Camera-Based Ball Position Detection for Goal Line Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for determining whether a ball has crossed a goal line in ball sports are unreliable due to issues with sensor placement on the ball or goal posts, including weight and balance changes, tampering risks, and difficulty in differentiating between the ball and other objects, as well as movement and alignment problems with goal post sensors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple cameras positioned around the goal line to capture images at different frame rates before and after a time interval, with a detection unit to determine the ball's position and velocity, and a position determination unit to calculate the ball's trajectory and generate an indication signal when it crosses the goal line, ensuring accurate goal scoring detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor is fitted within the ball to detect its position, then the ball's position can be tracked continuously, but the weight and balance of the ball are noticeably changed
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is extracted from the ball itself and placed in the external camera system. Instead of embedding sensors in the ball, the patent uses external cameras to capture images of the ball and compute its position through image processing and triangulation methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cameras as an intermediary detection device between the ball and the goal line. The cameras capture visual information of the ball's position and use this data to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line, eliminating the need for direct sensors on the ball.
2Reliability
If a sensor is fitted within the ball to detect its position, then continuous tracking is possible, but the ball becomes vulnerable to tampering and quality control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The detection functionality is extracted from the ball and relocated to external cameras. This eliminates the vulnerability of embedded sensors to tampering while maintaining the ability to track ball position and detect goal events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the ball's position through camera imaging rather than using physical sensors within the ball. This optical copying approach provides reliable detection without modifying the ball's integrity or making it susceptible to tampering.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are fitted to the goal posts to detect objects crossing the goal line, then goal scoring can be detected, but it is difficult to differentiate between the ball and other objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the distinctive visual characteristics of the ball (color, pattern, shape) captured by cameras to differentiate it from other objects. By analyzing the visual appearance and motion patterns in the captured images, the system can reliably identify the ball versus players or other objects near the goal line.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from simple presence detection (whether an object is at the goal line) to multi-dimensional analysis including the ball's position coordinates, velocity vector, acceleration, and visual characteristics. This dimensional enrichment allows reliable differentiation between the ball and other objects.
4Measurement precision
If sensors are fitted to the goal posts, then goal line detection is possible, but the goal posts may experience significant movement and misalignment during the match
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is extracted from the goal posts and relocated to fixed camera positions. This eliminates the problem of goal post movement and misalignment while maintaining accurate goal line detection capabilities through stable external camera mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cameras as a stable intermediary detection system positioned at fixed locations away from the goal posts. These cameras provide a stable reference frame for detecting goal line crossings without being affected by goal post movement or alignment issues.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for determining the position of a sporting projectile within a scene during a time interval in which the sporting projectile is hidden from the view of a camera, the apparatus comprising:an interface operable to receive a first sequence of images of the scene captured by the camera at a first predetermined frame rate before the time interval and a second sequence of images of the scene captured by the camera at a second predetermined image rate after the time interval;a sporting projectile detection device operable to detect the position of the sporting projectile within the scene for each image in the first and second sequence of images;a velocity detection unit operable to determine the velocity of the sporting projectile before the time interval on the basis of the detected position of the sporting projectile within the scene for each image in the first sequence of images and the first frame rate and the velocity of the sporting projectile immediately after the time interval on the basis of the detected position of the sporting projectile within the scene for each image in the second sequence of images and the second predetermined image rate; anda sporting projectile position determination unit operable to determine the position of the sporting projectile during the time interval using at least one of the detected position of the sporting projectile within the scene for each image within the first and second sequence of images and the determined velocity of the sporting projectile immediately before and immediately after the time interval.