Patent ID: 6433817
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: G07C,H04N

Abstract:
Apparatus for determining the crossing of a finish line in a race course by one or more contestants in a race, comprisingvideo display means, a camera operatively connected to said video display means, said camera having a viewing axis, and being adapted for mounting with said viewing axis intersecting a vertical plane which intersects said race course at said finish line, said camera further having a visible light sensor with a plurality of pixels corresponding to pixels on said video display means for receiving visible electromagnetic energy reflected by said contestants and producing, for each pixel, data indicative of an intensity of visible light to be displayed at a corresponding pixel on said video display means, and an invisible light sensor having a plurality of pixels corresponding to pixels on said video display means for receiving invisible electromagnetic energy reflected by said contestants and producing, for each pixel, data indicative of the distance of said contestants from said camera, means for reading said data indicative of an intensity of visible light and data indicative of the distance of said contestants from said camera, means for combining said data indicative of an intensity of visible light and data indicative of the distance of said contestants from said camera to produce data indicative of the intensity of a superimposed image of portions of the contestants to be displayed after crossing the finish line, and invisible radiation means for radiating invisible electromagnetic energy toward said finish line to be reflected from said contestants.