# US 10,742,864 B2 · Controlling cameras in sports events > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,742,864 B2 - Document ID: US10742864B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/039,204 - Filed: 2014-09-13 - Published: 2017-06-08 - Granted: 2020-08-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-09 - Assignees: Playsight Interactive Ltd. - Applicants: Playsight Interactive Ltd. - Inventors: Evgeni Khazanov; Chen Shachar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10742864B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices - G06T 7/292: Multi-camera tracking - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - G06T 2207/30241: Trajectory - H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method for controlling cameras in a sport event, the method comprising steps executed by at least one computer, the steps comprising: during a sport event taking place in a constrained environment, receiving images of the sport event, the images being captured with a first pixels to time ratio, tracking a motion of a first object, using the images being captured with the first pixels to time ratio, detecting an arrival of the first object into a predefined positional relation to a second object during the tracked motion, and upon the detected arrival, initiating streaming of images being captured with a pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio by at least one selected camera. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling cameras in a sport event, the method comprising steps executed by at least one computer, the steps comprising: during a sport event taking place in an environment, receiving images of the sport event, the images being captured by a fixed set of at least two cameras with a first pixels to time ratio; tracking a motion of a first object in three dimensions, using the images captured by the fixed set of cameras with the first pixels to time ratio; detecting an arrival of the first object into a predefined positional relation to a second object, during the tracked motion of the first object in three dimensions; and upon the detected arrival, initiating a streaming of images being captured with a pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio by at least one selected camera and a tracking of the motion of the first object in three dimensions, using the images captured with the pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio, the motion of the first object being tracked in three dimensions even before the detected arrival. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the higher pixels to time ratio is resultant upon a higher resolution of image capturing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the higher pixels to time ratio is resultant upon a higher frequency of image capture by the at least one selected camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving a position of the first object in a three-dimensional space representing the environment from the images captured only with the first pixels to time ratio, for said tracking. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving a position of the first object in a three-dimensional space representing the environment from the images captured with the first pixels to time ratio and the images being captured with the higher pixels to time ratio, for said tracking. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one camera among a plurality of cameras, based on a predefined rule. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one camera among a plurality of cameras, each of the cameras having a different field of view covering a respective part of the environment, said selecting being based on a trajectory of the tracked motion of the first object and on the field of view of the selected camera. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the selected cameras comprise at least two cameras deployed at different sides of a same part of the environment, and having different fields of view on the same part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising combining at least one of the images captured with the first pixels to time ratio and at least one of the images captured with the higher pixels to time ratio, for creating an effect of zooming into a part of the environment covered by a field of view of the selected camera. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a pixels to time ratio of the selected camera to the higher pixels to time ratio, upon the detected arrival, wherein the selected camera is a camera also used to capture at least some of the images captured with the first pixels to time ratio. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting of the arrival of the first object into the predefined positional relation to the second object, is based at least on a predefined change in shape of one of the objects. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting of the arrival of the first object into the predefined positional relation to the second object, is based at least on a distance between the objects. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the streaming of the images being captured with the pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio, according to a predefined rule. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a change in field of view of the selected camera. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for controlling cameras in a sport event, the apparatus comprising: a computer; an image receiver, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, and configured to receive images of a sport event taking place in an environment, during the sport event, the images being captured by a fixed set of at least two cameras with a first pixels to time ratio; a motion tracker, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said image receiver, configured to track a motion of a first object in three dimensions, using the images captured by the fixed set of cameras with the first pixels to time ratio; a positional relation detector, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said motion tracker, configured to detect an arrival of the first object into a predefined positional relation to a second object, during the tracked motion of the first object in three dimensions; and a camera controller, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said positional relation detector, configured to initiate a streaming of images being captured with a pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio by at least one selected camera and a tracking of the motion of the first object in three dimensions, using the images captured with the pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio, upon the detected arrival, the motion of the first object being tracked by said motion tracker in three dimensions even before the detected arrival. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a camera selector implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said camera controller, configured to select the at least one camera among a plurality of cameras, based on a predefined rule. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a camera selector, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said camera controller, configured to select the at least one camera among a plurality of cameras, based on a trajectory of the tracked motion of the first object and on the field of view of the selected camera, each of the cameras having a different field of view covering a respective part of the environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the selected cameras comprise at least two cameras deployed at different sides of a same part of the environment, and having different fields of view on the same part. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an image combiner, implemented on the computer as software, as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware, in communication with said camera controller, configured to combine at least one of the images captured with the first pixels to time ratio and at least one of the images captured with the higher pixels to time ratio, for creating an effect of zooming into a part of the environment covered by a field of view of the selected camera. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said camera controller is further configured to change a pixels to time ratio of the camera to the higher frequency, upon the detected arrival, wherein the selected camera is a camera also used to capture at least some of the images captured with the first pixels to time ratio. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said positional relation detector is further configured to base the detecting of the arrival of the first object into the predefined positional relation to the second object, at least on a predefined change in shape of one of the objects. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said positional relation detector is further configured to base the detecting of the arrival of the first object into the predefined positional relation to the second object, at least on a distance between the objects. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said camera controller is further configured to stop the streaming of the images being captured with the pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio, according to a predefined rule. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said camera controller is further configured to initiate a change in field of view of the camera. ### Claim 25 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for performing steps of controlling cameras in a sport event, the steps comprising: during a sport event taking place in an environment, receiving images of the sport event, the images being captured by a fixed set of at least two cameras with a first pixels to time ratio; tracking a motion of a first object in three dimensions, using the images captured by the fixed set of cameras with the first pixels to time ratio; detecting an arrival of the first object into a predefined positional relation to a second object during the tracked motion of the first object in three dimensions; and upon the detected arrival, initiating a streaming of images being captured with a pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio by at least one selected camera and a tracking of the motion of the first object in three dimensions, using the images captured with the pixels to time ratio higher than the first pixels to time ratio, the motion of the first object being tracked in three dimensions even before the detected arrival.