System and method for geographical indexing of images

• US 20020097894A1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Oleinik, John H., Staas, David
• Granted Patent: US 6,868,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method are provided for organizing a number of digital images. The system and method advantageously provide a geographical context for viewing the digital images. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes the steps of associating the number of digital images with a digital map in a computer system, and geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map in the computer system. To geographically index each of the digital images, the present invention further provides the steps of obtaining a set of geographical coordinates associated with each of the digital images, and identifying a position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images. In addition, the present method may include the step of positioning an image icon on each of the positions on the digital map, thereby indicating the geographical location of the corresponding digital image.

Claims

1. A method for organizing a number of digital images, comprising the steps of:

associating the number of digital images with a digital map in a computer system; and

geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map in the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the digital map that indexes the digital images to a client for display on the client, wherein the computer system is a server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map in the computer system further comprises the step of:

obtaining a set of geographical coordinates associated with each of the digital images; and

identifying a position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of geographically indexing each of the digital images on the map in the computer system further comprises the step of positioning an image icon on each of the positions on the digital map, thereby indicating the geographical location of the corresponding digital image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying a position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images further comprises the step of locating each of the geographical locations associated with the respective digital images on a coordinate plane associated with the digital map.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of transmitting the image icons to a client for display on the digital map on the client, wherein the computer system is a server.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of transmitting a digital image to the client in response to request received from the client, the request being generated by a manipulation of one of the image icons at the client.

8. A system in a server for organizing a number of digital images, comprising the steps of:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

an indexing system stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the indexing system comprising;

logic to associate the number of digital images with a digital map; and

logic to geographically index each of the digital images on the digital map.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the indexing system further comprises logic to transmit the digital map that indexes the digital images to a client for display.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic to geographically index each of the digital images on the digital map further comprises:

logic to obtain a set of geographical coordinates associated with each of the digital images; and

logic to identify a position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic to geographically index each of the digital images on the digital map further comprises logic to position an image icon on each of the positions on the digital map, thereby indicating the geographical location of the corresponding image.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the logic to identify the position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images further comprises logic to locate each of the geographical coordinates associated with the respective digital images on a coordinate plane associated with the digital map.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising logic to transmit the image icons to a client for display on the digital map on the client.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising logic to transmit the digital image to the client in response to request received from the client, the request being generated by a manipulation of one of the image icons at the client.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for transmitting the digital map that indexes the digital images to a client for display.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map further comprises:

means for obtaining a set of geographical coordinates associated with each of the digital images; and

means for identifying a position on the digital map that represents the geographical coordinates for each of the digital images.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map further comprises means for positioning an image icon on each of the positions on the digital map, thereby indicating the geographical location of the corresponding image.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

providing a non-indexed digital image and a geographical location associated with the non-indexed digital image to the indexing system; and

displaying a new image icon at a position on the digital map corresponding to the geographical location, the new image icon being generated by the indexing system.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of displaying the digital image upon the manipulation of the image icon further comprises the steps of:

generating a request for the digital image; and

applying the request to the indexing system.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of providing the non-indexed digital image and the geographical location associated with the non-indexed digital image to the indexing system further comprises the step of pinpointing the geographical location on the digital map displayed on the display device of the computer system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of providing the non-indexed digital image and the geographical location associated with the non-indexed digital image to the indexing system further comprises the step of downloading the non-indexed digital image and the geographical location from a memory.

15. A system in a server for organizing a number of digital images, comprising the steps of:

means for associating the number of digital images with a digital map; and

means for geographically indexing each of the digital images on the digital map.

19. A method for indexing a number of digital images, comprising the steps of:

displaying a digital map of a geographical area on a display device of a computer system;

displaying an image icon generated by an indexing system on the digital map, the image icon being associated with a digital image accessible by the computer system; and

displaying the digital image upon a manipulation of the image icon.