or infrared sensor; detecting a plurality of bounding surfaces in a bounded area from the plurality of sensors; detecting at least one object within the bounded area from the plurality of sensors; determining the positions of the plurality of bounding surfaces within the bounded area; analyzing, in real time, at least one interaction of the at least one object with the plurality of bounding surfaces; and transforming a three-dimensional location of the at least one object in a video frame to a two-dimensional position in a broadcast camera.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining sensor parameters for the plurality of sensors based on one or more bundle adjustment techniques.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one pulse detector.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors is operable to determine the three-dimensional location of the at least one object.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a surface map provides at least one boundary condition for determining the three-dimensional location of the at least one object.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional location is transformed into the two-dimensional position by multiplying the three-dimensional location by a camera matrix (K).

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a change in direction of the at least one object based on the sensor data.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code for tracking an object comprising:
a processor operable to receive data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one visible and/or infrared sensor; and a memory including the computer readable program code, wherein the computer readable program code includes: code operable to determine the positions of a plurality of bounding surfaces within a bounded area based on the data from the plurality of sensors; code operable to cause the processor to analyze, in real time, at least one interaction of the object with the plurality of bounding surfaces; and code operable to transform a three-dimensional location of the object in a video frame to a two-dimensional position in a broadcast camera.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein a position of the object is determined based on at least one interaction of the object with the plurality of bounding surfaces.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein a surface map provides at least one boundary condition for determining the three-dimensional location of the object.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional location is transformed into the two-dimensional position by multiplying the three-dimensional location by a camera matrix (K).

12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising code operable to cause the processor to determine sensor parameters for the plurality of sensors based on one or more bundle adjustment techniques.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the determination of the position of the object is based on the data from the plurality of sensors.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the memory is operable to accumulate the data from the plurality of sensors and further comprising code operable to determine a change in direction of the object based on the data from the plurality of sensors.

15 . An apparatus for tracking an object comprising:
a processor in communication with a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one visible and/or infrared sensor; wherein the processor is programmed to:
receive position data from the plurality of sensors;
determine the positions of a plurality of bounding surfaces within a bounded area;
determine the position of an object within the bounded area;
analyze, in real time, at least one interaction of the object with the plurality of bounding surfaces; and
wherein the apparatus is operable to receive a three-dimensional location of the object in a video frame and is operable to transform the three-dimensional location of the object in the video frame to a two-dimensional position.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein motion of the object is constrained during an interaction of the object and at least one of the plurality of bounding surfaces.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the three-dimensional location is transformed into the two-dimensional position by multiplying the three-dimensional location by a camera matrix (K).

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is operable to modify sensor parameters of the plurality of sensors based on one or more bundle adjustment techniques.

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is further operable to determine a change in direction of the object based on the data relating to a position of the object obtained by the plurality of sensors and the interaction between the object and the at least one of the plurality of bounding surfaces.

20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a surface map provides at least one boundary condition for determining a three-dimensional location of the object.

Assignees

• Sportsmedia Tech Corp

Inventors

• Labbe Roger R
• Ramakrishnan Divya
• Sridharan Lavanya
• Cavallaro Richard H
• White Marvin S

Classifications

• G06T2207/30224

  Ball; Puck · CPC title

• G06T2207/10021

  Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence · CPC title

• H04N7/181

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G06T7/292 Primary

  Multi-camera tracking · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title