System and method for automotive image capture and retrieval

• US 20090144233A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Grigsby, Travis M., Miller, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,961,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A system and method for implementing automotive image capture and retrieval. An image manager receives an image from a vehicle-mounted camera. The image manager determines, based on a set of preferences, whether to store the image. In response to storing the image, the image manager associates at least one form of metadata with the image, wherein the at least one form of metadata includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at the time of image capture, speed of a vehicle at the time of image capture, direction of travel at the time of image capture, and user annotations. In response to receiving a query for the image, image manager presents the image to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method for implementing automotive image capture and retrieval, said computer-implementable method comprising:

receiving an image from a vehicle-mounted camera;

determining, based on a set of preferences, whether to store said image;

in response to storing said image, associating at least one form of metadata with said image, wherein said at least one form of metadata includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at a time of image capture, speed of a vehicle at said time of image capture, direction of travel at said time of image capture, and user annotations; and

in response to receiving a query for said image, presenting said image to a user.

2. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein said user annotations further comprises voice annotations describing said image.

3. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one form of metadata further comprises a road name at location of image capture and a most recent road-location marker passed by said vehicle before image capture.

4. A system for implementing automotive image capture and retrieval, said system comprising:

at least one processor;

an interconnect coupled to said at least one processor;

a computer-readable storage medium, coupled to said at least one processor via said interconnect, said computer-readable storage medium further including computer-executable instructions executable by said at least one processor and configured for;

receiving an image from a vehicle-mounted camera;

determining, based on a set of preferences, whether to store said image;

in response to storing said image, associating at least one form of metadata with said image, wherein said at least one form of metadata includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at a time of image capture, speed of a vehicle at said time of image capture, direction of travel at said time of image capture, and user annotations; and

in response to receiving a query for said image, presenting said image to a user.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said user annotations further comprises voice annotations describing said image.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one form of metadata further comprises a road name at location of image capture and a most recent road-location marker passed by said vehicle before image capture.