Electronic tour guide and photo location finder

• US 6,459,388 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Baron, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/765,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539, 340/10.41, 340/10.51, 340/10.6, 340/995, 340/996, 701/201, 701/208, 701/213, 342/456, 342/457, 345/435, 348/153, 348/157, 348/159, 348/589, 707/104.1, 707/102, 705/7, 705/26
• US Class Current: 340/996
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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 1/00183 Photography assistance, e.g. displaying suggestions to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• 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 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A location database system provides information about nearby sites to a user. The system includes a processor configured to identify the present location of the system using the Global Positioning System. The processor is also associated with a clock providing realtime information. The clock may be the internal clock of a microprocessor serving as the processor of the system. The processor may also communicate with a remote database of sites using a wireless connection. The database includes relevant information about the sites which may be of interest to a user of the system, such as locational information, imaging information and images, and/or tour-guide type information. A display provides a visual display of the relevant information to the user, and the system may provide setting information for the camera and also may provide travel directions to a particular site, based on a selected view as seen on a display.

Claims

1. A portable camera for identifying sites of interest to a portable display and capturing an image of said site of interest, said camera comprising:

a processor configured to identify a present location of said display;

a database of sites connected to said processor wherein said database includes time relevant information for each of said sites;

said display is configured to receive from said processor a visual display of nearby sites of said present location and time information; and

an image capturing device configured to capture an image.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said processor includes Global Positioning System.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein said database is remote from said processor, said processor including a wireless interface to said remote database.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein said database of sites includes images of scenic views of at least some of said sites.

5. The camera of claim 4 wherein said database includes imaging data associated with each of said sites.

6. The camera of claim 5 wherein said imaging data includes exposure data.

7. The camera of claim 5 wherein said imaging data is based on time information.

8. The camera of claim 1 wherein said database includes weather condition related information about said sites.

9. The camera of claim 1 wherein said processor includes access to current and predicted weather conditions for an area associated with an identified present location of said display.

10. The camera of claim 1 wherein said camera is self contained with said display.

11. The camera of claim 1 wherein said database includes route information to each of said sites from an identified present location, such that said display may receive from said processor a display showing suggested route from the present location to at least one of said sites.

12. The camera of claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to identify a sequence for visiting a plurality of selected ones of said sites, and to provide said identified sequence to said display.

13. The camera of claim 1 wherein said database includes tour-guide type information about said sites for communication to a user associated with said display.

14. A location smart imaging device comprising:

an optical system configured to project an image of a subject onto a light sensitive media;

a processor associated with said optical system and configured to identify a present location of said optical system and a present time;

a database of sites, said database including the location of scenic views and images of scenic views; and

a display disposed on said optical system, said display controllable by said processor for providing a visual display of the location of scenic views or images of scenic views in response to identifying one of said present locations and said time information.

15. The imaging device of claim 14 wherein said database includes imaging data associated with each of said sites.

16. The imaging device of claim 15 wherein said optical system includes a camera.

17. The method of touring a particular venue and recording images of said venue, said method comprising the steps of:

allowing a portable device to access a central positioning system to obtain a geographical position of said device;

based upon said obtained geographical position, accessing a database of information arranged according to geographical criteria;

presenting to a user of said portable device geographically sensitive information pertaining to said obtained geographical position; and

recording a received image onto a media.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said database is remote from said device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said presented information are images pertinent to said obtained geographical position.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said received images are scenes available to a lens of said portable device within a certain distance of said portable device, said information also including other data pertinent to each of said scenes.