Billiard table lighting
A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processing device configured to receive at least two video streams from cameras disposed to capture images of at least a portion of a billiard table surface of a billiard table;
a memory device in communication with the processing device;
a video output controlled by the processing device configured to provide a video stream;
wherein the processing device is configured to:
determine whether billiard balls on the billiard table surface are in motion or non-motion based on images received from one of the at least two video streams from the cameras,
provide a first combination of the at least two video streams in response to determining that the billiard balls are in motion,
provide a second combination of the least two video streams different from the first combination in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion, and
determine whether there is motion around a first end of the billiard table or around a second end of the billiard table,
provide a combination of the at least two video streams corresponding to which of the first end or the second end motion was determined in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to, when providing the first combination of the at least two video streams, provide a combination of video streams including at least one image from a camera mounted to capture images of an area around the billiard table.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to, when providing the second combination of the at least two video streams, provide a video stream of the billiard table surface.
4. An apparatus for creating a single reconstructed video record from at least two video streams using billiard ball motion and non-motion to control reconstruction of the video record, the apparatus comprising:
a processing device configured to receive at least two video streams from cameras disposed to capture images of at least a portion of a billiard table surface of a single billiard table;
a memory device in communication with the processing device;
a video output controlled by the processing device configured to provide a video stream and allow storage of a reconstructed video record in the memory device;
wherein the at least two video streams are from the cameras disposed to be capturing images simultaneously from billiard game play on the single billiard table;
wherein a first camera of the cameras is configured to capture images from a part of the single billiard table and including an immediately surrounding peripheral area of the single billiard table;
wherein a second camera of the cameras is configured to capture images constituting an overview of a surface of the single billiard table;
wherein the processing device is configured to use starting and stopping of ball motion on the single billiard table to create a single reconstructed video record from the at least two video streams; and
wherein the reconstructed video record includes images captured from both the first camera and the second camera.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the processing device is further configured to:
determine whether there is motion around a first end of the single billiard table or around a second end of the single billiard table,
provide a combination of the at least two video streams corresponding to which of the first end or the second end motion was determined in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion.
6. A lighting apparatus for lighting a billiard table surface, the lighting apparatus comprising:
a troffer frame configured to support one or more lights to provide light for substantially uniform illumination of the billiard table surface;
the troffer frame configured to support the one or more lights around a periphery of the billiard table surface such that no light sources used to provide the substantially uniform illumination are placed approximately directly above a middle portion of the billiard table surface;
wherein the troffer frame is substantially hollow in its inner structure, wherein the inner structure is configured to support the one or more lights within the inner structure;
wherein the troffer frame supports a bottom diffuser between the one or more lights and the billiard table surface, wherein the bottom diffuser is configured such that at least some of the light provided by the one or more lights can pass through the bottom diffuser to the billiard table surface.
7. The lighting apparatus of claim 6 wherein the substantially uniform illumination of the billiard table surface comprises illumination having an illumination coefficient of variation of about 14% or less from cushion to cushion of the billiard table surface.
8. The lighting apparatus of claim 6 wherein individual ones of the one or more lights comprise an LED light element.
9. The lighting apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a first mirrored diffuser disposed between the one or more lights and an outer wall of the troffer frame, the outer wall facing away from a center of the billiard table surface, wherein the first mirrored diffuser is oriented essentially perpendicular with the billiard table surface so that a mirrored surface of the first mirrored diffuser reflects light from the one or more lights toward the center of the billiard table surface.
10. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a second mirrored diffuser between the one or more lights and an inner wall of the troffer frame, which inner wall faces toward the center of the billiard table surface.
11. The lighting apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second mirrored diffuser is disposed at an angle so that a mirrored surface of the second mirrored diffuser reflects light generally toward both the bottom diffuser and the first mirrored diffuser to effect direction of more light at the billiard table surface.
12. A method comprising:
receiving by a processing device at least two video streams from cameras disposed to capture images of at least a portion of a billiard table surface of a billiard table;
providing from a video output controlled by the processing device a video stream;
determining by the processing device whether billiard balls on the billiard table surface are in motion or non-motion based on images received from one of the at least two video streams from the cameras,
providing by the processing device a first combination of the at least two video streams in response to determining that the billiard balls are in motion,
providing by the processing device a second combination of the least two video streams different from the first combination in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion,
determining whether there is motion around a first end of the billiard table or around a second end of the billiard table, and
providing a combination of the at least two video streams corresponding to which of the first end or the second end motion was determined in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, when providing the first combination of the at least two video streams, providing a combination of video streams including at least one image from a camera mounted to capture images of an area around the billiard table.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising, when providing the second combination of the at least two video streams, providing a video stream of the billiard table surface.
15. A method for creating a single reconstructed video record from at least two video streams using billiard ball motion and non-motion to control reconstruction of the video record, the method comprising:
receiving by a processing device at least two video streams from cameras disposed to capture images of at least a portion of a billiard table surface of a single billiard table simultaneously from billiard game play on the single billiard table;
providing from a video output controlled by the processing device a video stream;
capturing images from a first camera of the cameras from a part of the single billiard table and including an immediately surrounding peripheral area of the single billiard table;
capturing images from a second camera of the cameras constituting an overview of a surface of the single billiard table;
the processing device's using starting and stopping of ball motion on the single billiard table to create a single reconstructed video record from the at least two video streams; and
wherein the reconstructed video record includes images captured from both the first camera and the second camera.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
determining whether there is motion around a first end of the single billiard table or around a second end of the single billiard table; and
providing a combination of the at least two video streams corresponding to which of the first end or the second end motion was determined in response to determining that the billiard balls are not in motion.