Image processing system capable of displaying photographed image in combination with relevant map image

• US 6,133,947 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Mikuni, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US08/860,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/144, 348/145, 348/148, 348/149, 348/151, 348/155, 348/161, 348/164, 348/169, 348/170, 340/995, 364/449, 364/450, 345/353, 382/1, 701/202, 701/207, 701/210
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

In an image processing system utilized with a car navigation system, an image photographed by a digital camera is coordinated with a map image in relation to this photographed image, so that a driver can readily confirm where this photographed image has been acquired with respect to the map. The image processing system includes: an image storage unit for storing photographed image data and positional information data acquired in correspondence with the photographed image data; a map image storage unit for storing map image data; a retrieval unit for retrieving a position with respect to the map image data stored in the map image storage unit based upon the positional information data stored in the image storage unit; and an image output unit for outputting a map image of the map image data about the position retrieved by the retrieval unit, and a photographed image of the photographed image data in correspondence with the map image data.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

registration designation means for designating a registration of a photographed image;

registration control means for, upon designation of the registration of the photographed image, acquiring from a GPS system image position data with respect to a position at which the photographed image was taken, and for registering the photographed image in correspondence with the acquired image position data;

a map image display means for acquiring from the GPS system present position data with respect to a present position, for extracting a map image corresponding to the present position data, and for displaying the extracted map image on a display screen;

determining means for determining whether or not there is a registered photographed image stored in correspondence with image position data of a position near to the present position; and

photographed image display means, responsive to a positive determination by said determining means, for extracting the registered photographed image corresponding to the image position data of the position near to the present position, and displaying the extracted photographed image on the display screen.

2. An image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

message display means, also responsive to the positive determination by said determining means, for displaying a message indicating a presence of a nearby photographed image; and

wherein said photographed image display means comprises means for displaying the nearby photographed image after the message is displayed.