Patent ID: 9058670
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for conveying data on a flying object in a playing field illuminated by at least one light source providing a shadow of the flying object, two or more video cameras viewing the playing field, at least one camera having at least one variable operating parameter, the method comprising: (a) capturing a plurality of video frames of the playing field by the two or more video cameras to get a plurality of video frames including images of the object and at least one video frame including image of the shadow of the flying object; (b) calibrating a value of the at least one variable operating parameter of the at least one camera using at least one location of at least one pre-existing artifact of the playing field, including: (c) identifying said object in captured video frames to get object parameters associated with said captured video frames, said object parameters being determined using said at least one variable operating parameter of said at least one video camera; (d) identifying said object shadow in at least one captured video frame to get parameters of the object shadow associated with said at least one captured video frame; (e) calculating one or more motion variables of said object using said object parameters, using said parameters of the object shadow, and using parameters associated with the light source; (f) based on the calculated motion variables, solving motion equations for determining an anticipated object trajectory; and (g) conveying data related to the anticipated object trajectory as calculated using said parameters of the object shadow to one or more devices.