Image analysis method for sensing moving ball, and sensing device using same

An image analysis method for sensing moving ball performed by a sensing device, comprising:

• acquiring an image in a field of view of a camera facing a space where a ball moves;
• detecting a position of the ball from the acquired image;
• setting an analysis object area to include a position where a ball will appear on a next image based on the detected position of the ball;
• and
• detecting the position of the ball within the set analysis object area on the next image of the image used to set the analysis object area,
• wherein the acquiring the image by the camera includes acquiring images by each of the plurality of stereoscopic-type cameras interconnected with each other, and
• wherein detecting the position of the ball within the set analysis object area on the next image includes:
• calculating a three-dimensional area of the range in which the ball can move using information preset as a limit physical quantity by which the ball can move at the detected position of the ball;
• and
• setting each area including a part projected from each three-dimensional area of the range in which the ball can move to the surface viewed by each of the plurality of cameras, as an analysis object area for each camera image.

A sensing device that senses a moving ball through image analysis of the ball that is hit and moved, comprising:

• a camera device that acquires images in a field of view toward a space where the ball moves;
• and
• a sensing processor that detects a position of the ball from the acquired images, sets an analysis object area to include a position where a ball will appear on a next image based on the detected position of the ball, and by detecting the position of the ball within the set analysis object area on the next image of the image used to set the analysis object area, performs image analysis for sensing the ball only within the set analysis object area for each acquired image,
• wherein the sensing processor is configured to calculate a three-dimensional area of the range in which the ball can move by using information preset as a limit physical quantity by which the ball can move at the detected position of the ball, and set an area including a part projected from the three-dimensional area of the range in which the ball can move to a surface viewed by the camera device as the analysis object area.