A method of generating an event log of game events associated with elements in a sporting event. The method includes tracking, within a sequence of video images, image features which correspond to respective elements in the sporting event and selecting, from the tracked image features, a first image feature which corresponds to one of the elements so as to designate that element as a selected element. The method further includes selecting a game event from an event list of possible game events for association with the selected element, and associating the selected game event with the selected element so as to generate the event log.
Figure 11 to accompany abstract

WE CLAIM
1. A method of generating an event log of game events associated with an element
present in a sporting event, the method comprising:
tracking, within a sequence of video images, image features which correspond to respective elements in the sporting event;
selecting, from the tracked image features, a first image feature which corresponds to one of the elements so as to designate that element as a selected element;
selecting a game event from an event list of possible game events for association with the selected element;
associating the selected game event with the selected element so as to generate the event log for that element;
displaying, within the sequence of video images, the first image feature together with the event list; and
selecting the game event from the event list in accordance with a manual selection of the game event by a user.
2. A method according to claim 1, in which the event list is displayed to be substantially adjacent to the first image feature.
3. A method according to claim 1, comprising:
tracking, by analysis of the sequence of video images, a position within each video image of a game object associated with the sporting event so as to generate motion data which relates to a direction of motion of the game object within the sequence of video images;
detecting an occurrence of a game event in dependence upon a change in the direction of motion of the game object by analysing the motion data; and
flagging one or more video images in which a game event is detected to have occurred so as to indicate that those video images comprise an occurrence of a game event.
4. A method according to claim 3, in which a game event is detected to have occurred if
the change in the direction of motion of the game object is greater than a predetermined
threshold.

5. A method according to claim 3, comprising:
detecting, by analysis of the sequence of video images, a position of the game object with respect to the selected element; and
selecting a game event from the event list in accordance with the detected position of the game object with respect to the selected element.
6. A method according to claim 3, comprising:
detecting a relative distance between the game object and each of the elements so as to generate distance data which relates to the distance between the game object and each of the elements;
analysing the distance data so as to detect which of the elements was closest to the game object when a game event is detected to have occurred; and
associating that game event with the element that is detected as being closest to the game object when the game event occurred.
7. A method according to claim 3, comprising:
sequentially displaying the sequence of video images;
pausing the sequential display of the sequence of video images at a video image which has been flagged as comprising an occurrence of a game event; and
displaying the first image feature together with the event list so that an appropriate game event may be selected by a user from the event list for association with the selected element.
8. A method according to claim 1, in which each element is associated with unique identifying data which allows that element to be uniquely identified.
9. A computer program containing computer readable instructions which, when loaded onto a computer, configure the computer to perform the method of claim 1.
10. An apparatus for generating an event log of game events associated with an element in a sporting event, the apparatus comprising:

a tracking device for tracking, within a sequence of video images, image features which correspond to respective elements in the sporting event;
an image feature selector for selecting, from the tracked image features, a first image feature which corresponds to one of the elements so as to designate that element as a selected element;
a game event selector for selecting a game event from an event list of possible game events for association with the selected element;
an association device for associating the selected game event with the selected element so as to generate the event log for that element;
a displaying device for displaying, within the sequence of video images, the first image feature together with the event list;
in which the game event selector is operable to select the game event from the event list in accordance with a manual selection of the game event by a user.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, in which the event list is displayed to be substantially adjacent to the first image feature.
12. An apparatus according to claim 10, in which:
the tracking device is operable to track, by analysis of the sequence of video images, a position within each video image of a game object associated with the sporting event so as to generate motion data which relates to a direction of motion of the game object within the sequence of video images; and
the apparatus comprises:
a detector for detecting an occurrence of a game event in dependence upon a change in the direction of motion of the game object by analysing the motion data; and
a flagging device for flagging one or more video images in which a game event is detected to have occurred so as to indicate that those video images comprise an occurrence of a game event.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12, in which a game event is detected to have
occurred if the change in the direction of motion of the game object is greater than a
predetermined threshold.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, in which:
the tracking device is operable to detect, by analysis of the sequence of video images, a position of the game object with respect to the selected element; and
the game event selector is operable to select a game event from the event list in accordance with the detected position of the game object with respect to the selected element.
15. An apparatus according to claim 12, in which:
the tracking device is operable to: detect a relative distamce between the game object and each of the elements so as to generate distance data which relates to the distance between the game object and each of the elements; and analyse the distance data so as to detect which of the elements was closest to the game object when a game event is detected to have occurred; and
the association device is operable to associate that game event with the element that is detected as being closest to the game object when the game event occurred.
16. An apparatus according to claim 12, comprising:
a display for sequentially displaying the sequence of video images;
in which the apparatus is configured to:
pause the sequential display of the sequence of video images at a video image which has been flagged as comprising an occurrence of a game event; and
cause the display to display the first image feature together with the event list so that an appropriate game event may be selected by a user from the event list for association with the selected element.
17. An apparatus according to claim 10, in which each element is associated with unique identifying data which allows that element to be uniquely identified.
18. A graphical user interface for generating an event log of game events associated with elements in a sporting event, the event being subsequently associated with the element, the interface comprising:

image features, within one frame of a sequence of frames, which correspond to respective elements in the sporting event;
an image feature selector for selecting, from the displayed image features, a first image feature which corresponds to one of the elements so as to designate that element as a selected element;
a game event selector for selecting a game event from an event list of possible game events for association with the selected element;
a displaying device for displaying, within the sequence of video images, the first image feature together with the event list; and
in which the game event selector is operable to select the game event from the event list in accordance with a manual selection of the game event by a user.
19. An apparatus for generating an event log of game events associated with an element in a sporting event, the apparatus comprising:
tracking means for tracking, within a sequence of video images, image features which correspond to respective elements in the sporting event;
image feature selection means for selecting, from the tracked image features, a first image feature which corresponds to one of the elements so as to designate that element as a selected element;
a game event selection means for selecting a game event from an event list of possible game events for association with the selected element;
an association means for associating the selected game event with the selected element so as to generate the event log for that element;
a display means for displaying, within the sequence of video images, the first image feature together with the event list;
in which the game event selector is operable to select the game event from the event list in accordance with a manual selection of the game event by a user.