ARLGES Dynamic Overlay Rendering for Live Sports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality systems fail to provide an immersive and informative experience for live sporting events, as fans attending games in stadiums are limited by the lack of real-time, user-specific, and dynamic information compared to TV broadcasts, which can offer more detailed statistics and angles.
Innovation Solution
The Augmented Reality Live Game Enhancement System (ARLGES) uses a mobile device with a modified virtual headset to provide real-time, user-specific augmentations such as first down lines, player statistics, and drive charts, dynamically adjusting for lighting and user position, allowing fans to interact with the information without taking their eyes off the field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If fans use mobile applications during live sporting events, then they can access additional information and statistics, but they take their eyes off the field and miss pivotal moments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the live field view with augmented reality information overlays in a single unified display. Fans view the game through their mobile device camera while AR elements overlay statistics, player information, and contextual data directly on the field view, eliminating the need to switch between apps and the field.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device camera acts as an intermediary, capturing the live field view and serving as the canvas for AR overlays. The camera feed is processed and combined with digital information layers, presenting a composite view that delivers both visual and informational content simultaneously.
2Loss of information
If TV broadcasts provide detailed statistics and multiple camera angles, then fans gain more information, but fans attending live events cannot access this information
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides localized information overlays tailored to specific regions of the field view. Different areas of the display can show different types of information based on what is currently visible in the camera feed, allowing contextual relevance and customization based on the fan's viewing angle and position.
Solution Approach 2:
The AR information overlays dynamically adjust based on the camera's movement, position, and the live game state. Information elements appear, disappear, or reposition themselves in real-time based on what the fan is currently viewing, creating an adaptive experience that responds to user actions and game events.
3Loss of information
If augmented reality overlays are added to the field view, then fans receive enhanced information, but the overlays may be obscured by objects in the foreground
Solution Approach 1:
The AR overlays utilize chroma key technology, detecting the green color of the playing field and using it as a reference plane. Information elements are positioned and rendered with awareness of the field's color characteristics, allowing the system to distinguish between field surface and foreground objects for proper occlusion handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds depth perception to the AR overlays by positioning them at different virtual distances from the camera. Information elements are placed in 3D space relative to the field plane, allowing some overlays to appear behind foreground objects while others remain visible in front, creating a layered depth effect that maintains visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and techniques for enhancing a live sporting event using augmented reality are provided. Example embodiments provide an Augmented Reality Live Game Enhancement System (“ARLGES”), which enables users to see augmentations appear as if they are “live” on the sports field as they are watching the game. The user is able to see and interactive with these augmentations using his or her mobile device without taking his or her eyes off of the field. In some deployments, the mobile device is a cellular smartphone with an (optional) modified virtual headset. The user can view the augmentations using the camera of the phone. The ARLGES provides specific techniques for locating the user's position and for rendering augmentations that are specific to each user. This requires specialized rendering techniques because the user's mobile device positions and chroma values are determined dynamically as they do not originate from fixed or known cameras.