Communication apparatus and method that link a network address with designated image information

• US 20020191087A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Yasuhiko, Yamada, Shigeki, Takaoka, Makoto, Ohwada, Hiroshi, Kusama, Kiyoshi, Kobayashi, Shigetada
• Application Number:
  US10/218,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

To make it possible to process or retrieve a recorded image in accordance with the location where the image is recorded and record digital image data together with GPS information when capturing a digital image by a video camera. Moreover, when GPS information cannot be captured, GPS information a certain time before is captured. Furthermore, a system is disclosed which accesses the internet in accordance with the captured GPS information.

Claims

1. An image recording method when recording image information, comprising the step of:

recording said image information together with the location information at the place where said image information is obtained.

2. An image recording method according to claim 1, wherein said location information is altitude information.

3. An image recording method according to claim 1, wherein location information is obtained from radio waves output from a station at a predetermined position.

4. An image recording method according to claim 3, wherein said station at a predetermined position is a satellite.

5. An image recording method according to claim 3, wherein said base at a predetermined position is a ground station.

6. An image recording method according to claim 1, wherein location information includes latitude and longitude information.

29. A computer readable medium comprising:

means for storing steps described in claim 1 or 7, wherein said storing means is readable by computer.

7. An image recording method for recording location information together with image information, comprising the steps of:

deciding whether said location information can be obtained; and

recording substitute information together with said image information when it is not decided that said location information can be obtained.

8. An image recording method wherein the substitute information of claim 7 is last-obtained location information.

9. An image recording method wherein the substitute information of claim 7 is location information obtained within a predetermined time.

10. An image recording method wherein the substitute information of claim 7 is manually-input location information.

11. An image recording method according to claim 7, wherein

unless location information can be obtained, it is communicated to a user that no location information can be obtained.

12. An image recording method according to claim 8, wherein

if the time when obtaining last location information is information obtained a certain time before, substitute information is used as last-obtained location information.

13. An image recording method according to claim 9, wherein

if the time when obtaining last-obtained location information is information obtained a certain time after, substitute information is used as information showing that a location is indeterminate.

16. A communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said generation means is means for generating location information by a GPS.

17. A communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said generation means is previously provided with a corresponding table of location information and network addresses.

18. A communication apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising image pickup means for picking up a subject.

19. A communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said location information generation means is means for generating the location information of the place where image pickup is performed by said image pickup means.

20. A communication apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising storage means for storing a signal corresponding to a subject picked up by said image pickup means in a medium.

21. An image input unit according to claim 20, wherein said medium is a semiconductor memory.

22. A computer communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said address generation means is means for generating the name of area information according to the location generated by said location information generation means.

23. A communication apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for generating the address of an internet home page including an area name in accordance with said area information.

24. A communication apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said generation means is previously provided with a corresponding table of location and internet address.

25. A communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said location information is data for latitude and longitude.

26. A communication apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said corresponding table can be retrieved.

27. A communication apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said network is an internet network and said linkage means has means for linking with an internet address retrieval home page, automatically inputting location information as a retrieval keyword, and retrieving an internet address.

28. A communication apparatus according to claim 27, wherein an address retrieved by said retrieval means can be automatically entered in said internet address corresponding table.

14. An image recording apparatus when recording image information characterized by:

recording not only an image but also the location information at a place where the image is obtained.

15. A communication apparatus comprising:

generation means for generating image information and location information corresponding to said image information;

means for generating a network address according to the location information generated by said generation means; and

means for linking with an address generated by said generation means.