Computer-implemented method for automated detection of a moving area of interest in a video stream of field sports with a common object of interest

A computer-implemented method for automated detection of a moving area of interest in a video stream of field sports with a common object of interest encompassing a plurality of players and the object of interest, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) image capturing a sports ground by means of a video camera system to produce the video stream;
• (ii) digitally processing the video stream to continuously identify the area of interest of the game within the boundaries of the sports ground, wherein the area of interest in the sports ground is determined on the basis of an estimated position of the object of interest in at least one frame of the video stream;
• wherein the position of the object of interest is determined by use of a computer vision and machine learning module;
• wherein at least 100 particles are modelled in the at least one frame of the video stream to determine each particle's probability of representing the object of interest;
• wherein the step of modelling the particles comprises:
• projecting each particle onto a point in each one of the at least one frame;
• sampling the output of the machine learning module at that point in the said frame, onto which the particle is projected;
• and
• updating the position of each particle by use of Newtonian dynamics.