U.S. patent application number 14/704337 was filed with the patent office on 2017-01-12 for systems and methods for translating sports tracking data into statistics and performance measurements.
This patent application is currently assigned to Maxx Holdings, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Maxx Holdings, Inc.. Invention is credited to James A. Aman.
Application Number | 20170007879 14/704337 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39184293 |
Filed Date | 2017-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170007879 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Aman; James A. |
January 12, 2017 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSLATING SPORTS TRACKING DATA INTO
STATISTICS AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS
Abstract
System and methods for automatically determining states of game
object possession for sporting contests. The system uses the
minimum necessary and sufficient data, including the predefined
tracking layout, official game time-in versus time-out data,
centroid location of each player matched with their identity data
and centroid location of the game object data which is then
converted deterministically into at least clock states and game
object movement states. The system and methods also disclose the
further combining of these states into the determination of the
cycle of possession flow. For determining the states of possession
of the game object, the system and methods disclose using either an
instantaneous or average measured distance between each player and
the game object in combination with a minimum radius defining each
player's area of influence and a minimum time necessary for the
game object to be within this area before possession can be
assigned.
Inventors: |
Aman; James A.; (Scottsdale,
AZ) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Maxx Holdings, Inc. |
Toronto |
|
CA |
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|
Assignee: |
; Maxx Holdings, Inc.
Toronto
CA
|
Family ID: |
39184293 |
Appl. No.: |
14/704337 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12438613 |
Feb 5, 2010 |
9025021 |
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PCT/US2007/019725 |
Sep 11, 2007 |
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14704337 |
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60843677 |
Sep 11, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2102/22 20151001;
A63B 24/0003 20130101; A63B 2024/0028 20130101; A63B 2220/30
20130101; A63B 2102/06 20151001; A63B 2102/065 20151001; A63B
2220/836 20130101; A63B 2102/18 20151001; A63B 2024/0025 20130101;
A63B 24/0021 20130101; A63B 2220/806 20130101; A63B 2243/007
20130101; A63B 2024/0056 20130101; A63B 2243/0037 20130101; A63B
2102/02 20151001; A63B 2243/0025 20130101; A63B 2225/20 20130101;
A63B 71/06 20130101; A63B 2220/40 20130101; A63B 2102/24 20151001;
A63B 2024/0031 20130101; A63B 2243/0095 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 24/00 20060101
A63B024/00; A63B 71/06 20060101 A63B071/06 |
Claims
1. A system for automatically determining the states of game object
possession, including those of free, under contention and in
possession, for sporting contests conducted within a predefined
area of pre-known layout, comprising: a system for tracking the on
going changes to the official game time so as to detect time-in
play versus time-out of play; a system for tracking the on going
locations of each player, matched to their identity, at least
within the predefined area in accordance with the pre-known layout,
a system for tracking the on going locations of the game object, at
least within the predefined area in accordance with the pre-known
layout, a computer for receiving the time-in and time-out data, the
player location by identity data as well as the game object
location data, in coordination for given instants of measurement,
and an algorithm operative on the computer for determining the game
object states including free, under contention and in possession,
for each instant of received data by measuring the distance between
each player and the game object, for comparing this distance to
some minimum radius per player beyond which the game object cannot
be in their possession, for setting the state of the game object to
a classification of free if it lies outside of the minimum radius
of all players, for setting the state of the game object to a
classification of under contention if in the previous state it was
free or not assigned to any one player's possession and it now lies
within the minimum radius of one or more players, for setting the
state of the game object to a classification of in the possession
of any player for which the game object has remained within that
player's minimum radius for some minimum time during which some
other player may have been under contention but no longer is within
reach of the game object.
2. The system of claim 1 where the system for tracking at least the
on going locations of each player, matched to their identity, and
optionally the on going locations of the game object, uses active
energy emitters placed on the player and optionally within or to
the game object, such as but not limited to systems currently sold
by Trakus, Inc.
3. The system of claim 2 where the system for tracking the on going
locations of the game object uses active energy emitters placed
within the game object, such as but not limited to systems
currently owned by Fox Sports.
4. The system of claim 1 where the system for tracking both the on
going locations of each player, matched to their identity, as well
as the on going locations of the game object uses a grid of two or
more object tracking cameras placed substantially overhead of the
playing area.
5. The system of claim 1 where the algorithm operative on the
computer for determining the states of game object possession,
alternatively sets the state of the game object to a classification
of in the possession of any player if either the game object's
trajectory or it's acceleration has been detected to have been
altered by at least some minimum amount after it enters the minimum
radius of that player, where the detected change optionally relies
upon a predicted game object location that is not achieved in order
to assume that the trajectory or acceleration has been altered by
that player, and where this detected change is also outside of the
minimum radius of all other players.
6. The system of claim 1 where the distance between each player and
the game object that is used to compare to that player's minimum
radius is either based upon a single measurement for a given
instant, or is alternatively based upon an average of this same
measurement over at least two or more instants.
7. The system of claim 1 where the minimum time used to determine
if the game object is now in the state of possession is dynamically
adjusted based upon any combination of the trajectory or velocity
of the game object as well as the trajectory or velocity of the
player for which possession is being considered.
8. The system of claim 1 where the system for tracking the on going
locations of each player, matched to their identity, also determine
the orientation of each player.
9. The system of claim 8 where the area within the circle defined
by the minimum radius within which a player is considered to be
either potentially in possession of the game object, or to be
putting the game object under contention, is further constricted
based upon the detected orientation of the player to be some
reduced sector of the circle, generally covering the area in the
forward direction of that player's orientation.
10. A method for automatically determining the states of game
object possession including the states of free, under contention
and in possession, for sporting contests conducted within a
predefined area of pre-known layout, using information systems that
provide continuous data concerning game time-in versus time out,
concerning player locations matched to identity, and concerning
game object locations, comprising the steps of: bounding a player's
area of potential influence to be some distance from their current
location at least within their forwardly accessible area of
movement, where the player remains within the pre-known playing
area; determining for any given instant that the game object is
free if it lies outside of all players' areas of influence during
game time-in; determining for any given instant that the game
object is under contention if it lies within at least one player's
area of influence for the current moment, but has not been within
this area for more than some consecutive minimum time during game
time-in, and determining for any given instant that the game object
is in possession of a player if it has remained within their area
of influence for at least some minimum time during game time-in
while it does not also at this moment lie within another player's
area of influence.
11. The method of claim 10 where the step for determining that the
game object is in possession of a player alternately assigns
possession to any player if either the game object's trajectory or
it's acceleration is detected to have been altered by at least some
minimum amount after it enters the area of influence of that
player, where the detected change optionally relies upon a
predicted game object location that is not achieved in order to
assume that the trajectory or acceleration has been altered by that
player, and where this detected change is also outside of the area
of influence of all other players.
12. The method of claim 10 where the step for determining for any
given instant that the game object is free uses either a
instantaneous measurement of distance between each player and the
game object as the basis for this comparison or it uses an average
of two or more distance measurements over two or more instants,
likewise between the same player and the game object.
13. The method of claim 10 where the step of determining game
object contention as well as the step of determining game object
possession both use some minimum time that is dynamically adjusted
based upon any combination of the trajectory or velocity of the
game object as well as the trajectory or velocity of the player
under consideration.
14. The method of claim 10 where system that provides continuous
data concerning player locations matched to their identity further
provides each player's orientation, comprising the additional step
of: constricting a player's area of potential influence to be a
sector of the circle centered about the player's location that is
aligned to match the player's orientation.
15. A method for automatically determining the states of possession
flow, as well as the statistics combinable from these
determinations, for team sports conducted within a predefined area
of pre-known layout, including and differentiating between gaining
control, exchanging control and relinquishing control, using any
one or more information systems that provide continuous data
concerning game time-in versus time-out, concerning player
locations matched to identity, and concerning game object
locations, comprising the steps of: using the game time data to set
game clock states to be either time-in or time-out; combining the
current location of each player matched to their identity with the
current location of the game object and the clock states, in order
to set game object movement states to be at least: free, in
possession of the home team, in possession of the away team, or
optionally under contention between both teams; optionally using
the location of the game object along with the pre-known layout of
the playing area to uniquely assign game object starting and ending
path states to be either of two or more specific playing areas or
zones. optionally using the location of the game object to
determine its path of travel with respect to both home team and
away team players as well as the playing area and specifically
those areas defined to be enterable by the game object for the
scoring of game points, in order to set game object heading states
to be towards a teammate, towards an opponent, towards an open area
or towards the home team or away team scoring area, and using the
unique combinations of at least the clock states and game object
movement states, as well as optionally either or both the game
object starting and ending area states and the heading states to
detect over time the conditions of a team gaining control,
exchanging control, and relinquishing control.
16. The method of claim 15 where the step of setting the game
object movement states further comprises the steps of: bounding a
player's area of potential influence to be some distance from their
current location at least within their forwardly accessible area of
movement, where the player remains within the pre-known playing
area; determining for any given instant that the game object is
free if it lies outside of all players' areas of influence during
game time-in; determining for any given instant that the game
object is under contention if it lies within at least one player's
area of influence for the current moment, but has not been within
this area for more than some consecutive minimum time during game
time-in, and determining for any given instant that the game object
is in possession of a player if it has remained within their area
of influence for at least some minimum time during game time-in
while it does not also at this moment lie within another player's
area of influence.
17. The method of claim 16 where the step for determining that the
game object is in possession of a player alternately assigns
possession to any player if either the game object's trajectory or
it's acceleration is detected to have been altered by at least some
minimum amount after it enters the area of influence of that
player, where the detected change optionally relies upon a
predicted game object location that is not achieved in order to
assume that the trajectory or acceleration has been altered by that
player, and where this detected change is also outside of the area
of influence of all other players.
18. The method of claim 16 where the step for determining for any
given instant that the game object is free uses either a
instantaneous measurement of distance between each player and the
game object as the basis for this comparison or it uses an average
of two or more distance measurements over two or more instants,
likewise between the same player and the game object.
19. The method of claim 16 where the step of determining game
object contention as well as the step of determining game object
possession both use some minimum time that is dynamically adjusted
based upon any combination of the trajectory or velocity of the
game object as well as the trajectory or velocity of the player
under consideration.
20. The method of claim 16 where system that provides continuous
data concerning player locations matched to their identity further
provides each player's orientation, comprising the additional step
of: constricting a player's area of potential influence to be a
sector of the circle centered about the player's location that is
aligned to match the player's orientation.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/438,613, filed on Feb., 5, 2010, the contents of which
are incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety and for all
purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to systems and methods for
translating sports tracking data into meaningful sports statistics
and performance measurements
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Currently, creating statistics concerning a sporting event
is an error prone manual operation that is greatly limited by the
extent of human observation. In practice, there are one or more
individuals present at a given sporting contest to at least run the
dock and keep score. At the more competitive and professional
levels, it is not unusual to have several statisticians at the
game, each tracking a particular statistic and perhaps using a
laptop computer to do this in real-time.
[0004] For the remainder of the application, the present inventor
will provide examples with respect to the sport of ice hockey,
although it will be understood by those familiar with sports and
the technologies discussed herein, that these same teachings are
applicable to all sports that share at least the following traits:
[0005] 1. They are played within a predefined area; [0006] 2. They
include at least one player that moves about within this predefined
area; [0007] 3. They may include at least one player in opposition
to that player who also moves about within the predefined area;
[0008] 4. They may include a game object that is used by a player
as a part of scoring points to win the contest; [0009] 5. The
predefined area may be broken into real or virtual areas, such as
but not limited to one player's side versus the other; [0010] 6.
Each opposing side, or some other portion of the predefined area,
may then also have within it a specific goal area where points may
be scored by a player using the game object; [0011] 7. The contest
may have a time limit that is tracked by an official game clock,
and [0012] 8. If there is a time limit than this total game time
may be broken into segments between which the players may or may
not exchange opposing sides.
[0013] There are many sports today that share these traits such as
but not limited to:
[0014] Ice Hockey (Field Hockey, Roller Hockey); [0015] American
Football; [0016] Soccer; [0017] Baseball; [0018] Basketball; [0019]
Tennis; [0020] Volleyball; [0021] Squash (Raquetball); [0022]
Etc.
[0023] Furthermore, although it is not a requirement for the
benefits of the present teachings, many of these sports have
opposing teams of more than one player each. In general, these team
sports all follow a general pattern, specifically: [0024] 1. Each
team defends their half of the predefined area that includes a goal
where the other team may score points; [0025] 2. Points are scored
by in some way getting the game object into, through, across, etc.
the opponent's goal; [0026] 3. At the beginning of the game or one
of its segments, the game object is either given specifically and
alternatively to one team for its control or it is set free by a
game official to be immediately contested for; [0027] 4. The team
that has control of the game object tries to keep control within
the game rules as they advance the game object towards the
opponent's goal; this team is currently on offense; [0028] 5. The
opposing team tries to gain control of the game object so that they
can then proceed towards their opponent's goal, or in general they
try to impede or thwart within the game rules the offensive team
from getting the game object into, through, across, etc. their
goal; this team is currently on defense; [0029] 6. Often either the
offensive or defensive team will break the game rules, sometimes
with strategic intention for which they will be penalized, and
[0030] 7. Each time a team manages to get the game object into,
through, across, etc. the opponent's goal, they are awarded points
that are then totaled into their score and at the end of the game
determine the contest winner.
[0031] Presently, there are many inventors who have proposed
various ideas for following the movements of the one or more
players and the game object. Some examples of their proposed
devices include: [0032] Active beacons to be worn on each player,
or held within the game object that emit some form of energy that
may be remotely detected and triangulated thereby providing at
least position information if not also orientation and often
identity; [0033] Passive markers to be worn on each player, or on
the game object, that can react with some form of tracking energy
emitted from a source, where the reaction causes energy to leave
the marker in such a way that it may then be detected by one or
more energy detectors thereby providing at least position
information if not also orientation and often identity; [0034]
Energy sensing systems that detect emitted and/or reflected energy
from each player or game object without the presence or active
beacons or passive markers, where the energy may then be detected
and used to determine at least position information if not also
orientation and often identity, or [0035] Some combination of the
above.
[0036] These approaches of using active beacons, passive markers,
and/or simply detecting emitted or reflected energy off of the
players or game objects represent the span of total solutions for
player and game object tracking known to the present inventor.
[0037] The exact method of gathering player and game object
location and optionally orientation is in material for the
teachings of the present invention, except that these methods
provide real-time quantified data such as X, Y or X, Y, Z
coordinates exactly locating a player or game object within the
playing area in some known and calibrated measurement system,
regardless of precision. As previously stated, the present inventor
is aware of working systems including those from Trakus, Inc. of
Massachusetts using active beacons and from Fox Sports using IR
transmitters embedded in the game object (in practice shown for an
ice hockey puck.)
[0038] In addition to Trakus, the present inventor is aware of at
least one university that is also working to provide similar or
variant solutions, namely the University or British Columbia.
[0039] And finally, as disclosed in referenced applications, the
present inventor has also taught systems for automatically and
remotely,: [0040] 1. determining the ongoing location of a player
within the predefined area; [0041] 2. optionally determining the
continuous orientation of the player for each determined position;
[0042] 3. optionally determining, either continuously or
intermittently, the identity of the player being tracked through
various locations, and [0043] 4. determining the ongoing location
of the game object within the predefined area.
[0044] In addition to this player and game object tracking
information, the present inventor has also taught in these same
referenced applications different means for obtaining official game
information such as but not limited to, current or total playing
time, current period or segment of the playing time, current score
by team, current penalty or infraction information, etc. The
present inventor is not aware of other systems similarly purposed
but could imagine that they might exist and for the purposes of the
present teachings the only important point is that the official
game data is obtained in time combination with the player and game
object tracking data.
[0045] To the best understanding of the present inventor,
regardless of the apparatus or methods used to determine the player
and game object locations and orientation, there are no know
systems for translating this information into anything more than
the simplest of statistics. Therefore, given the current state of
the art in automatic systems for tracking player and game object
movement as well as real-time information processing systems, it is
now possible to create a new wealth of statistics, performance
measurements and dynamic game momentum indicators that far exceed
human based observation in their objectivity, accuracy, temporal
and special granularity, scope, etc.
[0046] As will be understood by those skilled in the art of
real-time data acquisition, the teachings of the present invention
are therefore universally applicable regardless of the specific
apparatus and methods used to collect the player and game object
tracking information or the official game data. As will also be
understood by those skilled in the art of sports, the teachings of
the present invention are equally applicable to virtually all
sports and especially those sharing the common traits previously
enumerated.
[0047] It is the object of the present invention to provide
apparatus and methods for automatically determining ongoing and
real-time statistics and performance measurements at least
encompassing those currently determined by human observation by
translating the continuous input of player and game object tracking
information as well as time coordinate official game data. It is
still further an object that these statistics and performance
measurements have several aspects that are universally comparable
across levels of age and competitive experience within a given
sport and even across one or more sports. It is still further an
object that these statistics and performance measurements be
correlated in time with not only the player and game object
tracking information but also with any game video being
concurrently captured at least in such a way that the information
may be automatically and intelligently applied as overlays to the
video stream(s). Still further objects and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the
drawings and ensuing description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] FIG. 1 is an expanded version of the statistics that might
be typically collected at a professional ice hockey game.
[0049] FIG. 2 depicts the herein taught minimum necessary and
sufficient data for determining important and useful statistics and
performance information such as depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 13 and
FIG. 14 which includes the predefined tracking area layout, the
current time on the game clock, the current centroid of each player
and the current centroid of the puck (game object.)
[0050] FIG. 3 is an illustration depicting the various ways that a
puck (the game object) might come into, or alternatively leave the
possession of a given player, via his stick (controlling equipment)
blade.
[0051] FIG. 4a is an illustration depicting the circular nature of
the possession flow cycle within a hockey game (most opponent based
sports) that consists of gaining control, exchanging control and
relinquishing control.
[0052] FIG. 4b is a table relating the detectable clock and puck
movement states as well as the puck from-to and heading towards
locations to the possession flow events depicted in FIG. 4a. Each
of these detectable states and locations can be determined using
the minimum necessary and sufficient data from FIG. 2.
[0053] FIG. 5a depicts apparatus and methods taught by the present
inventor in prior referenced applications that teach the use of an
a first grid of overhead tracking cameras that provide data to a
tracking system that in turn uses standard machine vision
algorithms to at least continuously track each player's current
position and potentially their orientation and identity. In the
preferred embodiment the players are wearing some encoded passive
marker on their upper surface mostly in view of the tracking
cameras, where this marker might be a helmet sticker.
[0054] FIG. 5b depicts a design for an encoding helmet sticker
taught by the present inventor in prior referenced applications
that uses a monochromatic tone and shape based encoding method.
[0055] FIG. 5c depicts an alternative design for a helmet sticker
where the shapes are concentric circles or either monochromatic or
color based variations in fixed size relationships so as to provide
additional depth-to-sticker information via detected shape pixel
size.
[0056] FIG. 5d depicts apparatus and methods taught by the present
inventor in prior referenced applications that teaches the use of a
second set of player identification cameras that are automatically
directed to follow the player based upon location information first
determined by the overhead tracking cameras. The result is to
capture images of each player's official jersey number, the
pictures of which are then processed via pattern matching and
related well known machine vision techniques in order to determine
each player's unique number and therefore identity.
[0057] FIG. 5e further depicts apparatus and methods taught by the
present inventor in prior referenced applications that teaches the
use of a second set of player identification cameras that are
automatically directed to follow the player based upon location
information first determined by the overhead tracking cameras.
[0058] FIG. 5f depicts apparatus and methods taught by the present
inventor in prior referenced applications that teach the use of
machine vision to remotely and continuously translate the visual
character output of the game scoreboard into digital information,
segregated appropriately into meaningful titled groups, in a time
synchronized fashion with the collected game video and game
tracking information.
[0059] FIG. 6a depicts a method taught by the present inventor in
prior referenced applications that teaches the steps of first:
capturing a current image of a portion of the playing area with a
single overhead camera; second: subtracting this current image from
a stored background image of the same area taken when it was known
that no players or foreground objects were present and then
performing some variant of edge detection on this subtracted image
to obtain a gradient image; third, searching the gradient image for
all spatially isolated foreground objects that might be one or more
players, players' sticks, the game object or some combination, and
for each isolated foreground object searching to detect the
location of any encoded markers such as a helmet sticker or the
location of the game object such as the puck, and: forth, to output
this continuously determined helmet sticker location and
orientation information as well as the stick location, puck
location, as found within any given current image.
[0060] FIG. 6b depicts an animation that may be created based upon
each player's located helmet sticker and stick as well as the puck.
The helmet sticker may be directly translated into the location and
orientation of the player's helmet while additional machine vision
can be used to place an oval around the player's body, rectangles
around their gloves and sticks for arms. From the minimum data of
just the helmet sticker location and the puck location, a
continuous distance from player-to-puck may be calculated and
compared against a minimum distance threshold; where the player may
only be assigned possession if the puck is within reach, calculable
as the player-to-puck distance being less than the minimum distance
threshold.
[0061] FIG. 7 depicts pre-known information such as the size of the
player's helmet, body cavity, stick, etc. that is added to the
minimum fixed and pre-known data shown in FIG. 2. Also depicted is
helmet sticker orientation, as well as stick location and
orientation, that is added to the minimum continuously changing
data shown in FIG. 2.
[0062] FIG. 8 depicts the four possible situations of puck (game
object) possession with respect to two or more players (in this
case opposing players,) namely: Cycle 999, the puck is outside of
either player's region of control and therefore neither player can
be assumed to have possession; Cycle 999+m, the puck is within a
first player's region of control and outside of the second (other)
player's region for at least some minimal duration and therefore
possession can be assumed to rest with the first player; Cycle
999+m+n, the puck is within the region of control of both the first
and second (other) player for at least some minimal duration and
therefore it can be assumed that possession is being contested, and
Cycle 999+m+n+o, the puck now lies within the second player's
region of control and outside of the first (other) player's region
for at least some minimal duration and therefore possession can be
assumed to now rest with the second player.
[0063] FIG. 9 depicts a flowchart tracing the steps generally
corresponding to the situations shown in FIG. 8 and teaching how
the minimal data of clock time, player(s) centroid and puck (game
object) centroid(s) can be used to determine the revolving puck
states of "free," "under contention," and "in possession."
[0064] FIG. 10 depicts the tracked predefined area, in this case a
hockey rink, where the normally divided regions such as the
defensive, neutral and attack zones are further sub-divided into
standardized sub-units forming a scoring web. The use of a scoring
web to parse data allows for the creation of statistics to be
accumulated in association with these finer sub-units for later
meaningful comparison.
[0065] FIG. 11 depicts a portion of the tracked predefined area, in
this case the home team's defensive zone, where the sub-units of
the scoring web have been coded and where lanes have been defined
representing the potential path of the game object between players
and between players and the goal.
[0066] FIG. 12 is a perspective depiction of an ice hockey goal in
relation to a puck somewhere outside of the goal showing possible
preferred angles of shot towards the goal such that the end
location of the shot is one of a set of five preferred goal areas
typically assumed to be the least defensible by the guarding
goalie. Similar to the manner for breaking down the tracking area
into an additional scoring web, the goal (in this case the opening
of the net) is also broken into sub-units that may be used to
create more meaningful statistics.
[0067] FIG. 13 includes the traditional statistics of FIG. 1 as
well as proposed new statistics and performance measurements,
together far exceeding the current capacities of human observation.
All of this data is shown to be calculable from the minimum
necessary and sufficient data of FIG. 1, but can be refined if also
using the extended data added in FIG. 7.
[0068] FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 13 in proposing new statistics
and game measurements, again wholly based on FIG. 1 data but
preferably based on FIG. 7 data.
SPECIFICATION
[0069] Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a basic set of statistics
300 that is typically collected via human observation and data
entry for a professional ice hockey game. These statistics include:
[0070] Ice Time that equals a duration that some player or group of
players was in the field-of-play; [0071] Shots on Goal that equals
the number of scoring attempts made by a player or group of
players; [0072] Chances that equals a subjective narrowing of Shots
on Goal to include only those shots perceived to have a reasonable
chance of scoring; [0073] Goals that equals the number of scores
made by a player or group of players; [0074] Face-Offs (Won/Lost)
that equals the number of "time-in" situations where both teams are
contesting for game object (puck) control where one player or group
of players either won or lost the contested possession; [0075]
Penalty Minutes that equals a duration that some player or group of
players was in the penalty area, just off the field-of-play, and
[0076] Turnovers that equals the number of times a player or group
of players, first: has possession, and then second: loses
possession to the opponent, typically not as the result of a
time-out or shot attempt.
[0077] While not identical to other sports, these statistics 300
are exemplary of the type of information desirable to know in all
sports and can be broken down into some general facts that are
universally applicable, at least to opponent based sports with one
or more players per team, where each team defends a goal,
specifically these facts are: [0078] What is the breakdown of the
playing area with respect to all player and game object movement,
including the team bench area, the allowed field of play, the
scoring or goal areas and any penalty waiting areas, etc.; [0079]
With respect to all player and game object movement, when is
official "time-in" vs. "time-out"?; [0080] What is the sport rule
for game object possession at the point of official "time-in," i.e.
does "time-in" start with possession awarded or contested?; [0081]
Where is each player at all times during official "time-in" with
respect to the playing area(s)?, and [0082] Where is the game
object at all times during official "time-in" with respect to the
playing area(s)?
[0083] Referring next to FIG. 2, what the present inventor will
show, and the core teaching of the present invention, is that there
is a minimum necessary and sufficient set of data 100 that must be
determined in order to automatically produce all currently
collected manual statistics such as 300 and subsequently an entire
new beneficial set of performance measurements (such as 310 shown
in FIGS. 13, and 320 shown in and FIG. 14.) This minimum set of
data 100 comprises:
[0084] Predefined Tracking Area Layout data 110 of the playing
field, bench areas, penalty areas, etc.:
[0085] 1. this is typically a fixed (unchanging) pre-known; Current
Time of Game data 122 including points of "Time-In" and
"Time-Out":
[0086] 1. this can be determined automatically by: [0087] a.
receiving data output from the official scorer tables console that
is manually operated and sends control signals to the game
scoreboard (taught by the present inventor in prior referenced
applications;) [0088] b. detecting the unique sonic frequencies
indicative of a game official's whistle being blown for determining
typically "time-out" but also often "time-in" (taught by other
inventors;) [0089] some key drawbacks of this "listening" method
are: [0090] 1. false positives, e.g. from a fan blowing a whistle;
[0091] 2. low signal to noise, e.g. during extreme situations when
ambient crowd noise overcomes whistle sound vibrations; [0092] 3.
susceptibility to human error in signal, e.g. when an official
blows the whistle in an insufficient manor to create the necessary
sonic signal, and [0093] 4. lacks identity information, e.g. only
indicates that a whistle was blown and not which official blew the
whistle; [0094] c. detecting air-flow of a game official's whistle
for determining typically "time-out" but also often "time-in"
(taught by the present inventor in prior referenced applications;)
[0095] d. detecting manual release of the game object for
determining "time-in" typically initiating a contested possession
situation (taught by the present inventor in prior referenced
applications,) or by [0096] e. detecting changing patterns of
energy radiation from at least one game scoreboard face s that
displays the official game clock for the audience (taught by the
present inventor in prior referenced applications;)
[0097] Current X, Y Centroid Location of each ID'd Player data 124
with respect to the Predefined Tracking Area:
[0098] 1. this can be determined automatically by: [0099] a.
tracking active (powered) beacons affixed on some ideal central
location on each player (taught by other inventors;) [0100] some
key drawbacks of this beacon method are: [0101] 1. requires powered
beacon to be placed on player which is against most current sport
league rules, is costly and is inconvenient to monitor battery
life; [0102] 2. emitted signal is typically omni-directional and
therefore is useful for determining position via triangulation but
does not easily provide beacon and therefore player orientation
(however, note that player orientation is not a minimum fact taught
by the present invention as necessary for determining the initial
class of useful statistics 300); [0103] 3. susceptible to
false-positives due to signal reflections off venue structures, and
[0104] 4. requires expensive signal detecting apparatus without a
broad general market to aggressively bring down costs over time;
[0105] b. using machine vision, first: tracking gross locations of
players, and second: detecting encoded passive markings placed on
players to yield both centroid. and identity (taught by the present
inventor,) or [0106] c. using machine vision for first, tracking
gross locations of players and using calculating centroid, and then
second, for reading the jersey numbers off player uniforms and
performing pattern matching/OCR to determine identity (taught by
the present inventor.)
[0107] Current X, Y Centroid Location of the Game Object data 126
with respect to the Predefined Tracking Area; [0108] 1. this can be
determined automatically by: [0109] a. tracking active (powered)
beacons affixed or contained within the game object (taught by
other inventors;) [0110] some key drawbacks of this beacon method
are: [0111] 1. requires powered beacon to be placed on the game
object which may be against sport league rules, may alter the game
objects performance, is costly and is inconvenient to monitor
battery life; [0112] 2. susceptible to false-positives due to
signal reflections off venue structures, and [0113] 3. requires
expensive signal detecting apparatus without a broad general market
to aggressively bring down costs over time. [0114] b. using machine
vision to track the solely the game object (taught by other
inventors); for which a key drawback is: [0115] 1. does not also
track and preferably identify the players, thus requiring an
additional set of apparatus for this necessary portion of the
minimum necessary set of data. [0116] c. or, using machine vision
to track the game object while also tracking and identifying the
players (taught by the present inventor.)
[0117] As will be shown in the ensuing specification, by securing
this minimum necessary and sufficient set of data 100, and most
particularly the continuously changing data 120, it is possible to
create a wealth of important statistics 300 and other performance
data 310 and 320 (of FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 respectively.) The
teachings of the present invention are centered on the methods for
translating this synchronized stream of minimum data 100 into
useable information such as depicted in FIG. 1 and then also in
FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. Although the present inventor prefers the
approaches for determining this information as taught in his prior
referenced applications, the present teachings do not limit the
sources of any portion of the minimum data 100. For instance, the
present invention will function perfectly well, and has novelty,
even if: [0118] the official "time-in" and "time-out" are
determined using the whistle "listening" approach taught by other
inventors; [0119] the current player location and identification
are determined using active beacons taught by other inventors;
[0120] the current game object location is determined using still
another type of active beacon taught by the same or other
inventors, or [0121] the minimum data is obtained using any
combination of the these apparatus or methods not taught by the
present inventors, in any combination with the prior referenced
teachings of the present inventor or in any combination with future
as of yet unknown apparatus and methods for obtaining some piece or
all of the minimum data 100.
[0122] Therefore, again referring to FIG. 2 and in varied
restatement, what is most important is that the apparatus and
methods taught herein have available as minimum data 100: [0123] 1.
pre-knowledge of the layout of the playing field, team bench and
penalty areas, data 110; [0124] 2. continuous knowledge of the time
on the official game clock, data 122; [0125] 3. continuous
knowledge of each player's ID and location, data 124, and [0126] 4.
continuous knowledge of the game object's location, data 126.
[0127] As will be understood by those familiar with the art of
real-time data collection and analysis, each captured or determined
data point is synchronized to all other data points, for all types
of related data, via identification with the real instance of time
that the data point was taken, either in a global or local time
reference system. This implies that the current game clock time
data 110, which is itself data separate from the global or local
time, is captured and stored in index to the global or local time.
Note that the global or local time is preferably continuous and
uniformly incremented while the clock time data 110 may be going
uniformly forward or backward, jumping forward or backward or
stopped.
[0128] Using only this input of minimum data 100, the present
inventor will now proceed to teach the method steps for deriving
information such as 300, 310 and 320 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 13 and
FIG. 14, with the understanding that these figures depict
exemplary, rather than limiting, statistics, performance data and
otherwise game related information.
[0129] Referring next to FIG. 3, there is depicted the end of a
hockey stick 4 and various hockey pucks 3a through 3k representing
two basic puck/player interactions, specifically "gaining control"
and "relinquishing" control. (Again, as previously implied, at any
point in this specification, the word "puck" is universally
replaceable and equivalent to "game object" and therefore the
present teachings are in no way limited to ice hockey or other puck
based sports.) Furthermore, FIG. 3 along with all other figures
showing sport specific ice hockey imagery is exemplary and although
most other sports are played without a stick the stick itself is
merely an extension of the player's body. Therefore FIG. 3 is
easily recast to other sports by replacing the depiction of a stick
with that of a player or indeed any other piece of equipment that a
given sport might require the player to use when manipulating the
game object. What is important is that in general the player
directly, or through the use of allowed equipment such as a stick,
may "gain control" and subsequently "relinquish control" of the
game object. For ice hockey, specific examples of gaining control
are: [0130] winning a face-off (contested situation) 3a, usually
associated with a "time-in"; [0131] picking up an uncontested or
loose puck 3b, typically after situations referred to in ice hockey
as a clear, dump or rebound; [0132] receiving a pass from teammate
3c; [0133] challenging another player and then subsequently
taking-away 3d the puck, and [0134] picking up an uncontested puck
on a give-away 3d from an opposing player, typically after
situations where the opposing player has not gained some
alternative benefit such as a clear, dump or attempted shot.
[0135] Also for ice hockey and still referring to FIG. 3, specific
examples of relinquishing control (which implies that the player
first has possession) are: [0136] at an official "time-out" such as
the period ends/penalty 3f, or also any stoppage of play by the
game official; [0137] when the player Intentionally sends the puck
to a specific area creating a loose puck 3g, typically a clear or
dump situation; [0138] when the player intentionally sends the puck
towards the opponents net as an scoring attempt 3h; [0139] when the
puck travels between two players without any interrupted possession
by the opposing team in a pass to teammate 3i; [0140] when the puck
is first contested for by an opposing player and then taken-away 3j
by that opponent or one of their teammates, and [0141] when the
player unintentionally, typically without strategic positional
advantage such as in a clear or dump, gives-away 3k the puck to an
opponent.
[0142] First, it should be noted that the each of these puck/player
interactions cannot be uniquely differentiated without all four
pieces of the minimum data set 100, namely (and in abbreviated
description used henceforth) tracking area layout 110, dock time
122, player location and ID 124 and puck location 126; regardless
of the apparatus or methods for obtaining the data set 100.
Furthermore, implied in FIG. 3 and now referring to FIG. 4a, the
detailed puck/player interactions 3a through 3k in general form a
continuous possession flow 200 comprising only three discreet event
types: gain control 210, exchange control 200 and relinquish
control 230. Within these three event types that comprise
possession flow 200, there are herein defined 14 standard events
for the sport if ice hockey, the translation of which to other
sports will be obvious to those skilled in the art of both sports
rules and software systems.
[0143] Still referring to FIG. 4a, in order to gain control 210 of
puck 3, a team must win a face-off 3a, take away 3d the puck from
the opponent, pick up a giveaway 3e committed by the opponent or
pick up a loose puck 3b. Within these four events, winning the
face-off 3a and taking away the puck 3d involve a point where at
least two opposing players will be contending for the same puck 3.
One of the two will come away with the puck 3 at which time the
puck is in their control, or possession. Therefore, in order to
fundamentally detect events 3a and 3d an automatic system must be
able to determine the puck 3 states of "in possession," followed by
"under contention" and then back to "in possession," where the
possession switches between opposing teams. The other two gain
control 210 events, namely a give-away 3e and a loose puck 3b
recovery, include puck state transitions from "in possession" to
"free" and then back to "in possession," where again, the
possession switches from the opponent to the team. (Note that the
loose puck 3b recovery must be proceeded by a puck "in possession"
of the opponent, otherwise it would be classified as one of the
exchange control within Team 220 events.)
[0144] Still referring to FIG. 4a, in order to exchange control
within team 220, one team's player may clear the puck 3 out of
their defensive zone after which it is then first recovered by a
teammate, thus creating a clear/pick up event 3e-1. Similarly, when
approaching the attack zone a team's player may dump the puck 3
followed directly by a teammate first picking up the puck 3, thus
creating a dump/pick up event 3e-2. When not specifically related
to the defensive-to-neutral zone clear or a neutral-to-attack zone
dump, any time a team's player sends the puck 3 into an open area
followed directly by a teammate first picking up the puck 3, this
is an area pass/pick up event 3e-3. A drop pass/pick up event 3e-4
is created when a skating player simply leaves the puck 3 and
skates on by so that a trailing teammate may then first pick up the
puck 3. And finally, a team's player may directly pass the puck to
a teammate who then catches the puck and continues team possession,
thus creating a pass/catch event 3e-5. All of these events 3e-1,
3e-2, 3e-3, 3e-4 and 3e-5 share a common pattern of puck states;
namely "in-possession" followed by "free" returning to
"in-possession," where the possession states are for the same
team.
[0145] Still referring to FIG. 4a, a team may relinquish control
230 by any of the following events: the period ends 3f, the
opposing team takes-away 3i the puck, a team's player gives-away 3k
the puck, or a team's player makes a scoring attempt 3h. Control
may also be relinquish when a team's player clears or dumps 3g the
puck but it is then not first picked up by the same team. Similar
to gaining control 210, detecting take-aways 3i requires sensing a
puck's transition from states of "in possession," to "under
contention" followed by "in possession," where the possession if
assigned to different teams. The events of give-away 3k and clear
or dump 3g follow the puck states of "in possession" to "free" and
back to "in possession," where possession changes between teams.
The event of period ends is unique in that it only has two states,
namely "in possession" followed by "time-out." Of course it is
possible to go from the puck states of "free" or "under contention"
directly to "time-out" as well. The scoring attempt 3h is a special
case that starts "in possession" and then moves to "free" without
any implications as to what state might be next, i.e. "under
contention," "in possession" of either team or "time-out."
[0146] In reference to FIG. 4a, the present invention illustrates
the continuously evolving states of the puck (game object,) which
from its perspective may be: "free," "under contention," "in
possession," or in "time-out." As will be shown, especially in
reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, all that is necessary and
sufficient to detect these transitions is the minimum data 100,
namely: [0147] 1. pre-knowledge of the layout of the playing field,
team bench and penalty areas, data 110; [0148] 2. continuous
knowledge of the time on the official game dock, data 122; [0149]
3. continuous knowledge of each player's location and ID, data 124
and [0150] 4. continuous knowledge of the game object's location,
data 126.
[0151] Furthermore, as will be taught in detailed method steps in
FIG. 9, all of the events 3a, 3d, 3e, 3b, 3e-5, 3f, 3i and 3k are
fundamentally identical in the detection algorithm, only requiring
differentiation based upon initial and ending player identities
(i.e. teams) and initial and ending clock states, i.e. "time-in"
and "time-out." For the determination of events 3e-1, 3e-2, 3e-3,
3h and 3g the method steps must include an determination of where
the puck 3 is on ice sheet 2 with respect to predefined areas (as
will be discussed in more detail with regard to FIG. 10, FIG. 11
and FIG. 12,) at both the initial "in possession" state as
typically the end of the "free" state.
[0152] Referring next to FIG. 4b, the possession flow events of
gaining control 210, exchanging control 220 and relinquishing
control 230 are crossed indexed with the clock, player and puck
states that must be detected for each event 3a through 3g.
Specifically, the necessary clock states 150 are "time is in" 151
and "time is out" 152. The time-in state 151 can be determined by:
[0153] 1. Monitoring the least significant digit of the clock time
12-1 (see FIG. 5f) found in min data 122 to determine if this digit
is sequencing both at the correct update rate and numerical order.
The time-out state 152 can be determined by: [0154] 1. Detecting
when the least significant digit of the clock time 12-1 fails to
update within the allotted time (preferably measured by counting
system cycles) or in the proper numerical order. It is noted that
the system cycles proceed continuously and independently of the
clock, preferably at a rate at least double that of the least
significant digit and provide synchronization for continuously
changing data 120, as will be understood by those skilled in the
art or real-time data collection. [0155] 2. On occasion, it becomes
necessary to adjust the time on the game clock. There are only two
adjustments, namely adding time back onto the clock or taking it
off the clock. In either case, the clock is always stopped first
and therefore will be in the detected state of "time-out" 152 when
the adjustment is attempted. This simplest solution is to always
adjust the clock by directly entering the new desired time, rather
than by sequencing up or down. Using this solution, at least one
significant digit will be jumping to a numeral that is out of
order, therefore easily indicating the adjustment to the present
invention which will then adjust it's captured database accordingly
by repairing the past stream of min data 100 and determined events,
at least 3i through 3g. However, the present invention will also be
able to detect running off time on the clock by also determining
the location of the referee and the on-ice players when the least
significant digit changes from not-updating to updating.
Specifically, in ice-hockey (and at least basketball) the formation
of players at any time-out to time-in transition at least includes
a referee with the puck who is surrounded by two opposing players.
Furthermore, in virtually all sports, there is typically an area on
the playing field where each player is either restricted too, or
chooses to normally align, just prior to the time-out to time-in
transition. Therefore, by including predefined standard formations
114 (discussed in reference to FIG. 7) to the minimum data set 100,
the present inventor also teaches detecting running time off the
clock, which is really still a time-out 151 state. (Note that while
previously not mentioned, it is assumed that the tracking data
collection apparatus and methods used to provide minimum data 100
will include tracking the location of the referees and game
officials.)
[0156] Referring still to FIG. 4b, there are also shown puck
movement states 160. Specifically, the necessary states 160 are
"free" 161, "under contention" 162, "in possession of home team"
163 and "in possession of away team" 164. While the determination
of these states has already been discussed in general, they will be
covered in detail with reference to FIG. 6b, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.
Therefore, it is here simply stated that each of these puck states
160 sufficiently determinable using only a single calculation as
follows: [0157] 1. Instantaneous puck-to-player distance: this is a
measure of the distance R between each player n, with current
location (Xn, Yn), and the puck, with a current location (Xp, Yp).
This calculation is performed using the well-known Distance Formula
as follows:
[0157] R=Sqrt[(Xn-Xp)2+(Yn-Yp)2]
[0158] As will be further taught in the ensuing specification, the
puck will be assigned a "free" state 161 as soon as all players are
at a distance R that exceeds the minimum threshold used to indicate
how close a player must be to the puck 3 in order to be able to
gain control. Essentially, if no players are in reach of the puck,
then the puck 3 must be "free" 161. As will also be further taught,
if the puck is solely within the reach (i.e. R<min) of one
player for some minimum duration threshold, than it will be
assigned the "in possession" state 163 or 164. By checking the
player's ID, state 163 vs. 164 may be differentiated. And finally,
as will also be subsequently taught, if the puck 3 is currently
"free" 161 and two or more player's come within reach of it (i.e.
R<min) before any one player exceeds the minimum duration
threshold, then the puck will be assigned the "under contention"
state 162. While not necessary for determining at least statistics
300 and most of statistics 310 and 320, the present inventor
teaches the determination of a new puck state "under challenge" 165
(not shown in FIG. 4b). This state 165 is optionally set when the
puck 3 is "in possession" of a sole player when an opposing player
subsequently comes within reach of the puck (i.e. R<min.). This
"under challenge" state 165 therefore indicates that one player
first has control/possession where "under contention" state 162
would then indicate that neither player first had
control/possession.
[0159] Referring still to FIG. 4b, there are shown puck zone
locations 170 including defensive zone 171, neutral zone 172 and
attack zone 173. By continually keeping tracking of the puck zone
locations 170, especially at each puck state 160 transition, the
exchange control events 220 including 3e-1, 3e-2 and 3e-3 as well
as the relinquish control events 230 including 3h and 3g may be
sufficiently differentiated. Specifically: [0160] the clear/pickup
event 3e-1 starts with a team "in possession" 163 in their
defensive zone 171, followed by a "free" puck 161, followed by the
same team "in possession" 163 in the neutral 172 or attack zones
173. This same method holds for relinquishing clear event 3h except
that team possession necessarily changes; [0161] the dump/pickup
event 3e-2 starts with a team "in possession" 163 in their neutral
zone 172, followed by a "free" puck 161, followed by same the same
team "in possession" 163 in the attack zone 173. This same method
holds for relinquishing dump event 3h except that team possession
necessarily changes, and [0162] there are several area pass/pick up
event 3e-3 from-to zone possibilities as depicted in FIG. 4b. In
particular any from-to locations staying in the same zone or going
"backwards" from the attack zone 173 to the neutral zone 172, or
from the neutral zone 172 to the defensive zone 171.
[0163] And finally, still referring to FIG. 4b, there are shown
puck heading directions 180 including teammate not directly behind
player 181, teammate directly behind player 182, opponent 183, open
ice 184 and opponent's goal 185. Using this additional information,
the following additional events can be differentiated: [0164] drop
pass/pick up 3e-4 is towards a teammate directly behind the player
182 last in possession 163; [0165] pass/catch 3e-5 is towards a
teammate not directly behind the player 182 last in possession 163,
and [0166] scoring attempt 3h is towards the opponent's goal
185.
[0167] Referring next to FIG. 5a, there is shown the preferred
system for determining player and game object tracking information
as first disclosed by the present inventor in referenced U.S. Pat.
No. 6,576,116 B1 entitled Multiple Object Tracking System. The
figure itself was also repeated in its entirety in referenced U.S.
application Ser. No. 05/013,132 entitled Automatic Event Videoing,
Tracking and Content Generation System (see FIG. 3 of this
referenced application.) FIG. 5 a depicts an overhead tracking
system 400 comprising a matrix of tracking cameras 40 maintaining
an overlapping and substantially parallel view of the predefined
playing area such as ice sheet 2. As players 10 move about with
stick 4 on ice sheet 2, they will also interact with the game
object, in this example puck 3. Using its view 40-v, each tracking
camera 40 tracks the movement of any and all players 10, equipment
4 and puck 3 providing at least two dimensional coordinates in any
acceptable format such as X, Y rectangular notation. If the
tracking system 400 includes multiple layers as taught in the
referenced applications especially including U.S. Ser. No.
05/013,132 then it is possible to add a third dimension of
tracking, i.e. Z for height, as will be well understood by those
familiar in the art of three dimensional machine vision. Using the
tracked two dimensional locations of each player 10, stick 4 and
puck 3, the tracking system 400 may also automatically pan, tilt
and zoom automatic filming cameras 51a, 51b, 51c and 51d in order
to record desired game action. The X, Y two dimensional tracking
information determined for each player 10, stick 4 and puck 3 by
this preferred tracking system is sufficient to serve as
continuously changing player centroid data 124 and game object
centroid data 126 as discussed in FIG. 2. As also taught in the
same prior applications, player 10 may have affixed for example to
their helmet 9a uniquely encoded marker such as helmet sticker 9a
or 9b (discussed in more detail in FIG. 5b and FIG. 5 c
respectively) that allows the tracking system 400 to further
uniquely identify each player 10.
[0168] Using these stickers 9a or 9b, or some similar equivalent,
player centroid data 124 therefore also includes identity along
with X, Y location information.
[0169] While tracking system 400 is the present inventor's
preferred tracking system for indoor sports, there are other
systems suggested by other inventors as mentioned in the referenced
applications and the background to the present invention that are
capable of determining this same tracking information sufficient to
serve as player data 124 and game object data 126. The present
inventor is at least aware that the system provided by Trakus,
which employs RF transmitters in the player's 10 helmet 9, has
already been implemented and works to provide at least continuous
X, Y location and identity. Trakus has been assigned U.S. Pat. No.
6,204,813 B1 entitled Local Area Multiple Object Tracking System by
Wadell et al, covering this technology. The present inventor is
also aware that in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,698 entitled Electromagnetic
Transmitting Hockey Puck by Honey et al. teaches a method of
tracking the three dimensional location of a puck 3 that has been
implemented as a working product, euphemistically dubbed "the Fox
puck" and assigned to Fox Sports Broadcasting.
[0170] With respect to the teachings of the present invention,
these systems from both Trakus and Fox Sports are themselves
sufficient to supply continuously changing player location and
identity data 124 and game object data 126, and may be used rather
than the present inventors preferred embodiment of the overhead
tracking system 400. The source of the data sets 124 and 126 is
therefore immaterial to the novelty of the present invention. What
is important is the understanding that each system, such as that
provided by Trakus that provides only player data 124, or such as
that provided by Fox Sports that provides only game object data
126, are by themselves insufficient to fully support the creation
of the higher levels statistics and performance measurements taught
herein. At the very least, as first discussed in FIG. 2, both data
sets 124 and 126 must be obtained as well as current "time-in" vs.
"time-out" game data 122. Neither the Trakus nor the Fox Sports
patents teach of a method for gathering game data 122, nor do they
discuss the method steps for determining game object possession by
players necessarily requiring all data 122, 124, 126. It should be
further noted that neither the Trakus nor Fox Sports systems has
been accepted by the marketplace in large part because of their
lack of utility in regards to their narrowly restricted
datasets.
[0171] Referring next to FIG. 5b, there is shown the preferred
embodiment of a helmet sticker 9a to be affixed to helmet 9 being
worn by player 10. The present inventor first taught this specific
sticker 9a arrangement in referenced U.S. application Ser. No.
05/013,132 entitled Automatic Event Videoing, Tracking and Content
Generation System (see FIG. 6f of this referenced application.) The
present inventor has successfully implemented a tracking algorithm
to dynamically follow and decode sticker design 9a along with puck
3 using a single tracking camera 40. Since the sticker design
itself is not material to the teachings of the present invention,
but rather is used as an example of a preferred method for
determining player identity using machine vision, the remainder of
FIG. 5b will not be discussed in detail as it is in U.S.
application Ser. No. 05/013,132.
[0172] Referring next to FIG. 5c, there is shown for the first time
by the present inventor an alternative helmet sticker 9b. Similar
to sticker 9a, sticker 9b uses circular shapes 9b-c1, 9b-c2 and
9b-c3 along rectangular background 9b-b to provide four separate
color or monotone intensity variations. As will be understood by
those skilled in the art of machine vision, if each shape 9b-c1,
9b-c2, 9b-c3 and 9b-b each took on one of only three unique values
in contrast to each other, than 3.sup.4=81 unique combinations
could be represented. Using four unique values would provide 256
combinations thus allowing each sticker to uniquely and directly
encode each player 10's jersey number from 1 to 99. However, in
these respects sticker 9b is essentially the same as sticker
9a.
[0173] The advantages of sticker 9b are the use of the various
sized circles 9b-c1 within 9b-c2 that are at fixed and pre-known
dimensions of 2.times. and 4.times. as shown. Furthermore, circle
9b-c3 is also 2.times. in size but only 1.times. distance away from
larger circle 9b-c2. This arrangement provides two major
opportunities. First, it provides a more distinct configuration for
determining player helmet 10 orientation because circles 9b-c1,
9b-c2 and 9b-c3 act to roughly form a larger arrow type shape
pointing forward in the direction of circle 9b-c3. Second, the
shapes themselves provide for a greater ability to be measured in
their size by tracking camera 40's image analysis. Hence, as player
10 raises and lowers his helmet 9, it is most likely that larger
circle 9b-c1 will stay in some sort of view and that the resulting
number of pixels detected to be within 9b-c1 will give an
approximation of the distance of sticker 9b from tracking camera
40, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.
[0174] Hence, using sticker 9b, overhead tracking system 400 could
determine player 10 helmet 9 height with only a single layer of
tracking cameras 40 as taught in the prior applications (thus
saving system costs.) The higher the resolution of these cameras 40
per the same imaging area 40-v, the more accurate this technique
will be--again, as will be understood by those familiar with
imaging algorithms. Using the changing pixel size of at least
circle 9b-c1 along with the detected presence or not of circle
9b-c3, the overhead tracking system will be able to indicate if a
player is bending forward and therefore pointing their head down
versus standing up straight. While this information is not
necessary for determining the statistics and performance
measurements as described in the present invention, it does offer
additional value in combination with all other necessary data.
[0175] Referring next to FIG. 5d there is shown a top view of the
concept first taught by the present invention in U.S. application
Ser. No. 05/013,132 entitled Automatic Event Videoing, Tracking and
Content Generation System (see FIG. 14 of this referenced
application.) While not an identical depiction, FIG. 5d shows that
any number of automatically controlled filming cameras, such as
51a, 51b, 51c and 51d, can be directed based upon overhead tracking
system 400 data to periodically capture images of any given player
10, preferably in open space on ice sheet 2, in order to capture a
zoomed in image of player 10's jersey.
[0176] As taught in the prior application and as will be understood
by those skilled in the art of image analysis and pattern matching,
the unique aspects of the jersey number will be sufficient to
provide player identification. As was taught in the referenced
applications, it is not necessary to continuously identify each
player 10 since once identified by such a technique, they can be
followed by the overhead system 400 without ambiguity, even as
players 10 begin to crowd together. And, in those cases where two
or more players 10 merge from the overhead view to such an extent
that their identity needs to be confirmed, as these same players
ultimately separate cameras such as 51a through 51d can be directed
to recapture jersey number images for identification. Furthermore,
if only two players are in question and their identities where
known prior to bunching up, than it is only necessary to
re-identify one of the two since the other's identity may then be
set based upon this prior knowledge. As will be understood by those
skilled in the art of image analysis, pattern matching is greatly
aided by the pre-knowledge of which actual jersey numbers are on
the team (rather than all possible,) which jersey numbers are now
detected on the ice (a sub-set of all team numbers,) and which two
or more players have bunched together (a further sub-set)--all of
which favorable limits the pattern matching possibilities and have
been taught by the present inventor.
[0177] Referring next to FIG. 5e, there is shown a portion of the
drawing (FIG. 14) from U.S. application Ser. No. 05/013,132. This
figure is provided as further illustration of a preferred
alternative to using helmet stickers 9a or 9b, which are themselves
preferred by the present inventors over active transmitters such as
used by Trakus. As discussed in the prior referenced applications,
by using machine vision, rather than RF tracking, additional
valuable data, i.e. the video itself is gathered. Furthermore,
machine vision techniques provide enough information to help
determine player 10's orientation, and not simply two or even three
dimension location of one point on their body plus identification.
As previously mentioned, and as will be discussed in respect to
upcoming FIG. 7, player 10's current orientation data 128 can add
very useful data for performance analysis. At the very least, it
can distinguish a player skating forward versus backward, which the
Trakus approach cannot do.
[0178] In practice, the present inventors have found that helmet
stickers can be purchased for less than $0.10 per player and are
therefore easily added to the helmet 9 and then discarded. However,
if it is desirable at the more competitive levels to have no
markings whatsoever, then using the jersey matching approach
depicted in FIGS. 5d and 5e becomes more advantageous. It should be
noted that the present inventors referenced teachings are not
limited to helmet stickers such as 9a and 9b for markers. For
instance, any mark such as one placed on the shoulder straps of a
basketball player's jersey would suffice to support the teachings
of a uniquely encoded marker on an upper facing surface of the
player 10 such that it is consistently viewable by tracking cameras
40.
[0179] Referring next to FIG. 6a, there is shown a summarization of
the video image analysis teachings of the referenced patents,
stating with U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,116 B1, entitled Multiple Object
Tracking System. Tracking cameras 40 capture some playing surface 2
area such as 20'.times.20'. As has been taught in the referenced
applications and as will be understood by those skilled in the art
of image analysis, within this area, isolated players (or multiple
bunched players) form a foreground object that can be uniquely
bounded by a minimal rectangle. The preferred algorithms would
include the steps of image subtraction to first remove static
background pixels followed by edge detection and enhancement to
Identify the outermost boundaries of the foreground shapes, which
may then be fitted within an extraction rectangle. At the bottom of
FIG. 6a there is shown an extracted image of a player labeled as
"1". In practice, this same extracted video shown as "1" is
actually first available as a gradient image "2" that is used to
set the bounding box.
[0180] This process of bounding then limits the pixel area where a
more detailed process is employed in order lead to extracted and
scrubbed foreground block "A" at the top left of FIG. 6a and
symbolic image "B" shown at the top right. Within the process of
creating "B," the image analysis routines may also detect and
decode any helmet sticker such as 9a or 9b that may have been
present, therefore providing identity. Note also that the process
of determining "B" also creates at least the X, Y location of
player 10 centroid within the camera view 40v, which is
translatable to the entire playing surface 2, as has been taught in
referenced applications and is well understood in the art. Note
that ideally player 10 is wearing a helmet sticker such as 9a, and
that this sticker once identified in the image can serve as the
player 10's centroid for location tracking. However, other
techniques can be used to estimate that player 10's centroid if the
jersey pattern matching approach of FIG. 5d and FIG. 5e is
preferred. These techniques would at least include placing a best
fit oval around the pixel mass of the foreground object. This mass
could be chosen as the entire foreground object including stick 4,
arms and torso. Or this mass could be just the torso that may be
deduced by first removing all "extended" pieces of the foreground
object such as the stick and arms. Or, this mass could be just the
helmet, which is at a fixed known size, shape and color and will
almost always be found within the torso (depending upon the
player's body orientation with respect to the overhead camera 40.)
Any method could be used to create a. bounding oval which then
provides a centroid for tracking purposes.
[0181] As discussed in referenced applications, this works best
when each player 10 is completely isolated from all other players
from the cameras viewpoint; something much more likely given an
overhead view 40v rather than a side view. However, even from the
overhead view 40v players will eventually bunch up. In these cases,
both the prior knowledge of the moving oval shapes as they headed
into the bunched up configuration, plus the pre-knowledge of the
possible maximum sizes of players 10 standing in mostly upright
positions, leads to multiple techniques for splitting larger
foreground shapes with multiple players into estimated minimal
shapes which are then translated into a centroid where the centroid
is checked to see that it lies on its earlier detected path of
travel. Of course, using uniquely encoded markers such as helmet
sticker 9a (or a mark on a player 10's shoulders) provides a near
continuous method for determining player 10 centroids even in the
situation where they bunch up from the overhead view 40v. All of
which has been discussed by the present inventor in the referenced
applications.
[0182] Again, what is most important is that some reliable method
is used to provide the continuous player location and identity data
124 and game object data 126. From this point forward in the
present teachings, it is assumed that this data is made available
from some source.
[0183] Referring next to FIG. 6b, there is shown a symbolic
representation of player 10 as determined in process B of FIG. 6a,
where the player 10's continuous centroid and identity data 124 was
ideally created using the helmet sticker such as 9a or 9b. Also
shown but not necessary is helmet oval 10h and body oval 10b.
Together with the outer detected edges of player 10's arms, body
oval 10b forms a first inner player bounding circle 10mr2. For each
player 10, their exact preferred stick 4 length 4r may be known or
it is easily estimated, or it may be dynamically measured. In any
case, starting with either player 10 centroid 124 or inner bounding
circle 10mr2, a second outer bounding circle 10mr1 is determinable
as the farthest expected area of influence from the player 10's
current location at any given instant. It should be further noted,
that this outer circle 10mr1 of possible influence is further
limited to some reasonable arc spanning roughly 180.degree.
directly in front of player 10, which is knowable if centroid data
124 is augmented with orientation information (as would be provided
by a helmet sticker such as 9a or 9b or similar shoulder markings
and even jersey numbers if they could be consistently identified,
which is less likely from the side view positions when player 10
begin to bunch.)
[0184] As previously discussed in relation to FIG. 4b, simply
knowing player centroid data 124 and game object/puck centroid data
126, it is possible to calculate the distance R between any given
player 10 and the puck 3 at each given data capture moment. Also as
discussed, knowing this distance provides a simple, deterministic
verses probabilistic step for answering the question as to whether
or not a given player 10 may have possession of the puck 3.
Essentially, if the puck 3 is beyond some minimum distance MinR,
then the player 10 cannot possibly have possession. If it is within
MinR, then the player may or may not have possession, but it is
possible. Hence, the puck 3 state of "free" is easily and
continuously determinable using only the information of player
centroid data 124 and game object centroid data 126. Other than the
"free" state, as previously mentioned it is ideal to determine with
the game object is "in possession" and "under contention" with the
further possibility of distinguishing "under challenge" as a puck 3
that was first "in possession" of one player 10 and then entered
the "under contention" state with a second player 10.
[0185] Referring next to FIG. 8, (and for now skipping FIG. 7,)
there is depicted the transition of the game object/puck from the
"free" state, to the "possession" state, to the "contention" state
and then back to the "possession" state. The transitions are shown
as four evolving illustrations of configurations between two
players 10 Pa (away team) and Ph (home team) as well as the puck 3.
In quick review, the leftmost illustration shows the puck 3 clearly
out of reach of both players 10 Pa and Ph and therefore in a "free"
state. As show to the right of this, some time later "m seconds"
later, the puck 3 is within reach of player 10 Pa and has been
there for a minimum necessary amount of time MinT in order to
designated that the puck 3 is now "in possession" of player 10 Pa.
As shown to the right of this, at some time "m+n second" later,
player 10 Ph has neared player 10 Pa enough so that he is now also
in reach of the puck 3, which is therefore in a "contention" state.
And finally, to the right of this it is shown that player 10 Ph has
proceeded past player 10 Pa with the puck 3 still within his reach
for the MinT, which is therefore in his exclusive "possession."
[0186] This simple approach to determining the puck states of
"free," "in possession" and "under contention" are solely based on
the minimum necessary and sufficient data 100. The method steps,
which are reviewed in detail with respect to upcoming FIG. 9,
include determining the distance between each player 10's centroid
and the puck 3 at some periodic and continuing rate (e.g. 30 per
second) throughout the contest. At any given instant, i.e. for each
distinct measurement interval, the state of "free" is immediately
determinable and not dependent upon any other prior measurement
intervals. However, as will be understood by those familiar with
sports such as ice hockey and soccer, it is possible for an
individual player 10 to push the game object, e.g. the puck 3 or
soccer ball, ahead of themselves in their direction of motion. In
some cases, the game object will move outside of their MinR but
could still be considered in their "possession."
[0187] To adjust for this action, what is taught is that by
switching from the instantaneously determined separation between
each player 10 and the game object, i.e. "R instantaneous," to the
average separation, i.e. "R average," this dribble forwarding will
be drawn back towards MinR and the same methods will continue to
indicate that the correct player is "in possession." It is
anticipated by the present inventor that the exact number of
measurements to average together is variable based at least upon
the sport. It is further anticipated that it will be useful to
include a second larger MaxR beyond which the game object is
automatically set to the "free" state even if the "R average" does
not end up exceeding MinR over the same interval of measurements.
This would be the case for example when a hockey player 10 might
dump the puck 3 forward from the neutral zone into the attack zone
after which they recover this dump in within a short span of time
by going around a slower moving defensemen 10, as will be
understood by those familiar in the sport of ice hockey. It should
also be understood that by using R as the determination for any
possible puck 3 possession, side to side movement of the game
object by a player 10 is effectively ignored. Hence, as will be
understood by those familiar with ice hockey, the puck is often
moved back and forth from left to right in the direction of player
10 travel as they skate forward or backwards down the ice. This
left to right movement will tend to have little to no appreciable
effect on the player 10 to puck 3 "R instantaneous" and especially
"R average" distance.
[0188] With respect to the selection of the "minimum time
threshold" MinT for which the game object, e.g. the puck 3, must
stay within MinR based upon either "R instantaneous" or "R
average," it should be noted that two additional pieces of
information are helpful. The first is simply a preset value based
upon the sport and does not need to be collected during the
contest. This is the average rate of travel of the game object,
e.g. the puck 3 in ice hockey vs. the ball in soccer, where the
puck 3 when free will tend to travel at a significantly faster
velocity. This rate will directly dictate how quickly the game
object can pass through the max sphere of influence of a given
player, where this MaxSphere would be 2*MinR. The faster the rate
of game object travel, the less time it would physically spend with
reach of a player 10's MaxSphere, thus indicating the MinT can be
reduced. As will be understood by a careful reading of the present
teachings, this rate of travel of the game object in its "free"
state is an ongoing variable that can be automatically determined
during game play based solely upon the current centroid location of
the game object data 126, within the minimum necessary and
sufficient data 100. Thus, the present inventor prefers dynamically
adjusting/resetting MinT at least each time the game object (e.g.
puck 3) transitions between one state, e.g. "in possession" to
"free."
[0189] Using this method for refining the determination of "in
possession," it will be immediately understood that a soft-pass
traveling at for example 26 mph will take more time to pass through
the MaxSphere of any given player 10 than would a hard pass
traveling at 53 mph or a shot traveling at 92 mph. Furthermore, and
also solely based upon min data 100, MinT can be further
dynamically adjusted by accounting for the movement of each player
10 (and therefore their MaxSphere) with respect to the direction of
travel of the game object. Hence, MinT is appreciably different for
a player 10 as he travels directly forward on a parallel path but
ahead of a teammate currently "in possession" than it would be for
an opposing player 10 quickly converging on that same "in
possession" player 10, especially if the opponent is coming
directly at this "in possession" player 10 along his direction of
forward travel. Thus, the opponent's MinT is dynamically reduced as
he closes in on the "in possession" player 10 in a direction
opposite to that player 10's travel while the teammate is
dynamically extending his MinT by traveling at least at a matching
speed in the direction of the "in possession" player 10.
[0190] As can be seen by a careful reading of the present
teachings, MinT is best calculated dynamically by considering the
current direction of traveling path (trajectory) and velocity of
the game object, the current direction of traveling path
(trajectory) and velocity of each individual player 10 with respect
to the game object, as well as that player 10's MaxSphere.
Furthermore, these calculations are best reset by each game object
transition from at least the states of "in possession" or "under
contention" to "free" and then back again, especially because these
transitions will have the greatest effect on the average velocity
of the game object. All of which can be done using minimum
necessary and sufficient data 100.
[0191] While noting that min data 100 is sufficient to supply these
ongoing calculations, the present inventor now teaches the
importance of the preferred overhead tracking system 400 for
collection player 10 location and identity versus other methods
such as the active beacon taught by Trakus. Specifically, using the
overhead tracking system 40 based upon analysis of images from
cameras 40, especially using helmet stickers 9a or 9b or some
equivalent upper body markings, it is possible to determine each
player 10's orientation along with their location. As discussed in
the referenced application and as will be will be understood by
those skilled in the art of RF triangulation techniques,
determining orientation from the omni-directional beacon signal is
problematic at best. Whereas, using machine vision, player 10
features, and especially affixed markers such as sticker 9a, easily
yield this information.
[0192] As will be understood by those familiar with sports, the
value of orientation can be significant with respect to
understanding the player 10's "nominal sphere" versus their "max
sphere," which is necessary less considering, for example, their
ability to receive or interact with a game object that is behind
them versus in front of them. Hence, while not necessary for
effective determination of the state of "in possession," the
present inventor prefers a further enhancement to possession
assignment by potentially requiring the game object to be within a
determinable maximum arc of influence in front of player 10, as is
roughly indicated in FIG. 6b as the area easily in sweep of player
10's stick 4. As will be understood by those familiar with
mathematics, this area of influence is a sector of the circle that
is easily approximated using the player 10's centroid as the
centerpoint, the player 10's stick 4 reach as the radius, and a
preset number of degrees to the left and right of the player 10's
forward orientation direction as the span of the arc segment. Using
this further preferred by not necessary player 10 orientation
information, the present invention easily distinguishes between a
puck 3 moving or resting behind a given player 10 for more than the
dynamically calculated MinT so that "possession" which might
normally be credited to that player 10 might rather be
deterministically withheld.
[0193] Also in keeping with the information contained in min data
100 as well as the teachings of MinR as a "possession boundary," it
will be understood by those familiar with both mathematics and
sports, a further refinement is possible as an override to the
basic method steps already taught.
[0194] Specifically, it will often be possible to detect a change
in the path of the game object as it passes through the player 10's
nominal or max spheres. Especially in the case where the player 10
in question is separated from all other player's 10 by at least
MinR, if the path of travel of the game object is detected to have
been changed in either its trajectory or acceleration by some
minimum value while in that player 10's sphere, it is possible to
assign the "in possession" state in less than MinT. For instance,
in the case of ice hockey, a pass of puck 3 traveling at
significant velocity may be received by a teammate player 10 in
such as way that within three measurements it can be determined
that the puck 3 has effectively altered its travel in the direction
of the pass. The use of three measurements corresponds to the
mathematically minimum data to determine acceleration versus
velocity, where velocity is calculable with two data points, the
change in velocity, or acceleration requires two velocity
measurements and hence a minimum of three total measurements, as
will be understood by those familiar with mathematics. As will also
be understood, detecting a change in the trajectory of a moving
object also requires a minimum of three measurements.
[0195] Hence, it is further taught that a change in the game
object's current trajectory or acceleration, re-calculable each
instant using the prior two instant's measurements, may be a
sufficient and ideal override for awarding possession to a given
player 10. As will be understood by those familiar with the sport
of ice hockey and tracking systems, given the speed of the
traveling game object and the rate of measurements, it may well be
that the first of the three game object positions used to calculate
the current trajectory and acceleration may well be outside of the
given receiving player 10's MinR. Hence, within an effective
minimum of two measurements within a player 10's sphere of
Influence, the present invention can conclusively detect the
transaction of the game object from "free" to "in possession" based
upon its change in either trajectory or acceleration (with the
technical understanding that a change in trajectory implies a
change in acceleration, at least along the path of current travel.)
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the understanding of
object movements and mathematics, these two measurements represent
the minimum number necessary to conclusively determine
possession.
[0196] It is also noted that in the case of the overhead tracking
system 400, in some instances the overhead view may not
conclusively locate the game object. This is especially true for
ice hockey where the puck 3 is small and typically travels at
ground level and therefore is often underneath a player 10 and out
of the view of any overhead tracking camera 40. However, in these
cases the prior determined trajectory, acceleration and velocity of
puck 3 as it enters any particular player 10's nominal or max
sphere, along with a similar understanding of the trajectory,
acceleration and velocity of that same player 10's sphere, can be
used to adequately estimate the expected location of the puck 3 if
it is not influenced by that same player 10 as it passes through
their sphere of influence. This is a variation and implication of
the MinT setting that simply indicates that if not otherwise
impeded, the puck 3 would be expected to pass through the player
10's sphere and therefore certainly become visible (unless it
enters another player's sphere) by the overhead system 400 within a
determinable time and at determinable location.
[0197] Using a careful understanding of the present teachings, it
can be seen that the trajectories, velocities and acceleration of a
"free" game object as well as all of the players 10 are
determinable based a minimum of three data points and therefore may
be constantly reset for each next measurement once two measurements
have been received, all based upon minimum data 100. Furthermore,
using this deterministic information, possession of the game object
can be awarded even during an instant when it cannot be visibly or
otherwise detected, especially when using a tracking system such as
400. This is essentially done by "not detecting" the puck 3 on the
background portion of the viewed area 40v where it would be
expected to exist if its trajectory and velocity of travel were
unimpeded as it passes through a player 10's sphere of influence.
While the method steps specifically taught with respect to MinR and
MinT for determining possession provide a potentially slower but
also simpler method for detecting the "in possession" state, it is
clear that the present invention teaches variations of the use of
the minimum necessary and sufficient data 100 that can reduce the
amount of time MinT necessary to conclusively determine the
"possession" state to a minimum of three measurements while the
game object is within the player 10's sphere of influence, or even
two if the first of the three are obtained when the game object is
beyond the player 10's MinR. This may even be true if the game
object such as the puck 3 is not detected in third measurement,
again based upon its determined trajectory and velocity.
[0198] Therefore, what is of most importance is that the present
invention teaches that the detection of the most critical game
object possession states of "free," and "in possession" (as well as
the less critical states of "under contention" or "in challenge")
are deterministically calculable using the minimum necessary and
sufficient data 100. This teaching for instance, demonstrates a new
value to the player data 124 and the game object data 126, where
both data sets 124 and 126 have been available to the sports
marketplace as pieces but never used in the combination taught
herein. Specifically, at least in ice hockey at the professional
levels, tracking the current player 10's location and identity has
been possible using active beacons as demonstrated by Trakus while
tracking the current location of the puck 3 has been possible using
IR signal detection as demonstrated by Fox Sports. What was lacking
was the novel understanding taught herein that combining this
information along with the state of the game clock 122 would yield
a much more important data set 120 leading directly to the
continuous determination of the events 210, 220 and 230 of the
game's possession flow 200 as depicted in FIG. 4a. This possession
flow 200 information provides significant data as shown in FIG. 4b
that goes well beyond any statistics independently calculable by
only knowing player 10 or puck 3's location. As herein taught, it
is the ability to measure the possession states of the game object
as discussed in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 that are necessary for providing
a completely objective and automated system for determining the
basic statistics such as shown FIG. 1 as well as the even more
comprehensive statistics shown in FIG. 13 as will be discussed.
[0199] As will be understood by those familiar with the various
sports, this concept of measuring the possession state of the game
object remains the same for all sports including but not limited to
ice hockey, soccer, basketball, football and baseball. Applying the
techniques herein taught for ice hockey to other sports will be
obvious to those skilled in the arts of object tracking and the
various sports.
[0200] Referring next to FIG. 9, the present inventor suggests one
sufficient set of deterministic steps predicated solely on the
minimum necessary and sufficient data 100 for distinguishing the
game object, for instance puck 3's states of "free," "in
possession" and "under contention" (as well as the less critical
"in challenge" discussed but not depicted.) The flowchart shown in
FIG. 9 contains the relevant textual description for this method
and is fully consistent with the descriptions provided earlier in
relation to FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b. The teachings of FIG. 9 are also
consistent with the discussion of FIG. 6b and FIG. 8, all of which
will be understood to those familiar with object tracking and
sports.
[0201] Returning now and in reference to FIG. 7, there is depicted
minimum necessary and sufficient data plus extended data A 102. To
the fixed and pre-known data of minimum necessary and sufficient
data 100 there has been added predefined size of helmet, size of
body, size of stick, etc. 112 representing additional pre-knowable
information that will at least enhance the effectiveness of image
analysis accompanying for instance the steps depicted in FIG. 6a,
as will be understood by those skilled in the art of machine
vision. Also added to data set 100 to form data set 110 is
predefined standard formations 114 that can be used to at least
help detect plays during typical "line-up" times that often take
place just before the game officials set the game clock to time-in.
This information is also anticipated to be useful during game play,
especially with sequential and distinct play by play sports such as
American football, where the initial position of the players is
followed by scripted paths that should ideally match pre-set and
practiced plays, included in the scope of standard formations
114.
[0202] Added to continuously changing data 120 is the current x, y
orientation of each player 10's helmet 9 with respect to the
predefined tracking area 2. As has been discussed and will be
discussed in relation to upcoming figures, knowing the orientation
of the player can provide very useful information. While the
orientation of the player's head is not identical to the
orientation of their body, it can both be used as an approximation
and it can define at least important information regarding the
player 10's current field-of-view, which conversely cannot be
revealed simply by knowing their body's orientation. However, as
will be understood by those skilled in the art of machine vision
and image analysis, it is possible, especially with the added use
of helmet stickers such as 9a or 9b, or with the alternate use of
unique markings on the upper shoulders to either side of the head,
to also or only detect the player 10's body's orientation. If not
using marks, than proven techniques include shape analysis for
which at least the pre-known and defined sizes of the helmet 9 (or
bare head,) the size of the body as included in data 114 become
very helpful.
[0203] And lastly in reference to FIG. 7 and extended dataset 110
there is shown the inclusion of the current location and
orientation of each player 10's stick 4 as data 130. This
information is only relevant for sports such as ice hockey,
lacrosse and in some limited sense baseball. However, for
especially ice hockey, knowing the current location and orientation
of stick 4 provides added means for refining the moment of
possession and/or game object trajectory deflection as well as the
new statistical information of stick positioning such tracking if
it is currently on the ice, if it is waiving back and forth through
an opponent's passing lane, etc.
[0204] Referring next to FIG. 10, there is shown the present
inventors preferred method for graphically relating portions of the
detailed information inherently contained within minimum data 100
and especially within parsed datasets described in FIG. 1, FIG. 3,
FIG. 4a, FIG. 4b, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. Specifically for ice hockey,
at least some sections of the playing area 2 such as defensive zone
2dz and offensive zone 2az of ice surface 2 may be broken into
standard sub areas, or cells, defined for instance by scoring web
2sw. The present inventor anticipates that by using the scoring web
2w (or any equivalent sub division arrangement) as portrayed in
FIG. 10 for relating detailed textual information in a more readily
consumable visual configuration, it will be easier for the consumer
of this data to for instance recognize important patterns and value
within at least the data sets 100, 200, 300, where data set 200 is
further recognized as data 150 through 185 shown in FIG. 4b. This
same reasoning extends to the types of summary data shown in
upcoming FIG. 13 and FIG. 14.
[0205] As the amount of statistical information conforming to the
teachings of the present inventions are collected for any given
sport and any given or all possible competition levels, the use of
concepts such as the scoring web 2sw provide am effective means for
quick comparison between individual games, teams and players over
time. This use of this web 2sw is further discussed below with
respect to FIG. 11.
[0206] Now referring to FIG. 11, an in the context of ice hockey, a
single zone such as defensive zone 2dz might first be extended to
include trench area 2dtz-t forming threat zone 2dtz covered by
scoring web 2sw. Scoring web 2sw further comprises individual cells
formed by the overlap of concentric circles 1 through 7 preferably
centered around and emanating from goal area 5h, along with the
sections A through I radiating orthogonal to these circles but also
emanating from goal area 5h. Also depicted is the concept of
classifying some subset of these cells as the "primary scoring
area" 2psa, already familiar in concept at least to the sport of
ice hockey. Given such a scoring web 2sw, it is easily
understandable by those familiar with data representation, that
important statistical information can be displayed within web 2sw
thus revealing patterns for all intensive purposes not otherwise
recognizable by the human consumer. For instance, shots taken and
goals scored are a most obvious statistic where cell locations add
relevant meaning. Using this approach, it is likely that the
chances of scoring on any individual team, goalie-defensive
pairing, and goalie himself will tend to differentiate. It is most
certain that the scoring web 2sw revealed shot-to-goal data across
teams competing at different levels of play will be significantly
different. Hence, the effective scoring cells for a younger less
experienced level of competition will be much narrower that that of
a higher level. This will reveal itself as a reduction in the
effective primary scoring area 2psa, thus supporting the idea of an
automatic determination of the actual PSA for a team versus the
sport-wide accepted norm. The present inventor anticipates that
other statistics novel to the present invention will also be
further enhanced by their presentation via the scoring web 2sw: one
such example being possession time by both team and player. By
showing time of possession recast as area of possession with
duration time within the scoring cells, coaches and analysts can
use the information to judge individual player and team
effectiveness at controlling the more valuable playing areas
leading to extending threats and ultimately scoring. Conversely,
this information graphically reveals the effectiveness of various
defensive strategies and team play that are inherently designed to
limit possession area and time to those cells of the lowest scoring
potential. As will be understood by those skilled in the art of
both sports and data representation, many conceivable combinations
of data are enhanced by their presentation within the scoring web
2sw. Furthermore, the present inventor provides the web 2sw as
depicted in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 merely as an example of concept. It
is obvious that many other configurations are possible, while the
present inventor prefers that the web be at least concentric to and
emanating from the scoring area 5h.
[0207] However, the present inventor also anticipates that in
sports such as American football, the scoring web might best be
reversed such that it emanates and is concentric to either the
quarterback or his "pocket" area where most of his offensive plays
are conducted. This reversal of perspective also implies that for
American football the scoring web itself continually moves to
adjust its setting to the current location of the "pocket" on a
play-by-play basis. While the scoring web would move play-by-play,
the statistics would all be made relative to this "pocket" based
emanation point therefore being most similar to the ice hockey
example centered about static goal 5h.
[0208] Also depicted in FIG. 11 are the concepts of dynamically
determining important alignments and pathways such as the shooting
axis 10p1-sa connecting the current location of the puck 3,
currently in possession of an opposing player such as 10p1, with
the center of the scoring area 5h. Shooting axis 10p1-sa is also
expandable to the primary scoring lane 10gh-s11 within which, for
example, goaltender 10gh must adequately square and align himself
in order to maximize his average effectiveness. Also portrayed is
passing lane 10p1-p1 that connects the puck 3 in possession for
instance of player 10p to that of the reasonable catching area
associated with the stick 4 of player 10p2. This lane is the most
likely area of successful transfer of the puck 3 between teammates
10p1 and 10p2 and represents a means of creating a secondary
scoring lane 10gh-s12 with perhaps a higher scoring potential
mostly dependent upon goalie 10gh's ability to transfer his
position to the new lane 10gh-s12 within the time the puck
transfer's between players 10p1 and 10p2.
[0209] What is important is that all of this information is only
determinable by understanding at least the states of puck 3 (game
object) "free" and "possession," which themselves rely solely upon
minimum data 100--all as taught herein. Furthermore, the present
inventor's claims to novelty with respect to the concept of a
scoring web 2sw at least extend to any forms of data determinable
based upon the combination of data sets 100, 200 and 300 as well as
summary information depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. Other
variations of data measurements for ice hockey beyond those herein
described are possible, and this is certainly true for sports other
than ice hockey which are not being used as representative
examples. Regardless of the sport or the specific statistic or
performance measurements, if it has any relation to playing area
then it may also benefit by the differentiation and graphical
representation within the scoring web 2sw without departing from
the teachings herein.
[0210] Referring next to FIG. 12, the concept of the scoring web
2sw is extended to cover the goal scoring area that is unique to
wide opening goal net 5 sports such as ice hockey and soccer. The
scoring target of goal net 5 is typically thought of as having
specific regions of higher scoring possibilities fundamentally
related to the correct positioning of the goaltender 10gh. These
areas are referred to as "holes" 1 through 5 and are
correspondingly depicted as shaded areas that are easily contained
and approximated by circles 5-1 through 5-5. While the present
inventor prefers using overhead tracking system 400 to determine
the three dimensional location and trajectory of puck 3, other
systems such as the system from Fox Sports also provide this
information. Using the information in combination with the known
identity and location of the player 10 taking any given shot, along
with the inherent understanding that this play is "in possession"
as herein taught, it is possible to create shot and goal statistics
that are much more comprehensive than the existing practices.
Furthermore, as taught with respect to the scoring web 2ws, this
data has a location component that makes it ideal for presentation
in a vertical representation as proposed herein. While some work
has been done in this area for the presentation of shot data across
various sports, the present inventor extends these practices by the
concept of forming individual sub-scoring lanes constructed by
connecting the current position of the game object, e.g. the puck
3-a1 or 3-a2 to any given scoring hole, such as 5-1 or 5-4--thus
forming an easily calculated scoring cone, as will be understood by
those familiar with mathematics and three dimensional object
tracking. Each scoring hole may therefore carry a measurably
different and objectively verified scoring chance percent based
upon the scoring web 2sw cell. Therefore, each cell-scoring hole
combination for a given level of competition will carry its own
relative scoring chance percent which then serves as an ideal basis
for presenting variations to the norm given specific teams,
goal-defense pairings and simply goalies themselves.
[0211] Referring next to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the present inventor
provides a list of anticipated statistics and measurements that are
all determinable using the minimum necessary and sufficient data
100, especially as translated first via the determination of the
states of game object possession, into the data sets of possession
flow 200 include gaining control events 210, exchanging control
events 220 and relinquishing control events 230 as will be
understood by those skilled in the art of information sciences. Of
these statistics, all but hits, distance traveled and team speed
(when they simply relate to players and the game object regardless
of possession,) require the ability to track the states of puck
(i.e. game object) transition at least from "free" to "in
possession."
[0212] Furthermore, if distance traveled and team speed are to also
be broken into separate totals for "while in possession" versus
"while not in possession," then the teachings herein are critical.
While other statistics are certainly possible and are anticipated
by the present inventor, what is important is that most relevant
statistics based upon prevailing market perceptions, such as those
provided in FIG. 1, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, require the knowledge
inherent in possession flow 200.
[0213] Possession flow 200 has heretofore only been determinable
through subjective means such as having special statisticians
carefully watch a given game in order to tally this
data--understandably with much less detail, precision and accuracy.
As will be understood by those familiar with real-time automatic
data collection systems, determining this same information using
sensing machines offers significant additional value, typically
including objective veracity as well as significantly increased
spatial and temporal detail.
[0214] As will also be understood by those skilled in the art of
object tracking systems, information systems, and the various
sports, there are some statistics represented in FIG. 1, FIG. 13
and FIG. 14, or that can be imaged, that do not required knowing
the possession state of the game object. Present examples would
include ice time, penalty minutes, hits, distance traveled (totals
only,) team speed (totals only,) checking (a variation of hits,)
line changes, short handed, power plays, defensive zone play and
space control. The methods for determining some of these
statistics, for instance penalty minutes as well as short handed
and power play durations in total and by player, could simply be to
receive official game data, ideally in synchronicity with all other
real-time object tracking information, something taught by the
present inventor in the referenced applications. The formulation of
others of these statistics are already known because they are
simple calculations based upon the current locations and movements
of the players 10 or game object/puck 3 not in reference to
possession (for instance distance traveled, team speed and hits.)
And still yet the formulation of the remaining aforementioned
statistics will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Thus, it is
shown that by having available official game data as taught by the
present inventor in referenced applications in combination with the
minimum necessary and sufficient data 100, it is now possible using
the methods herein taught to create the entire set of desirable
game statistics beyond those obviously created from data 100, to
now also include those dependent upon objectively determining the
events 210, 220 and 230 of possession flow 200.
[0215] To reiterate and stress earlier points made, the present
invention is of utmost importance because it teaches how to take
information from machines that currently exists to automatically
combine into new types of meta-data revolving around the concept of
possession. It is important to note again that there are already
working machines and systems, such as those from Trakus using
active beacons that have already demonstrated that the continuous
player 10 location and identity may be tracked--which is data 124.
However, a careful study of the uses envisioned and promoted by
Trakus and users of its system only included the less relevant
statistics of player speeds, distances traveled and perhaps player
collision force measurements all of which have proven to have
minimal value to the market. Other working systems like that sold
by Fox Sports have demonstrated how the game object (at least a
hockey puck 3) could be tracked in three dimensions (which is data
126) but were simply employed as a means of either creating graphic
enhancements to the puck 3 image within the video stream of the
sports broadcast or were anticipated to be used for automatically
directing the moving of videoing cameras. Similar to the fate of
the Trakus system, the marketplace appears to have rejected the
enhancement of the puck's travel path and the automatic movement of
cameras itself provided too little additional value to support the
use of this technology.
[0216] While other systems have been proposed and are currently the
subjects of both research and patents, these systems tend to be
focused on collecting the same types of information already being
produced by both Trakus and Fox Sports, only with presumably more
acceptable base technologies. However, the fundamental problem from
the present inventor's perspective is misunderstood and transcends
the actual means for collecting each of the necessary and
sufficient continuously changing data sets 124 and 126. What is
needed and is herein taught is a way of taking this voluminous and
seemingly random information and parsing it through a set of
rigidly determinable and repeatable steps into high level and
useful meta-information. Doing this requires a set of methods steps
such as disclosed herein by the present inventor and goes beyond
the mere collection of the datasets, as has been proven defacto
since the data sets have existed in practice for some time (at
least for ice hockey) without the herein taught automatically
generated meta-data. It is the teaching of the present inventor
that what is needed more than necessarily another way to collect
data sets 124 and 126, is a process by which this data can be made
significantly meaningful to support its cost of collection.
[0217] The transition to meaningful information specifically
requires the incremental buildup of meta-data starting with the
transition from the minimum necessary and sufficient data 100 of
FIG. 2 to the possession states shown in FIG. 8, directly leading
to the possession flow data of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4a, all of which is
combinable into the market acceptable statistics of FIG. 1, FIG. 13
and FIG. 14. Furthermore, once automatically converted from its
less acceptable raw form, data sets 124 and 126 create information
that is advantageously presentable via new graphical compositions
such as the scoring web 2sw taught herein. All of which the present
invention enables through its disclosed method steps teaching the
build up of information starting with the fundamental understanding
of game object "free" verses "in possession"--again directly
leading to possession flow 200.
[0218] The present inventor teaches an objective and deterministic
(as opposed to probabilistic best guesses) set of steps relying
upon the minimum set of necessary and sufficient data 100. While
various systems have been taught to collect some portions of the
necessary and sufficient data defined in set 100, specifically
player centroid and identity as well as game object location, the
present inventor is not aware of any other inventions or systems
available in the market that combine the data in set 100, let alone
teach or employ the method steps herein discussed to translate
their low level voluminous data into the higher level pertinent
information of data sets 100, 200 and 300 as well as that show in
FIG. 1, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14.
CONCLUSIONS AND RAMIFICATIONS
[0219] Thus the reader will see that the present invention
accomplishes its objective of teaching the apparatus and methods
for automatically determining ongoing and real-time statistics and
performance measurements at least encompassing those currently
determined by human observation by translating the continuous input
of identified player and game object tracking information as well
as official game time-in-out data. The invention has shown
specifically how these measurements are the basis for a well
defined possession flow cycle that establishes a universally
applicable standard, thus supporting the stated objective for
having statistics and performance measurements that are comparable
across all levels of age and competitive experience within a given
sport and even across one or more sports.
[0220] While the present inventor prefers to collect player
location and identity data as well as game object location data
from the overhead tracking system disclosed in the referenced
applications, the specification herein clearly discloses methods
that are not dependent upon this type of machine vision system, or
in fact any one type of tracking system, in order to be useful.
Furthermore, the present invention has clearly described that at
least for the sport of ice hockey, the minimum and necessary data
sets to support the objective and automatic creation of meaningful
statistics are already present and available to the marketplace,
albeit as separate systems not currently being used in combination.
Specifically, the data sets of player location and identity can be
achieved using the active beacon system sold by Trakus while the
puck's location can be tracked using the system owned by Fox
Sports. It should therefore be understood that the actual apparatus
for collecting real-time player and game object tracking data are
immaterial to the novelty of the current invention and that any
future new or different apparatus for collecting this same
information falls within the scope of the present teachings.
[0221] As will also be understood by those skilled in the arts of
various sports and information systems, while the present inventor
choose to describe and teach the herein apparatus and methods using
the sport of ice hockey as an example, the present invention is not
to be limited to ice hockey only, but is at least also applicable
to soccer, basketball, football, baseball, lacrosse, tennis,
volleyball, squash, etc. What is shared in common with each of
these sports is that they: [0222] are conducted in a predefined
area such that knowing the boundaries of this area is important to
determining at least the game object's states of "free" and "in
possession," both states of which are bounded by the physical area
of play; [0223] take place during a predefined sequence of time,
the sequence of which is often punctuated by breaks in game play
such that knowing when the game play time is "in" versus "out" is
important to determining at least the game object's states of
"free" and "in possession," both states of which are bounded by the
actual time-in of play; [0224] have at least two opposing players
who each move about within the playing area with respect to both
the area and each other, the continuous locations and identity of
which are both important to determining at least the game object's
states of "free" and "in possession," both states of which are
inherently associated to the players, and [0225] have one game
object being contested for by the opposing players, the continuous
locations of which is important to determining at least the game
object's states of "free" and "in possession," both states of which
are inherently associated to these game object itself.
[0226] From this understanding it has been shown that the minimum
necessary and sufficient data for determining at least the game
object states of "free" and "in possession" include: [0227] the
predefined layout of the at least the playing field, thus defining
the tracking area; [0228] the continuously changing data of the
official game time thus exactly defining "time-in" play versus
"time-out"; [0229] the continuously changing data of the current X,
Y centroid location of each player with respect to the tracking
area, along with their identity, and [0230] the continuously
changing data of the current X, Y centroid location of the game
object also with respect to the tracking area.
[0231] The present invention has taught at least one set of method
steps that is readily implemented via computer processing for
parsing this highly detailed set of minimum necessary and
sufficient data into the more meaningful set of possession flow
information, fundamentally reliant upon the ability to determine at
least the game object's "free" versus its "in-possession" state.
The present invention has shown how these fundamental game object
state transitions, which may also readily include the states of "in
contention" and "under challenge," may themselves be translated
into the unique events of possession flow covering gaining control,
exchanging control and relinquishing control of the game object by
a single team (or individual in a non-team sport.)
[0232] The present invention also taught the basic method steps for
determining possession based upon the distance between player and
game object, the minimum radius surrounding the player in which the
game object must reside to possibly be in their possession, and the
minimum time the game object must remain within the minimum radius
before assignment is awarded.
[0233] In addition to this first set of method steps, advantageous
variations were taught that include using average distance over
time rather than instantaneous distance. This variation helps to
compensate for the dribbling forward effect of certain sports such
as ice hockey and soccer where a player may remain in control while
for a time they have pushed the game object on in front of them in
their direct path of travel, where it has gone beyond the minimum
radius for possession. Also discussed are the steps for dynamically
setting the minimum time the game object must remain in a player's
sphere of influence before possession is assigned to that player.
This dynamic calculation was taught to be variable based upon not
just the game object's velocity but also its trajectory as well as
the velocity and trajectory of the player for which possible
possession is being considered.
[0234] The present inventor then taught how trajectory and
acceleration, calculable from a minimum consideration of three data
points, may be used to effectively shorten the minimum time
necessary to assign possession to a given player by essentially
detecting a alteration in the trajectory or acceleration of the
game object after it enters the player's sphere of influence, that
exceeds some minimum threshold. Furthermore, the present inventor
has taught at least one of the values of having the additional
information of player orientation, something the preferred overhead
tracking system accomplishes especially for indoor sports that an
RF based beacon system cannot. Having this orientation information
was shown to be helpful for reducing the maximum sphere of player
influence from the simplest calculation of a circle of distance
MinR surrounding the player's centroid to a sector of this same
circle, now bounded by some reasonable arc roughly centered about
the player's determined forward orientation. Such information helps
to rule out possession for situations where the game object might
reside within the maximum sphere for the minimum time to assign
possession but might also be directly behind the player and
therefore reasonably not within their control.
[0235] The present inventor has also taught in applications that
are referenced to this application how the official game time-in
and time-out may be either directly received from the console
device controlling the typical game scoreboard or may alternatively
be detected using machine vision to continuously analyze the
scoreboard face during game play in order to parse its emitted
light energy back into the digital characters they represent.
[0236] Thus the reader will see that the present invention
successfully teaches how higher level and more meaningful
statistics can be deterministically and automatically derived from
continuous low level information streams heretofore only perceived
as useful for a limited set of less meaningful statistics such as
player speed, distance travel and collision force.
[0237] From the foregoing detailed description of the present
invention, it will be apparent that the invention has a number of
advantages, some of which have been described herein and others of
which are inherent to the invention. Also, it will be apparent that
modifications can be made to the present invention without
departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the
scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the
accompanying claims.
* * * * *