Geographical position/image digital recording and display system

• US 6,282,362 B1
• Filed: 10/10/1997
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Woo, Arthur N., Nichols, Mark, Murphy, Michael, Schipper, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Application Number:
  US08/949,510
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.5225, H04/N.979, 358/310, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909, 358/103, 358/108, 358/109, 358/209, 358/909.1, 360/33.1, 354/105, 354/109, 354/75, 354/76, 348/232, 386/46, 386/95, 386/117
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal

Abstract

A geographical position/image capturing system stores object images and position coordinates as digital data. The system incorporates a geo-addressed map data base and geo-positioning device for relating the position of the system at the time the image is captured to the captured digital image data and the geo-addressed map. A point-of-interest feature data base is linked to the image data and the position data, by hyper-media links. Digital multi-media entities such as graphics, video clips, audio streams and the like can be digitally stored and retrieved based on hyper-media links coupling the entities to the object images, the map position and feature data base. A playback unit incorporating an image viewer communicates with the stored digital digital image data, the multi-media entities, the map data base, and the feature data base and allows modified images of selected portions of the images and other data to be viewed by a user. An audio reproduction device may be included to reproduce the audio media entities when they are selected by the appropriate hyper-media link. In one embodiment of the system, the image capturing function and the geo-positioning function are physically remote from the viewing function until the captured data is transferred to the retrieval and playback unit. In another embodiment, the capture functions and playback functions are combined in a compact, hand-held, portable unit for consumer or industrial field use. The images, position data and multi-media entities may be stored as a single, compressed, linked digital data file. The data file is provided with hyper-media connections between the various entities, which connections are actuated by clicking on icons displayed on the viewer, or by actuating buttons or switches provided on the system console. Angular orientation determining device for providing angular orientation data may also be incorporated such that the system angular orientation at the time of image capture may be captured and stored for subsequent retrieval and display.

Claims

1. A geo-addressed image recording, playing and storage system, comprising:

an optical system having an imager capturing an object image and outputting the object image as digital image data;

a digital data recorder receiving and storing the digital image data;

a position detector receiving location determination signals from a plurality of location determination signal sources, the position detector generating position information responsive to the location determination signals;

a processing unit relating the stored digital image data and the position information, the processing unit encrypting the position information using an encryption key comprising at least a portion of the position information, the processing unit decrypting the encrypted position information using the encryption key; and

a viewer communicating with a geo-addressed map data base, the stored digital image data, and the position information, the viewer selectably viewing a portion of the stored digital image data in relation to a geo-addressed map and the decrypted position information.

2. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the position information comprises location information, angular orientation information and time of receipt information.

3. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data and the position information are stored as a multi-media data file.

4. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the encryption key is stored separate from the digital data recorder.

5. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 further comprising a controller creating a modified viewing image from the digital image data, the geo-addressed map and the position information.

6. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 further comprising:

an audio pickup device outputting digital audio data during capture of the object image, the digital audio data stored in the digital data recorder;

the processing unit relating the stored digital audio data, the position information and the digital image data; and

a transducer reproducing the stored digital audio data in relation to the decrypted position information.

7. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data, the digital audio data and the position information are stored as a multi-media data file.

8. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data, the position information and the geo-addressed map data base are stored in a signal data file in the digital data recorder.

9. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data is a graphical image.

10. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data is a video image.

11. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data is a still photo image.

12. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data, the geo-addressed map and the position information are related by hyper-media links.

13. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 further comprising an attitude sensor determining an attitude of the imager during capture of the object image, the digital data recorder storing the attitude of the imager during capture of the object image as attitude data, the processor relating the stored digital image data and the stored attitude data.

14. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the object image is one of a plurality of multiple sequential object images captured at a frame rate, the plurality of object images stored as the digital image data by the digital data recorder, the viewer selectably viewing the plurality of multiple sequential object images at the frame rate.

15. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 14 wherein the frame rate is selectable.

16. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 14 wherein the frame rate is fixed.

17. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 14 wherein the frame rate is variable.

18. The geo-addressed image recording playing and storage system of claim 1 wherein the digital image data is authenticated responsive to the encrypted position data being decrypted using the encryption key.