Image processing system, method and apparatus for correlating position data with image data

• US 20050278111A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NK Works Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ujino, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A navigation system includes a processing unit for generating route data relating to a route along which a vehicle has actually traveled, from position data acquired by a position acquiring unit, an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data, a first storage section for storing the image data acquired by the image acquiring unit according to groups of respective destinations, and a second storage section for storing the route data generated by the processing unit. A link data generating section is provided for correlating the respective destinations with the respective route data via link data. An outputting unit is configured to extract a group linked to a destination by the link data in response to a manual designation of a route data stored in the second storage section or to a manual or automatic designation of a designation included in that route data and then to output the image data included in that group from the first storage section to an outputting section.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a processing unit for generating route data relating to a route along which a vehicle has actually traveled, from position data acquired by position acquiring means;

an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data;

a first storage section for storing the image data acquired by the image data acquiring section according to groups of respective destinations;

a second storage section for storing the route data generated by the processing unit;

link data generating means for correlating the respective destinations with the respective route data via link data; and

outputting means configured to extract a group linked to a destination by the link data in response to a manual designation of the route data stored in the second storage section or to a manual or automatic designation of a destination included in that route data and then to output the image data included in that group from the first storage section to an outputting section.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit self-generates route data and said second storage section stores this self-generated route data, and in response to a manual or automatic designation from a plurality of destinations included in the route data, the image data included in a group correlated with that designation is read from the first storage section and displayed.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a map data storage section for storing map data;

and

wherein said processing unit extracts from the map data storage section, map data corresponding to the position data acquired by the position acquiring means and causes the display unit to display this map data and the route data on that map data.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said image data acquiring section includes a semiconductor drive for acquiring image data from a semiconductor medium adapted for storing image data obtained by a digital camera or includes a terminal for acquiring image data stored in a digital camera via a communication channel.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a media drive for storing data in a storage medium and storage processing means for storing data in the storage medium set to said media drive;

and

wherein said storage processing means is adapted for storing, in the storage medium set to said media drive, a computer-executable program, the image data stored in the first storage section, the route data stored in the second storage section and the link data.

6. A computer-executable program having instructions for realizing

an image data storing function for storing a plurality of acquired image data according to groups of respective destinations;

a route data storing function for storing route data indicative of a route of a vehicle;

a link data generating function for correlating the respective destinations and the respective route data with the grouped image data; and

an outputting function for extracting a group linked to a destination by link data and outputting image data included in that group, in response to a manual designation of a destination included in that route data.

7. An image processing system comprising:

a processing unit for correlating position data acquired by position acquiring means with photographic image data acquired by an image data acquiring section;

an image data storing section for storing map image data indicated by said position data; and

an outputting section for outputting the photographic image data;

wherein said position acquiring means acquires timing data for specifying a time when said position data was acquired; and

wherein said processing unit comprises a link processing means for correlating photographic date data annexed to said photographic image data and said timing data by correlating said position data with said photographic image data via link data and an output controlling means for outputting map image data extracted from the image data storage section based on the position data and the photographic image data correlated to the position data via the link data to said outputting section.

8. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said outputting section is a display unit for displaying images;

said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect a playback operation for obtaining the position data by designating the timing data one after another, displaying the map image data corresponding to each position data on the display unit and displaying, also on the display unit, the photographic image data correlated to the position data acquired by the position acquiring means of the plurality of the position data stored by the storing operation.

9. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said outputting section is a display unit for displaying images;

and said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect, after the storing operation, a simulating operation for extracting one after another position data corresponding to designated timing data from the plurality of stored position data by designating the timing data one after another along a time base and then displaying, on the display unit, one after another the map image data corresponding to the plurality of position data extracted and extracting photographic image data correlated with the extracted position data and extracting the photographic image data correlated to the extracted position data and displaying the extracted photographic image data on the display unit.

10. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said outputting section is a media drive for storing data in a storage medium;

said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect a storing operation for storing the position data, the photographic image data, the link data and the map image data corresponding to the position data in the storage medium set to the media drive.

11. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said output controlling means writes the position data, the photographic image data and the link data stored in the storage medium in a data format which allows reading of the data according to an order along the a time base of the timing data.

12. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit constituting a car navigation system;

said map image data is map data used in the car navigation system; and

said output controlling means is a display unit constituting the car navigation system.

13. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit constituting a car navigation system;

said map image data is map data used in the car navigation system; and

said output controlling means is a media drive for storing data in a disc type or semiconductor type storage medium.

14. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein said image data acquiring section comprises a plurality of semiconductor drives for acquiring photographic image data from a semiconductor type storage medium used with a digital camera and said plurality of semiconductor drives are disposed adjacent a plurality of seats in a vehicle.

15. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

correlating position data acquired by a position acquiring section with photographic image data acquired by an image data acquiring section;

storing map image data indicative of location of the position data in an image data storage section;

acquiring timing data for specifying a time when the position data was acquired;

a link processing step for correlating the position data with the photographic image data via link data so that photographic date data annexed to the photographic image data and the timing data may correspond to each other; and

an outputting step for outputting the map image data extracted from the image data storage section based on the position data and the photographic image data correlated with the position data via the link data to an outputting section.

16. An image processing system comprising:

an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data obtained by a digital camera;

a data storing section for storing data;

a processing unit for storing the image data acquired by the image data acquiring section in the data storing section;

position acquiring means for acquiring position data; and

a portable-sized apparatus body including a map data storing section for storing map data indicative of location of the position data acquired by the position acquiring means and an outputting section for outputting the data stored in the data storing section; and

wherein said processing unit is operable to store the position data continuously acquired by the position acquiring means and the image data acquired by the image data acquiring section in the data storing section, to generate link data for correlating the position data with the image data, to store the link data in the data storing section; and

to control said outputting section to output the position data stored in the data storing section, the map data indicative of the position location of the position data and the image data correlated with the position data.

17. The image processing system according to claim 16, wherein said processing unit comprises a link processing means for generating the link data, and wherein said link processing means being operable to compare timing data for specifying the time of acquisition of the position data with photographic date data annexed to the image data and to generate link data which link the timing data and the photographic date data if the timing data and the photographic date data match or is similar agreeing with or similar to each other.

18. The image processing system according to claim 16, wherein said apparatus body includes a display unit;

and

said processing unit causes the display unit to display the map data corresponding to the position data and the image data correlated with the position data.

19. The image processing system according to claim 16, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit for acquiring the position data by receiving radio waves from a plurality of artificial satellites.

20. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit for acquiring the position data by receiving radio waves from a plurality of artificial satellites, said GPS unit storing, together with the position data, a time of the acquisition of the position data as said timing data;

said link processing means effects said linking operation for linking timing data and photographic data agreeing with or similar to each other, an automatic link mode in which photographic date data included in Exif data annexed to the image data obtained by the digital camera and the timing data agreeing therewith or similar thereto are linked to each other; and

said link processing means effects also a correction link mode operation in which all photographic date data included in the Exif data annexed to the image data obtained by the digital camera are shifted by a same value and then the shifted photographic date data and the timing data are correlated with each other.

21. The image processing system according to claim 16, wherein said image data acquiring section acquires image data from a storage medium used in the digital camera;

and

if said processing unit determines that the storage medium is set to said image data acquiring section, the unit discriminates the plurality of image data stored in that storage medium and stores in the data storage section only image data excluding the image data stored already in the data storing section.