Automated visual enhancement camera system and process

Abstract

This invention generally relates to an automated visual enhancement camera system and method, and more particular to an automated visual enhancement camera system and method that enhances guest experience by offering “TV style” view of a guest hitting a golf ball with shot tracer and scoring overlay and by allowing guest to share the experience on social media.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automated visual enhancement camera system, comprising:
 (a) a hitting station;   (b) a tee box within said hitting station for use by a guest when the guest is striking a golf ball;   (c) at least one digital video camera positioned at a rear of said hitting station and oriented toward a range surface proximate to said hitting station, said at least one digital video camera at least for capturing a digital video of the guest when the guest strikes the golf ball;   (d) at least one sensor remote from said at least one digital video camera, said at least one sensor oriented to follow a flight of the golf ball toward the range surface after it is struck by the guest;   (e) a computer in communication with said at least one sensor and said at least one digital video camera, said computer containing programming instructions executable by said computer comprising the steps of:
 (1) using said at least sensor and said at least one digital video camera to calculate a 3D flight path of said struck golf ball, 
 (2) overlaying said digital video with said calculated 3D flight path of said struck golf ball, thereby creating a composite video, and 
   (f) displaying for the user said composite video on said display device.   
     
     
         2 . A method of creating a video work, comprising the steps of:
 (a) orienting a video camera to include an image of a guest;   (b) orienting at least one sensor remote from said guest to sense a golf ball struck by said guest;   (c) allowing the guest to strike the golf ball in a direction of said sensor while said video camera is recording said guest;   (d) receiving from said at least one sensor a plurality of digital values representative of a flight of said struck golf ball;   (e) receiving from said at least one video camera a video of said guest striking the ball;   (f) using said received plurality of digital values representative of a flight of said struck golf ball and said received video of said guest striking the ball to calculate a total travel path of the struck golf ball;   (g) overlaying said video of said guest striking the ball with a representation of at least a portion of said total travel path of the struck golf ball, thereby creating a composite video; and   (h) displaying to the guest said composite video.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein step (g) comprises the steps of:
 (g1) using at least a portion of said total travel path of the struck golf ball to automatically assign a score to the guest's struck golf ball; and,   (g2) displaying to the guest said assigned score and said composite video.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein step (g) comprises the steps of:
 (g1) using at least a portion of said total travel path of the struck golf ball to automatically assign a score to the guest's struck golf ball; and,   (g2) displaying to the guest said assigned score and said composite video.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein step (h) comprises the step of:
 (h1) displaying to the guest said composite video on the guest's display device.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the guest's display device is a smart phone. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:
 (i) allowing the guest to select one or more recipients of said composite video; and   (j) transmitting said composite video to each of said one or more recipients.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein step (k) wherein at least one of said one or more recipients is a social media platform. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein step (k) is performed automatically without intervention by the guest. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 (i) storing said composite video.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein at least steps (c) through (h) are performed a plurality of times, thereby producing a plurality of composite videos. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the guest is allowed to choose a best one of said plurality of composite videos. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein each of said plurality of composite videos is assigned a score and wherein a best one of said plurality of composite videos is selected automatically based on a highest score of the plurality of videos. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 (1) allowing the guest to select one or more recipients of said best one of said plurality of composite videos; and   (2) transmitting said best one of said plurality of composite videos to each of said one or more recipients.   
     
     
         14 . An automated visual enhancement camera system for capturing a guest's performance while hitting, throwing, or rolling an object, comprising:
 (a) a hitting station, said hitting station providing a starting location for the guest's performance;   (b) at least one digital video camera positioned to capture the guest's performance within the hitting station and to capture the path of the hit, thrown, or rolled object;   (b) at least one sensor remote from said at least one digital video camera, said at least one sensor oriented to follow a path of said hit, thrown, or rolled object after it is hit, thrown or rolled away by the guest;   (c) a computer in communication with said at least one sensor and said at least one digital video camera, said computer containing programming instructions executable by said computer comprising the steps of:
 (1) using said at least sensor and said at least one digital video camera to calculate a 3D path of said hit, thrown, or rolled object, 
 (2) overlaying said digital video with said calculated 3D flight path of said struck golf ball, thereby creating a composite video, and 
   (f) displaying for the user said composite video on said display device.   
     
     
         15 . The automated visual enhancement camera system according to  claim 14 , wherein said object is a golf ball and said digital video captures images of the guest hitting the golf ball.