Method for tracking sports participants, device for tracking sports participants, and system for tracking sports participants

A multi-modal tracking method, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a plurality of positioning sensors each being disposed at a plurality of sports participants, a plurality of sensor signals each including a participant identifier and location data;
• receiving a sports image captured at a camera disposed peripheral to a playfield, the sports image including at least a target participant among the plurality of sports participants in the playfield;
• detecting, from the sports image, an occlusion related to the target participant;
• determining a severity of the occlusion based on the sensor signal obtained from a specific positioning sensor disposed at specific sports participants located in a region of interest related to the occlusion;
• when the occlusion of which the severity reflects a severe occlusion is not detected, determining a location of the target participant using a pixel position related to the target participant in the sports image;
• and
• when the occlusion of which the severity reflects a severe occlusion is detected, determining the location of the target participant using the location data of the sensor signal of which the participant identifier corresponds to the target participant.