WO2000024481A1

WO2000024481A1 - Equipment for displaying and/or recording a scene for teaching purposes, concerning the practice of a sport activity

Info

Publication number: WO2000024481A1
Application number: PCT/FR1999/002552
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guy Durand De Villers
Original assignee: Guy Durand De Villers
Priority date: 1998-10-23
Filing date: 1999-10-20
Publication date: 2000-05-04
Also published as: FR2785074A1; FR2785074B1; AU6208899A

Abstract

The invention concerns an equipment for displaying and/or recording a scene for teaching purposes, concerning the practice of a sport activity comprising: a personal computer (10), provided at least with a central processing unit (102) and a mass storage (104); a module (12) for receiving images of the scene; a module (14) for storing the received images in the mass storage unit; a module (16) for recording the received images on a medium and for reading said medium; a module (18) for displaying images; a user-system interface (20) enabling an interactive dialogue between a user sportsman (SU) and the equipment; a module (22) for sequencing images, supplying a time-series of still images (G), for breaking down the user sportsman (SU) movements; and a module (24) for displaying simultaneously all the images of the time-series still images (G).

Description

EQUIPMENT FOR VIEWING AND / OR RECORDING A SCENE FOR PEDAGOGICAL PURPOSES, IN THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE

SPORTS ACTIVITY

The present invention relates to equipment for viewing and / or recording a scene for educational purposes, in the context of practicing a sporting activity.

More specifically, the invention applies in the context of the practice of any sport or discipline whose gestures and movements are technical and of great precision, requiring for the improvement of performance a precise analysis of these gestures and movements.

These sports activities include, among others, golf, tennis, fencing, horse riding (dressage and obstacles), martial arts, boxing, defensive and combat wrestling, swimming, dancing, etc.

The invention will be described here more particularly in its application to the practice of golf, by way of nonlimiting example.

Within the framework of the practice of one of the aforementioned sports, one seeks to improve the assistance with the training or the improvement, on any level that it is. For this, an athlete generally analyzes his own gestures, while being inspired by the gestures of a teacher.

Devices for the general public have been known for several years, making it possible to capture and / or record a pictorial and / or sound scene. These are, for example, cameras, video recorders or even camcorders. However, these devices generally do not allow easy viewing of the captured images and have a very low degree of interactivity in terms of the dialogue between the user athlete and the device. This considerably limits the possibility of analyzing gestures in order to progress.

Personal computers are also known which make it possible to reproduce the image and / or the sound of such a scene and to manipulate the image by means of certain processing, in particular with a view to analyzing the content of the picture.

However, such computers are complex to use, not accessible to all, and are rarely available at the place of practicing the sports in question.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, by proposing a learning assistance device which is intended for the general public and which integrates at the same time functions of input, storage, 'recording and reproduction of images and sounds, analysis of movements, and interactivity between the user sportsman and the device, while being robust, resistant to climatic conditions, reliable and easy to use. To this end, the present invention provides equipment for viewing and / or recording a scene for educational purposes, within the framework of the practice of a sporting activity, this equipment comprising:

- a personal computer, at least provided with a central processing unit and a mass memory;

- a module to capture images of this scene; - a module for memorizing the images captured in the mass memory;

a module for recording the images captured on a medium and for reading this medium; - an image viewing module;

- a man / machine interface module allowing interactive dialogue between an athlete using the equipment and the equipment;

- an image sequencing module, providing a temporal succession of fixed images, from the captured images, making it possible to decompose movements of the user athlete; and

- a module for simultaneous viewing of all the images of this temporal succession of fixed images. On the other hand, currently the general public generally has access to the practice of the aforementioned sports activities only in return for payment. However, there is generally no prepayment device operating at the place of practicing these sports, in conjunction with one or other of the above conventional machines, to control them in order to authorize their use during a limited time, corresponding to the payment made, and in order to progress in the practice of these sports.

To solve this problem, the present invention proposes an equipment of the above type and which also comprises a prepayment reception module, which receives a prepayment value and allows the use of the equipment for a determined period, this duration being a function of the prepayment value received. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the description detailed which follows of a particular embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a block diagram of the equipment according to the invention, in a particular embodiment;

- Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the image viewing module and certain elements of the man / machine interface module, viewed by the image viewing module; - Figures 3a and 3b illustrate the structure and operation of an optical module for positioning the user athlete relative to the module for capturing images;

- Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a set of peripheral units included in the equipment according to the invention, in a particular embodiment; and

- Figure 5 is a reproduction of a screen included in the image viewing module, in a particular embodiment, illustrating a temporal succession of nine still images, provided by the image sequencing module from the images captured, and allowing to break down a "swing" movement of a golfer user athlete; - Figures 6a and βb show in the man / machine interface a reticle provided with a zoom function.

FIG. 1 shows that the equipment according to the present invention is articulated around a micro-computer base such as a personal type computer 10 or "PC" (in English "Persona l Compu ter").

The computer 10 is at least provided with a central processing unit 102 and a mass memory 104. It interconnects and manages all the modules described below. For this, it can for example include among others a RAM memory with a capacity of the order of 8 MB, a hard disk with a capacity of the order of 2.1 GB and a processor of the "Pentium" type ( trademark) .

As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment comprises a module 12 for capturing images of a sports scene, in this case the gestures of a user athlete (designated by the reference sign SU in FIG. 1) golfer, by way of non-limiting example. The module 12 can for example be a color camera with fixed focal length of the so-called multimedia type, which can be fixed on a bracket with fixed height.

As part of the application to golf, we choose a camera to view a field of 3 meters vertically and 4 meters horizontally, and we place this camera at a distance between 3 meters and 3.50 meters. The field thus obtained makes it possible to film a golfer with a size of 2 meters equipped with his club.

The video output of the camera 12 is accompanied by an audio output 15, to which an electret microphone, integrated in the camera 12, can be connected, which allows sound to be taken simultaneously with the image taking. A jack type connector (not shown) can also be provided, to allow possible connection of an external microphone 52 (shown in Figure 4).

The camera 12 is connected, via its video output 13, to a module 14 for storing the images captured in the mass memory 104. By way of nonlimiting example, the module 14 can be produced in the form of a real-time color image digitization card, which performs real-time video acquisition, as well as compression / decompression (for example by functions wired) in accordance with the JPEG standard, and restitution to a bus 17 of the PC ISA type.

Such a card is advantageously provided with several video inputs, for example of the PAL composite type, which allows the possible connection of several external cameras 50 (shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4).

In this case, an image display module 18, described later in detail, allows a mosaic display made up of as many images as there are cameras.

One can thus simultaneously view, from different points in space, one or more successive images, fixed or animated.

The image digitization card forming the module 14 can also be designed to allow an overlay function (not shown), possibly configurable, for example by golf maintenance agents in the example of sport considered here. This overlay function makes it possible for example to display, using the image display module 18 described below, in a determined region of this module 18 (designated by the reference 58 in FIG. 2), various information of alphanumeric type, linked or not to the specificity of the sport considered, in addition to the images captured, such as for example the date and time, the name of the site where the sporting activity concerned is practiced, or the hourly credit remaining at the user according to the prepayment made, as described in more detail below. The equipment according to the invention, in the particular embodiment of Figure 1, also includes a module 16 for recording the images captured on a medium and for reading this medium. The module 16 can be a VHS-PAL type video recorder. The controlled functions of this video recorder are reduced to the start and stop of the recording, and to the ejection of a video cassette, which constitutes the aforementioned support. The recording and reading module 16 thus allows the control of the scrolling of the images, the freeze frame, the display in slow motion or in reverse.

The image viewing module 18 can be produced either in the form of a screen or in the form of viewing glasses of the type with two liquid crystal screens, worn by the sports user SU, or also in the form a video projector, or even a giant screen.

Such a screen can also be connected to the network

Internet via a modem 54 (FIG. 4), included in the peripheral units 46 capable of being connected to the equipment object of the present invention. The modem 54 can for example allow tele-training of athletes.

In the case where the display module 18 is a screen integrated in a monitor, one can choose to make it in the form of an S-VGA color screen of dimension 14 inches, at 1024 x 768 pixels, and to protect it by a faceplate or plate 19 (FIG. 2) made of resistant composite material.

As shown in FIG. 2, elements 30, 31, 32 of a man / machine interface module 20 (FIG. 1) are provided and integrated in the screen 18. The elements 30, 31, 32 are advantageously keys graphics, visualized by screen 18. These keys are therefore "virtual", tactile and configurable at will. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 2, two symmetrical sets, of six half-keys 30 each, are arranged on the left and on the right of the screen. These keys 30 can be supplemented by one or more additional keys 31, 32.

The keys 30 illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in FIG. 2 allow access to the following functions, symbolized by icons in FIG. 2: display in mosaic mode, display in full screen, reproduction on diskette of a captured still image

(in this case, the peripheral units 46 include one or more floppy drives 48, see FIG. 4), advance image by image, reverse image by image, return to a read / record mode.

The additional keys 31, 32 allow respectively to access a contextual help, and to go back in the commands entered on the screen.

The list of keys which has just been described is not exhaustive and many other functions, such as slow motion reading or entering parameters relating to the morphology of the user athlete (as described below), can be envisaged thanks to the character reconfigurable of said keys. These keys can also be reconfigured according to the language used and / or any drop-down menus.

All these tactile keys are advantageously of the resistive contact type under three-color polyester membrane, in order to durably resist generally difficult conditions, given the use of the general public.

As shown in FIG. 2, independently of the touch keys 30, 31, 32, an additional region 60 revealing the screen can be arranged in the one-piece front plate which protects the module 18 for viewing images. Such a region 60 may for example include the logo of the company which manufactures the equipment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the equipment according to the invention further comprises a module 22 for sequencing images.

On the one hand, the module 22 provides temporal successions of fixed images G, from the captured images, which makes it possible to decompose movements of the sportsman user SU.

For this, the module 14 for memorizing the captured images proceeds to the digital acquisition of an image every N images, N being an integer at least equal to 2. The acquired images are thus spaced apart by a given time interval , typically of the order of a hundred milliseconds. When memorizing the images, their size is reduced by filling the memory of the module 14 with a factor 1 / N ² , that is to say by memorizing a pixel over N ² . It is thus possible, in a conventional manner, to display in so-called mosaic mode, such as that of FIG. 5 (N = 3) with N ² still images. This display mode is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 by a module 24 for simultaneous display of all the images of the temporal succession of stored fixed images.

On the other hand, the image sequencing module 22 provides temporal successions of fixed reference images G _rθf , from a silhouette of the user sportsman SU. This silhouette is defined on the basis of one or more parameters 34 (FIG. 1) previously entered by the SU user athlete using the man / machine interface module 20.

The parameters 34 relate to the morphology of the sportsman SU and include for example his size, his weight, or even the fact that he is left-handed or right-handed.

The image sequencing module 22 thus provides a comparison module 36 with a temporal succession of fixed images G, obtained from the captured images, and a temporal succession of fixed reference images G _ref , obtained from a reference template representing the gestures of a "teacher" or "academic" athlete or even "champion", while taking into account the same morphology parameters as those of the "student" athlete.

The module 36 superimposes the temporal succession of fixed images G and the temporal succession of fixed reference images G _ref and transmits the image of the superposition to the module 18 for viewing images.

The SU "student" user athlete can thus analyze his own gestures and compare them to ideal gestures.

As indicated above, in a particular embodiment, the equipment of the present invention also includes a prepayment reception module 26 (FIG. 1). The module 26 is designed to receive a card 28 of the magnetic and / or integrated circuit type, chip card, in which a prepayment value VP has been previously programmed.

When the card 28 is inserted into the prepayment reception module 26, the prepayment value VP is transmitted from the card 28 to the module 26, which triggers the operation of the equipment for a duration D which depends on the prepayment value VP, ie D = f (VP).

Magnetic and / or integrated circuit cards 28 specifically intended for use for training sessions can be designed so as to activate additional functions of the equipment, such as the use of several external cameras 50 in addition to the module 12 to capture images, such additional functions being inhibited in the event of presentation to module 26 of a card belonging to a person not registered for these sessions, for example.

The prepayment reception module 26 can be connected to the computer 10 by a conventional serial link. In order to give the equipment satisfactory energy autonomy, it is possible, for example, to provide a 24 volt / 5 amp battery charger, allowing full recharging in a period of the order of 12 hours, from the 230 volt network. / 50 Hertz. It is also possible to provide two lead batteries of

12 volts / 50 amps, which allows daily cycling for nominal use with a minimum duration of the order of 6 hours continuously.

Finally, the choice of a 24 volt / 230 volt alternating current voltage converter allows the use of sub-assemblies with standard supply voltage from the 230 volt / 50 hertz network.

A module 38 for positioning the user sportsman SU relative to the module 12 for capturing images is described below with the aid of FIGS. 3a and 3b.

The positioning module 38, shown in a particular embodiment in FIG. 3a, comprises a framing pattern 40, superimposed on the image of the environment 41 of the sportsman and displayed using the module 18 for viewing images.

As shown in Figure 3b, assume that the module 12 for capturing images is placed in the equipment at a height H from the ground. The angle between the horizontal and the line of sight of the camera is noted α, v the vertical optical half-angle of the camera and D the positioning distance of the sportsman user SU relative to the equipment.

The sportsman SU places an object, for example a golf ball 43, so that it is in the center of the framing target 40. He comes:

H

= tan (α + v)

D

hence D tan (α + v)

By placing the framing target 40 on the screen of the display module 18, the appropriate distance D is deduced therefrom so that the camera of the module 12 can film the entire sportsman SU.

In a particular embodiment, the equipment of the invention further comprises a sound pickup module 42, such as one or more microphones, and a sound reproduction module 44, such as one or more loudspeakers. speakers.

The computer 10 can also be connected to a printing module 56 (FIG. 4), such as a color inkjet printer of the A4 type, 360 dpi (in English "dots per inch"), making it possible to '' obtain reproductions on paper of images stored in digital form in the mass memory 104 of the computer 10.

Finally, the external cameras 50 (FIG. 4) possibly connected to the equipment each capture the sports scene from a different angle, so that the image viewing module 18 produces a mosaic of images respectively originating from these external cameras 50 as well as the camera 12 integrated into the equipment. The images in this mosaic may have been captured either simultaneously or successively. This allows the user athlete to analyze his gestures from several points of view.

A more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the previously described human / machine interface module 20 will now be given in conjunction with FIGS. 6a and 6b.

In general, with reference to the aforementioned figures, the man / machine interface module 20 is specially adapted to the practice of sports which involve movements of large amplitude or whose amplitude is in some way magnified by l 'use of large accessories, such as rackets, pole, golf club, baseball bat or others. In such a case, the accessory becomes an essential element of the movement which it continues and amplifies.

With reference to FIGS. 6a and 6b above, the man / machine interface module 20 can be provided with virtual keys 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 of tactile type and displayed by the screen 18 for viewing images. The aforementioned virtual keys can be placed as shown in FIG. 6a, two horizontal keys 40, 42 and two vertical keys 41, 43. A central key 44 can also be provided.

The aforementioned virtual keys make it possible to position a reticle displayed on the display screen 18, this reticle advantageously being formed by two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. The lines by pair of horizontal and vertical lines can advantageously have a different color, red and blue for example. The virtual keys are used to activate the aforementioned reticle on the screen in order to materialize fixed references superimposed on a displayed image making it possible to break down the movements of an athlete user. The keys 40, 42 can be assigned to the vertical lines and the keys 41, 43 to the horizontal lines, in order to control the movement of these. The central key 44 makes it possible to control the change of pairs of lines. Thus, it is understood that the central zone formed by the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines of the reticle makes it possible to frame the limits of maximum amplitude of the movement of the user athlete, in particular those of any accessory used by the latter. This is in particular the case of the golf player who has executed a "swing" movement in which the notions of amplitude and continuity of the movement are essential.

In addition, the reticle can be moved and the area delimited by the latter on the image can be modified at will, via the virtual keys so as to select, in this central area, all or part of the body of the user athlete. . In the latter case, the image zone corresponding to the central zone of the reticle can be provided, in a particularly advantageous manner, with a enlargement function, zoom function, allowing to display the detail of a part of the body of the user athlete. Thus, by way of nonlimiting example, the part of the body targeted by the reticle and subjected to the enlargement function can advantageously be constituted by the hands of the user athlete, when the latter uses an accessory, as described above. Indeed, the hands of the latter ensure the gripping of the accessory and it is then possible to check the position of the hands on the accessory, position and gripping which are essential for the correct execution of the whole movement during 'a "swing" movement for the golf player, a backhand stroke in the case of a tennis player for example. The aforementioned zoom function is integrated by means of known image processing techniques, which, for this reason, will not be described in detail.

Claims

1. Equipment for viewing and / or recording a scene for educational purposes, within the framework of the practice of a sporting activity, said equipment comprising a personal computer (10), at least provided with a central processing unit (102) and a mass memory (104), means (12) for capturing images of said scene, means (14) for storing the images captured in the mass memory (104), means (16) for recording the images captured on a support and for reading from this support, means (22) for sequencing images, providing a temporal succession of still images (G) from said captured images, allowing to decompose movements of the user athlete (SU), means (18) for viewing images, characterized in that it further comprises:

- man / machine interface means (20) allowing an interactive dialogue between an athlete (SU) using said equipment and said equipment;

- means (24) for simultaneously viewing all the images of said temporal succession of fixed images (G) and in that said image sequencing means (22) furthermore provide a temporal succession of reference fixed images ( G _ref ) from a silhouette of the user athlete (SU), said silhouette being defined from a plurality of parameters (34) previously entered by the user athlete (SU) using said means (20) d man / machine interface, said parameters (34) relating to the morphology of the user athlete (SU) and comprising his size and its weight, and in that said equipment further comprises means (36) for comparing said temporal succession of still images (G), provided by said means (22) for sequencing images from said captured images, with at least one reference template, said reference template comprising said temporal succession of reference fixed images (G _ref ).

2. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means (26) of prepayment reception, which receive a prepayment value (VP) and allow the use of said equipment for a determined period (D ) function of said prepayment value (VP) received.

3. Equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that said means (26) for receiving prepayment are provided for receiving a card (28) magnetic and / or integrated circuit, wherein said value of prepayment (VP) has been previously programmed.

4. Equipment according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said means (20) of man / machine interface comprise a set of virtual keys (30, 31, 32) of tactile type, said keys (30, 31 , 32) being displayed by said image display means (18).

5. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means (38) for positioning the user athlete (SU) relative to said means (12) for capturing images.

6. Equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that said means (38) for positioning comprise a framing pattern (40), displayed using said means (18) for viewing images.

7. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises means for taking (42) and reproducing (44) the sound.

8. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (16) for recording and reading allow -a choice one or more possibilities among the freeze frame, reading forwards and backwards, frame-by-frame playback, slow motion playback.

9. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the computer (10) is connected to one or more additional peripheral units (46).

10. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that said additional peripheral units (46) comprise at least one floppy drive (48) and / or at least one modem (54).

11. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that the computer (10) is also connected to printing means (56) making it possible to obtain one or more paper copies of images stored in the mass memory (104).

12. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that it is further connected to one or more external cameras (50), which each capture said scene from a different angle, so that said means (18) for viewing images produce a mosaic of images respectively from said external cameras (50) as well as from said means (12) for capturing images, the images of said mosaic having been captured either simultaneously or successively.

13. Equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that it is further connected to an external microphone (52).

14. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sporting activity is golf, tennis, fencing, horse riding, a martial art, boxing, defensive or combat wrestling, swimming or dancing.

15. Equipment according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said means (20) of man / machine interface comprise a set of virtual keys (40,41,42,43) of tactile type, displayed by said means (18) for viewing images, said virtual keys making it possible to actuate on the screen a reticle formed by two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, said reticle making it possible to produce fixed marks superimposed on a displayed image making it possible to break down the movements of the user athlete.

16. Equipment according to claim 15, characterized in that the central zone of said reticle is provided with a zoom type image enlargement function.