Video multiplexer

Claim 1

A video multiplexer scoring system apparatus for scoring an event area comprising: a plurality of cameras placed around the event area, such that it is viewed from at least two perpsectives, each of said cameras providing a standard video output including synchronization signals of a predetermined section of said event area; means for synchronizing said plurality of camera's video output to provide a pattern of horizontal stripes, where said means for synchronizing comprises: a synchronization, sync, stripper circuit electrically connected to the video output of one of said plurality of cameras, said camera titled camera 1, said sync stripper circuit outputting vertical, horizontal, and composite synchronization signals; a synchronization level shifter circuit connected to said sync stripper circuit output and to the remainder of said plurality of cameras such that said remainder of the plurality of cameras are synchronized, slaved, to camera 1; a level shifter connected to said sync stripper output to increase the voltage range of the video output of camera 1, said level shifter outputting a vertical synchronization signal, a sample signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal; a black clamp circuit connected to said sample signal output from said level shifter to ground the input signals of said video cameras; a phase locked loop oscillator connected to the horizontal synchronization signal output of said level shifter, said phase locked loop oscillator synchronized to an integral multiple of the horizontal sync frequency of camera 1; a first counter connected to said phase locked loop oscillator which cycles through said integral multple of the horizontal sync frequency of camera 1; a second counter inputting said vertical and horizontal sync outputs of said level shifter to count the horizontal lines of said standard video signal and to reset said horizontal line counter after each vertical sync signal; a programmable read only memory, PROM, connected to said second counter, said PROM programmed to select specific horizontal lines counted by said second counter and match those lines to a preselected pattern of said plurality of cameras; a plurality of switches connected between said PROM and said plurality of cameras such that each switch is matched to a specific camera video input; a flip-flop circuit connected between said first counter and said plurality of switches such that said switches are opened or closed for a preselected count in said first counter; a composite video output circuit connected to said plurality of switches such that a given horizontal line of video signal is from only one of said plurality of cameras; means for recording said composite video output connected to said composite video output circuit; and means for scoring events that appear in said composite video output; means for recording the occurrence of an event within said area by connecting said recording means to said synchronizing means, such that said pattern of horizontal stripes is recorded; and means for locating said event within said area by triangulating said recorded synchronized horizontal stripes, said locating means connected to said recording means.