Virtual Camera Highlight Creation from Ball-Acceleration Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems in live broadcasting are limited in capturing dynamic angles and pivotal sequences of events due to fixed angles and obstructed views, leading to missed highlights and suboptimal viewer experience.
Innovation Solution
A virtual camera system utilizing multiple cameras, computer vision algorithms, and cross-validation techniques to generate volumetric content and dynamically track the ball and players, enabling accurate detection and tracking of game action for highlight creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed camera angles and setups are used, then camera operation is simplified, but the ability to capture dynamic game action and pivotal sequences is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual camera views by generating synthetic video feeds from multiple physical cameras. Instead of physically moving cameras to capture every angle, the system copies and processes video data from existing cameras to synthesize new perspectives, including bird's-eye views and dynamic tracking shots that would be difficult to achieve with physical cameras alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional video feeds to three-dimensional spatial understanding by implementing a virtual camera positioned at a bird's-eye view. This additional dimensional perspective allows the system to generate dynamic camera angles and tracking views that follow game action throughout the venue, resolving the contradiction between view versatility and system complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple cameras are deployed to capture all game action, then coverage is improved, but viewing obstructions and fast-moving sports still cause missed highlights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual camera as an intermediary between physical cameras and the final video output. This virtual camera synthesizes views from multiple physical cameras, acting as a mediator that combines their data to produce reliable captures of pivotal sequences without requiring each physical camera to individually track every action.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic virtual camera views that can automatically track and follow fast-moving game action. Unlike fixed physical cameras, the virtual camera can dynamically adjust its viewing angle, position, and focus to reliably capture pivotal sequences as they occur anywhere in the venue, reducing the number of physical cameras needed.
3Productivity
If producers manually select camera views for replays, then view selection is flexible, but time is lost in identifying and capturing highlights
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic highlight detection and virtual camera view generation that operates without continuous human intervention. The virtual camera system autonomously identifies pivotal sequences and generates appropriate replay views, allowing the system to serve itself in capturing highlights and significantly reducing the time producers spend manually selecting and capturing replay moments.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (600) includes multiple cameras (104) disposed about an area (102), a processor (606), and a memory (608) communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that cause the processor to receive a set of video data (602) associated with the cameras. In an embodiment, the set of video data includes a set of image frames associated with a set of ball tracking data (618, 622). In an embodiment, the operations include selecting a first image frame (626) associated with a first change in acceleration and a second image frame (628) associated with a second change in acceleration. In an embodiment, the operations include generating a set of virtual camera actions (630) based on the first image frame and the second image frame.