Three-dimensional rendering of sporting event from two-dimensional video stream

A method for translating two-dimensional sporting event video streams onto virtual three-dimensional fields-of-play, the system comprising:

• generating, via one or more processors, a virtual three-dimensional rendering of a physical field-of-play;
• generating, via the one or more processors, camera angle entries of a reference database each of which corresponds with a virtual image of the virtual three-dimensional rendering captured from a virtual camera position setting and includes a virtual camera angle setting at which the virtual image is captured and two-dimensional coordinates of one or more static features of the virtual three-dimensional rendering;
• for each frame within one of a plurality of tracking sessions of a two-dimensional video stream of a sporting event occurring on the physical field-of-play:
• identifying two-dimensional coordinates of one or more static features of the physical field-of-play;
• determine a matching virtual camera angle setting by comparing the two-dimensional coordinates of the one or more static features of the physical field-of-play to the two-dimensional coordinates of the one or more static features of the camera angle entries in the reference database;
• and
• translating objects-of-interest within the frame onto the virtual three-dimensional rendering based on the virtual camera position setting and the matching virtual camera angle setting.

A tangible computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed, cause one or more machines to:

• generate a virtual three-dimensional rendering of a physical field-of-play;
• generate camera angle entries of a reference database each of which corresponds with a virtual image of the virtual three-dimensional rendering captured from a virtual camera position setting and includes a virtual camera angle setting at which the virtual image is captured and two-dimensional coordinates of one or more static features of the virtual three-dimensional rendering;
• for each frame within one of a plurality of tracking sessions of a two-dimensional video stream of a sporting event occurring on the physical field-of-play:
• identify two-dimensional coordinates of one or more static features of the physical field-of-play;
• determine a matching virtual camera angle setting by comparing the two-dimensional coordinates of the one or more static features of the physical field-of-play to the two-dimensional coordinates of the one or more static features of the camera angle entries in the reference database;
• and
• translate objects-of-interest within the frame onto the virtual three-dimensional rendering based on the virtual camera position setting and the matching virtual camera angle setting.