Patent ID: 8073190

Claim:
A method for providing image data of an event, comprising: obtaining an image of the event from a camera, the image including a playing field, field lines on the playing field and a stationary structure on the playing field; automatically detecting pixels in the image which make up the stationary structure; and responsive to the automatically detecting, providing a 3d model of the stationary structure to replace the pixels in the image which make up the stationary structure; and providing an animation which depicts the event from a viewpoint of the camera and from a virtual viewpoint which differs from the viewpoint of the camera, the animation includes the 3d model of the stationary structure, and a textured 3d model of the playing field and the field lines, wherein the textured 3d model of the playing field and the field lines has texture from one or more camera-captured images of the event, and the 3d model of the stationary structure does not have texture from one or more camera-captured images of the event.