Ball Tracking Correction via Multi-Camera Candidate Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing moving body tracking systems for ball games fail to correct tracking targets accurately, especially when a spare ball is wrongly recognized as the target, due to similar features and occlusions, leading to user intervention difficulties.

Innovation Solution

A moving body tracking device and method that includes a system with multiple cameras, a display device, and an operation device, which uses image receiver, specifier, tracker, candidate extractor, and selector components to display ball candidates in order of height or likelihood, allowing users to easily correct tracking targets by designating the correct ball in a 3D space.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If automatic tracking is used, then tracking automation is improved, but tracking accuracy deteriorates when similar objects are present

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking automationVSAvoidtracking accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides visual feedback by displaying candidate balls extracted from multiple cameras on a screen, allowing users to see the tracking results and correct errors. This feedback loop enables users to identify when the automatic tracking has selected the wrong ball and manually correct the selection, thereby maintaining high tracking accuracy while preserving automation benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The display device acts as an intermediary between the automatic tracking system and the user. It presents processed information (candidate balls) to the user in a user-friendly format, enabling easy manual correction without requiring the user to directly interact with the complex tracking system. This intermediary layer simplifies the correction process while maintaining system automation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If manual correction is required, then tracking accuracy can be maintained, but user labor and operation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoiduser labor
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the correction process by extracting and displaying only the candidate balls that need user attention, rather than requiring users to review all tracking data. The ball candidate extraction unit identifies and presents only the relevant candidates from multiple cameras, significantly reducing the user's workload while maintaining the ability to correct tracking errors accurately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial action by extracting and displaying only the necessary candidate balls for correction, rather than presenting all possible tracking data. This selective presentation approach reduces user labor to the essential correction task while maintaining sufficient information for accurate tracking correction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cameras are used, then tracking coverage is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking coverageVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the data from multiple cameras by extracting ball candidates from all camera views and presenting them as a unified set of options to the user. The ball candidate extraction unit integrates information from multiple camera perspectives, and the display device presents this merged information in a consolidated format, simplifying the user's task despite the complexity of multi-camera setup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3694205B1Mobile entity tracking device and method for tracking mobile entity
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3694205B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3694205B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3694205B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mobile entity tracking device is provided with: a video receiving unit for receiving a moving-image frame of a ball game captured by each of a plurality of cameras present at different positions; a mobile entity candidate extraction unit for extracting a candidate for a mobile entity using a plurality of moving-image frames; a mobile entity selection unit for displaying candidates for a mobile entity and accepting selection, by a user, of the mobile entity to be tracked; and a mobile entity tracking unit for tracking the mobile entity that is the object to be tracked. When the mobile entity selection unit accepts selection, by a user, of the mobile entity to be tracked, the mobile entity tracking unit corrects the object to be tracked to the mobile entity selected by the user.