Video system and methods for operating a video system

Broadcast video-camera system hardware and operating methods.

A multiple camera video system and methods for operating such a system. The system may include a plurality of cameras located around a stadium, athletic playing field or other location. The cameras are remotely controlled in a master-slave configuration. A camera operator at a master pan head selects one of the plurality of cameras as the current master camera and utilizes the masterpan head to adjust the telemetry and zoom of the master camera to follow the target object. The telemetry and zoom parameters of the master camera are then used to calculate corresponding telemetry, zoom and/or other parameters for each of the plurality of slave cameras. Video captured by each of the cameras is stored for the production of replay video feeds or for archiving. The replays may be capable of “spinning” through the video feeds of adjacent cameras in order for the viewer to get the sensation of revolving around the targetobject. The multiple camera video system also includes methods for calibrating the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) For the present invention to be clearly understood and readily practiced, the present invention will be described in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar elements, which figures are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, wherein:(2) FIG. 1 is a top level block diagram of the components of a multiple camera video system;(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an exemplary camera system;(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of exemplary camera control attributes;(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a master camera following a target object across a field of play;(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the geometric relationships between a camera and a target object;(7) FIG. 6 (6A-6E)shows simulated frames of video images that illustrate the operation of the present invention in a video replay mode;(8) FIG. 7 (7A-7E) shows simulated frames of video images thatfurther illustrate the operation of the present invention;(9) FIG. 8 is a system diagram of the camera system and the camera control system;(10) FIG. 9 shows an exemplary robotic pan head;(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic view of one exemplary embodiment of the wiring insidethe camera controller panel;(12) FIG. 11 is a schematic of one exemplary embodiment of a camera control system;(13) FIG. 12 shows a sample calibration computer program screen shot;(14) FIG. 13 shows an exemplary da