Camera utilizing a satellite positioning system

• US 5,913,078 A
• Filed: 08/15/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Yoshinori, Kimura, Yoshiaki, Kawai, Masanori, Momose, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalakis, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/912,015
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 354/106, 354/76, 396/50, 396/310, 396/319
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/243 Optical devices
• 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 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

In a camera for receiving an electric wave including position information from a satellite of Global Positioning System and for recording a photographing position together with a photographed image, wherein a photographing attitude of the camera is arbitrarily changed in accordance with an image to be photographed, the camera comprises an enabling device to make the receiving of the electric wave through an antenna possible regardless of the photographing attitude of the camera.

Claims

1. A camera having a first and second photographing attitude, said second photographing attitude being rotated substantially 90 degrees from the first photographing attitude, comprising:

an antenna for receiving an electric wave including position information from a satellite of a Global Positioning System, the antenna having a receiving direction along which the antenna receives the electric wave;

a receiving circuit for outputting a photographing position data upon receipt of the electric wave through the antenna;

a photographing means for photographing an image;

a recording means for recording the photographing position data together with the photographed image; and

a positioning means to provide for positioning the antenna relatively to the camera at a first position for the first photographing attitude or at a second position for the second photographing attitude and for positioning the antenna to be substantially horizontal to the horizon so as to make the receiving of the electric wave through the antenna possible regardless of the first and second photographing attitudes of the camera.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the positioning means further changes the receiving direction by substantially 270 degrees.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the moving means holds the antenna separably.

4. The camera of claim 1, further comprising correction means for correcting the position information obtained from the satellite.

5. The camera of claim 4, wherein the correction means is a radio receiver.

6. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a direction sensor for measuring a photographing direction along which an image is photographed, wherein the direction sensor outputs a photographing direction data signal and the recording means records the photographing direction data signal together with the photographing position data.

7. The camera of claim 6, wherein the direction sensor senses terrestrial magnetism and measures the photographing direction based on magnetic north.

8. The camera of claim 6, wherein the direction sensor changes its direction in accordance with the photographing direction.

9. The camera of claim 1, further comprising an inclination sensor for measuring an inclination of the camera.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein the inclination sensor senses a gravity and measures an inclined angle based on the direction of the gravity.

11. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an atmospheric pressure sensor.

12. The camera of claim 1, wherein the electric wave from the satellite further includes a time information and the receiving circuit outputs the time data upon receipt of the electric wave through the antenna.

13. The camera of claim 12, further comprising a clock means outputting time data, wherein the time data of the clock means is corrected based on the time information from the satellite.

14. The camera of claim 1, wherein the recording means records the photographing position data together with the photographed image on a photosensitive material.

15. The camera of claim 14, wherein the photosensitive material is exposed with an image light so that the photographed image is recorded on the photosensitive material, and wherein a portion of the photosensitive material on which the photographing position data is recorded is shielded from the image light.

16. The camera of claim 14, further comprising a direction sensor for measuring a photographing direction, wherein the direction sensor outputs a photographing direction data signal and the recording means records the photographing direction data signal on the photosensitive material.

17. The camera of claim 14, further comprising an inclination sensor for measuring an inclination of the camera, wherein the recording means records the inclination on the photosensitive material.

18. The camera of claim 14, further comprising a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an atmospheric pressure sensor, wherein the recording means records the temperature, the humidity, and the atmospheric pressure on the photosensitive material.

19. The camera of claim 13, wherein when the receiving circuit does not receive the time information from the satellite, the recording means records the time data outputted from the clock means.

20. The camera of claim 13, wherein the recording means records the corrected time data together with the photographing position data.

21. The camera of claim 14, wherein the recording means records the photographing position data on the photosensitive material when the photosensitive material is being conveyed.

22. The camera of claim 21, wherein the photosensitive material is a roll film having a given number of frames, and the camera further comprises a film counter to count a number of photographed frames, and wherein when the film counter counts the number of photographed frames by a number obtained by adding one to a preset number, the roll film is automatically rewound.

23. The camera of claim 21, wherein the camera further comprises a pre-wind means for winding all frames before conducting the photographing.

24. The camera of claim 1, wherein the first photographing attitude is a photographing attitude for scenery and the second photographing attitude is a photographing attitude for a portrait.

25. The camera of claim 1 wherein the positioning means moves the antenna relative to the photographic attitude of the camera.

26. The camera of claim 1 wherein the positioning means changes the receiving direction of the antenna by substantially 90 degrees relative to the photographing attitude of the camera.

27. A camera having a first and second photographing attitude, said second photographing attitude being rotated substantially 90 degrees from the first photographing attitude, comprising:

an antenna for receiving an electric wave including position information from a satellite of a Global Positioning System;

a receiving circuit for outputting photographing position data upon receipt of the electric wave through the antenna;

a photographing means for photographing an image;

a recording means for recording the photographing data together with the photographed image; and

an enabling means for making the receiving of the electric wave through the antenna possible regardless of the first and second photographing attitudes of the camera, wherein the camera has at least two sets of antennas differing in the receiving direction and the enabling means selects one of the two sets of antennas in accordance with the photographing attitude of the camera.

28. A camera having a first and second photographing attitude, said second photographing attitude being rotated substantially 90 degrees from the first photographing attitude, comprising:

an antenna for receiving an electric wave including position information from a satellite of a Global Positioning System;

a receiving circuit for outputting photographing position data upon receipt of the electric wave through the antenna;

a photographing means for photographing an image;

a recording means for recording the photographing data together with the photographed image;

an enabling means for making the receiving of the electric wave through the antenna possible regardless of the first and second photographing attitudes of the camera; and

correction means for correcting the position information from the satellite, wherein the correcting means is a gyrocompass for measuring a moving distance and a direction.

29. A camera having a first and second photographing attitude, said second photographing attitude being rotated substantially 90 degrees from the first photographing attitude, comprising:

an antenna for receiving an electric wave including position information from a satellite of a Global Positioning System, the antenna having a receiving direction along which the antenna receives the electric wave;

a receiving circuit for outputting a photographing position data upon receipt of the electric wave through the antenna;

a photographing means for photographing an image;

a recording means for recording the photographing position data together with the photographed image;

a first holding means for holding the antenna in a first predetermined position related to the first photographing attitude of the camera; and

a second holding means for holding the antenna in a second predetermined position related to the second photographing attitude of the camera wherein said first holding means and said second holding means provide for positioning the antenna to be substantially horizontal to the horizon so as to make the receiving of the electric wave through the antenna possible regardless of the first and second photographing attitude of the camera.