Horse Still Image Extraction for Rapid Condition Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

Spectators face challenges in quickly confirming the conditions of multiple horses entered in a race before the sales deadline, as existing technologies require continuous viewing of moving images, making it difficult to assess all horses in a short time, especially when multiple races occur simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A system that extracts and stores still image data from moving images, allowing users to rapidly view and compare the conditions of horses by generating Web page data displaying still images of horses in a common posture, using a mosaic image conversion and similarity ranking process to identify key frames, enabling efficient confirmation of current and past horse conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If spectators continuously watch transmitted moving image to confirm horse conditions, then they can visually observe the conditions of horses, but they cannot confirm all horses in time until the sales deadline

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual confirmation accuracyVSAvoidtime for confirming horse conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts key information from continuous moving images by capturing still images at specific frames and selecting representative postures. This extraction process separates the essential visual information (horse body conditions in specific postures) from the redundant continuous video data, allowing spectators to quickly compare horse conditions without watching entire video sequences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing moving images to extract and store still images of horses in specific postures before the sales deadline. These pre-extracted still images are made available for immediate viewing, eliminating the need for spectators to continuously watch moving images until the deadline and enabling quick comparison of horse conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If spectators view moving images of multiple horses, then they can observe horse conditions, but it becomes substantially impossible to confirm conditions of multiple horses when multiple races occur simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of horse condition informationVSAvoidefficiency of confirming multiple horses
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the continuous moving image data into discrete still images captured at specific frames. By dividing the video stream into individual frames and selecting those containing horses in target postures, the system creates separable, viewable units that can be efficiently compared across multiple races without the complexity of simultaneous video monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates still image copies of horses in specific postures from the moving images. These still image copies serve as simplified representations that retain the essential visual information needed for comparison, allowing spectators to efficiently review multiple horses across different races without dealing with the full complexity of continuous video data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If the system provides detailed moving image data, then spectators can observe horse conditions, but the data volume becomes too large for quick review before the sales deadline

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of horse condition assessmentVSAvoiddata volume for horse images
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by focusing on specific, locally-defined target postures of horses rather than providing all possible views. The system identifies and extracts still images showing horses in these specific postures (such as standing or walking positions that best display body conditions), providing concentrated, high-value visual information without the bulk of irrelevant video data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2407922B1Horse body information provision system, horse body still image data extraction method, horse body still image data extraction program, and computer-readable recording medium
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 RAKUTEN GROUP INC
  • EP2407922B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2407922B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2407922B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(C)

AI summary

There are provided an information providing system, an information providing method and an information providing program capable of providing information for enabling conditions of a horse entered in a race to be rapidly confirmed. A system control unit 15 according to the present application acquires moving image data in which horses are captured, extracts a plurality of items of still image data of the horses from the acquired moving image data, generates a horse list displaying the horse names for which a link to acquire and display the still image data by a user terminal 3-k is set, and distributes it to the user terminal 3-k.