Understanding and Using the Scoreboard Calibration Interface

Friendly Reminder: For the most up-to-date information regarding this article, please use the following link: https://confluence.sportradar.ag/display/SK/Scoreboard+Readings+%3A+Scoreboard+calibration+interface

The Scoreboard calibration tool is used to configure which regions the OCR should process to decode each information (scores, clocks, ..) in the captured image.

This interface must be accessed from the "Arena reader analyze" page within Webadmin.

Reminder:

After your you save your changes by clicking the "Save" button, you also need to push the new calibration to the venue by updating director within WebAdmin.

Note:

• As of August 2023: The alignment reference flag will be set automatically on the last image you used to calibrate the reader.
• As of August 2023: All events related to the reader will be automatically closed whenever you save a new calibration.

Configuration of each "number"

Please use the DL OCR calibration process instead of the 7 segment calibration for all new installations. Please use the following link to understand and apply the process for DL OCR configuration.

Instructions

The configuration of the DL OCR in new arenas is similar to the configuration of the SVM reader but simpler. Once an image with the scoreboard lit on is available,

• Open the calibration tool within Webadmin.

• Add the Configuration and read_function and select dl_model for your read function.

• Add the numbers to be decoded.

• Draw number bounding boxes around the numbers to be decoded..

• If the number is the game clock, add a configuration by using the parse_function and select chronometer_blob.

• If the number is the quarter, add a configuration and select the parse_function called quarter.

• Update director.
  

  
  

There are no other parameter to set for luminance threshold, etc.

For the Shot clock you need to add the parse function shotclock_dlocr.

Notes

• See the "7 segments" calibration section at the bottom of this page for information about the old 7 segment calibration. 
• In arenas where we still have SVM model, read the following article with detailed instructions on how to calibrate using SVM detection adjustments .

Moving the location of multiple numbers/digits at once

1. Select all detection digits at the same time with Ctrl+A.

2. Drag and drop the detection to the right position.

3. Check if they all still read correctly.

Setting the "scoreboard limits"

"Scoreboard limits" are used to define the region which will be considered when trying to detect if the camera/scoreboard panel has moved. 

The "scoreboard limits" are sometimes left with default values.  Note that when it is the case :

1. The scoreboard region does not show up in red when you open the scoreboard tool.
2. During a recording, the system will try to compute automatically a digit within the region to be used for motion detection. In case the motion detection is failing, you will probably need to customize the scoreboard limits using the procedure described below.  

How to set/adjust custom "scoreboard limits" region

1. Enter the “scoreboard border mode” by clicking on the black square button within the toolbar. 

   

2. Place the scoreboard detection zone on the (reasonably) largest “high frequency” (please see below for more information in regards to high frequency) area you can spot, preferably on the scoreboard.

3. Save your changes and update the director.

4. On the reader3 page, click the “Set as alignment reference” on the picture you used.

   

5. Solve the arena event within WebAdmin.

Note - There can only be one alignment reference picture at once on a reader.

How to select the correct scoreboard position

Note: In a picture, high frequencies translates to areas where shapes and colors stand out a lot from one another. The best case would be clean lettering, black on white or white on black, like the scoreboard logo.

Case 1:

This is a bad position. 

Why? 

Nothing really stands out and the color variation in this sample is very low. A better choice would be to select a position with a clear lettering as shown on the second picture below. 

Case 2:

This is very good

Case 2b:

This is good but  could probably be improved by extending the region.

The lettering in the image 2b above is clear, there’s good contrast between the text and the background and there’s even the contrast between the background itself and the wall, as well as the white line at the top.

However the region is small. This can lead to less accurate motion detection and therefore prevent the use of the automatically corrected reader configuration. There is also a higher risk of not detecting large motions when the region is too small. 

Case 3:

The image above shows bad positioning of the scoreboard. 

Why? 

It may seem like a good area because the red digits stand out from the black background but as soon as the numbers change or turn off, an arena event will trigger.

Case 4:

This is also a bad position of scoreboard. 

Why? 

The blue region must be selected on a part of the scoreboard panel that NEVER changes. Selecting the entire panel, or any part including LEDs, is a bad choice because they can be turned off.

In the first image below, "LOCAUX" and "VISITEURS" are LEDs. A better choice would be to select the more permanent lettering that doesn't move, as shown on the second image below.  Such a small region will probably lead to low accuracy in the detection of the movement. The best scenario would be to find a region which can be made larger which would include objects outside of the scoreboard, if needed.

Friendly Reminders:

You don’t have to select an area on the scoreboard but it has to be static. An example of this would be a poster of the city’s name or an advertisement.

Case 5:

This is probably the best one could do in this type of scenario.  The scoreboard doesn't contain static texture which could be used for the motion detection.  Best option is to select a region which is expected to move with the scoreboard as shown in the image below. 

Case 6:

Another example illustrating what should and shouldn't be within the scoreboard limits are within the image below.

Case 7:

Here is an example where motion detection is probably impossible.  The current "scoreboard limits" region doesn't contain any static texture and it is difficult to say how to modify the region. The best thing to do would be to set the region outside of the scoreboard on background objects which are expected to undergo the same motion as the scoreboard.

Case 8:

Moving nets in front of the scoreboard can be very problematic. In such situations like this, it may be best to select a region outside the scoreboard like what we see in the image below.

7-segments digit calibration (do not use this in new installation !)

First , for each number you need to select the right category. The first pattern you place needs to be the first number on the left.

For 7 segments digit - The pattern needs to be created in this order: top left, then top right, the, bottom right and finally bottom left.

kee migration scoreboard_prm -r reader3 -w

Adding and reading digits

1.) Select the edit digits tool and draw the seven segment cube. Start from the top-left corner of the leftmost digit and place 4 dots going in a clockwise rotation to complete your first digit. Move on to the next digit on the right and continue to repeat, as needed.

2.) Insert the following configurations:

1. Luminance threshold which is the brightness detection levels for the digits. Higher value = less detection sensitivity.

2. Sync and read function (The ability to read digits even if the camera moves slightly)

3. Parse function (Used for game clock and quarter)

4. Other configurations depending on the arena (for ex. color, deciseconds, etc.)

Steps for Shot Clock Calibration

Go to the arena in Webadmin and take an ID of one of the games in this arena.

Find a moment where you see the shot-clock and click on “capture”

An Example of Scoreboard Calibration is Shown Below

Sync range is by default 20,20. So you don’t have to have a sync range for each situation. Only if you want to modify the range.

Example of Shot-clock Calibration Shown Below

The game clock is not needed to be configured if it is displayed on the scoreboard.