Electronic apparatus, image output method, and program therefor

• US 20110216165A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Misawa, Tomonori
• Application Number:
  US12/932,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators

Abstract

Provided is an electronic apparatus including: a storage to store digital photograph images, shooting date and time information, and shooting location information; a current date and time obtaining unit to obtain a current date and time; a current location obtaining unit to obtain a current location; a controller to draw each of digital photograph images at a drawing position based on the shooting date and time and the shooting location in a virtual three-dimensional space, and to image the virtual three-dimensional space, in which each of digital photograph images is drawn; and an output unit to output the imaged virtual three-dimensional space.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a storage configured to store

a plurality of digital photograph images,

shooting date and time information indicating a shooting date and time of each of the digital photograph images, and

shooting location information indicating a shooting location of each of the digital photograph images;

a current date and time obtaining unit configured to obtain a current date and time;

a current location obtaining unit configured to obtain a current location;

a controller configured to

draw each of digital photograph images at a drawing position based on the shooting date and time and the shooting location in a virtual three-dimensional space, the virtual three-dimensional space including

one of a time axis corresponding to the shooting date and time and a distance axis corresponding to the shooting location in a radial direction of a circle having a center at a view-point of a user, the view-point corresponding to the current date and time and the current location, and

a direction axis corresponding to the shooting location in a circumferential direction of the circle, each of digital photograph images being drawn in such a manner that each of digital photograph images has a size proportional to a distance from the view-point to the drawing position, and

image the virtual three-dimensional space, in which each of digital photograph images is drawn, for a predetermined range of field of view from the view-point; and

an output unit configured to output the imaged virtual three-dimensional space.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the virtual three-dimensional space includes the time axis in the radial direction, and

the controller is capable of selectively performing

a first mode of drawing each of the digital photograph images in such a manner that a distance from the view-point to the drawing position of each of the digital photograph images on the time axis is proportional to the shooting date and time, and

a second mode of drawing each of the digital photograph images in such a manner that the distance from the view-point to the drawing position of each of the digital photograph images on the time axis is proportional to a shooting order of each of the digital photograph images, the shooting order being calculated based on the shooting date and time.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the controller is configured

to determine whether or not an interval between a shooting date and time of a first image of the digital photograph images and another shooting date and time of a second image of the digital photograph images is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the first image and the second image being adjacent to each other in time sequence,

to perform the first mode when determined that the interval is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value, and

to perform the second mode when determined that the interval is larger than the predetermined value.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller draws, in the virtual three-dimensional space imaged for the predetermined range of field of view, an overhead-view image indicating as an overhead-view a drawing position of each of the digital photograph images drawn in all directions, the view-point, and the range of the field of view.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller draws, in the virtual three-dimensional space imaged for the predetermined range of field of view, a number line image indicating an angle of the direction, the angle corresponding to the range of the field of view.

6. An image output method, comprising:

storing

a plurality of digital photograph images,

shooting date and time information indicating a shooting date and time of each of the digital photograph images, and

shooting location information indicating a shooting location of each of the digital photograph images;

obtaining a current date and time;

obtaining a current location;

drawing each of digital photograph images at a

drawing position based on the shooting date and time and the shooting location in a virtual three-dimensional space, the virtual three-dimensional space including

one of a time axis corresponding to the shooting date and time and a distance axis corresponding to the shooting location in a radial direction of a circle having a center at a view-point of a user, the view-point corresponding to the current date and time and the current location, and

a direction axis corresponding to the shooting location in a circumferential direction of the circle, each of digital photograph images being drawn in such a manner that each of digital photograph images has a size proportional to a distance from the view-point to the drawing position;

imaging the virtual three-dimensional space, in which each of digital photograph images is drawn, for a predetermined range of field of view from the view-point; and

outputting the imaged virtual three-dimensional space.

7. A program configured to cause an electronic apparatus to execute steps of:

storing

a plurality of digital photograph images,

shooting date and time information indicating a shooting date and time of each of the digital photograph images, and

shooting location information indicating a shooting location of each of the digital photograph images;

obtaining a current date and time;

obtaining a current location;

drawing each of digital photograph images at a drawing position based on the shooting date and time and the shooting location in a virtual three-dimensional space, the virtual three-dimensional space including

one of a time axis corresponding to the shooting date and time and a distance axis corresponding to the shooting location in a radial direction of a circle having a center at a view-point of a user, the view-point corresponding to the current date and time and the current location, and

a direction axis corresponding to the shooting location in a circumferential direction of the circle, each of digital photograph images being drawn in such a manner that each of digital photograph images has a size proportional to a distance from the view-point to the drawing position;

imaging the virtual three-dimensional space, in which each of digital photograph images is drawn, for a predetermined range of field of view from the view-point; and

outputting the imaged virtual three-dimensional space.