Digital camera with GPS enabled file management and a device to determine direction

• US 6,657,661 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cazier, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M
• Application Number:
  US09/596,703
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.5, 348/239, 348/333.02, 348/552
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3229 further additional information (metadata) being comprised in the file name (including path, e.g. directory or folder names at one or more higher hierarchical levels)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal

Abstract

A digital system that uses a global positioning system (GPS) and a device to determine direction to help name the files and/or the file location of the images captured by the device can help manage the large number of files created by the device. The digital system containing a photo-sensor, an image storage area, a GPS system, a GPS database, a device to determine direction, and a processor.

Claims

1. A digital imaging system comprising:

a photo-sensor array configured to capture an image;

an image storage area;

a global positioning system that determines a location where the image is captured;

at least one global positioning system database that provides a name of the location;

a device to determine a direction when the image is captured;

a processor that is configured to name the captured image file as a function of the name of the location and the direction the device was facing when the image was captured.

2. The system of claim 1 where the global positioning system database is a full database.

3. The system of claim 1 where the global positioning system database is a segment of a database.

4. The system of claim 1 where the global positioning system database can be changed.

5. The system of claim 1 where the global positioning system database is remote from the photo-sensor array.

6. The system of claim 1 where the name of the captured image file is substantially in the form of a sentence.

7. The system of claim 1 where the path of the captured image file is a function of the name of the location.

8. The system of claim 1 where the device to determine direction is a compass.

9. A digital imaging system comprising:

a photo-sensor array configured to capture an image;

an image storage area;

a global positioning system that determines a location where the image is captured;

at least one global positioning system data-base that provides a name of the location;

a clock that determines when the image was captured;

a device to determine a direction when the image is captured;

a processor that is configured to name the captured image file as a function of the name of the location where the image was captured, when the image was captured, and the direction the digital Imaging system was facing when the image was captured.

10. The system of claim 9 where the global positioning system database is a full database.

11. The system of claim 9 where the global positioning system database is a segment of a database.

12. The system of claim 9 where the global positioning system database can be changed.

13. The system of claim 9 where the global positioning system database is remote from the global positioning system.

14. The system of claim 9 where the name of the captured image file is substantially in the form of a sentence.

15. The system of claim 9 where the path of the captured image file is a function of the name of the location.

16. A method of storing images on a digital imaging device, comprising:

determining the location of the digital imaging device when the image is created;

determining the name of the location;

determining the direction the digital imaging device is facing when the image is created;

naming the stored image based on the name of the location and the direction.

17. The method of claim 16 where the name of the stored image is substantially in the form of a sentence.

18. The method of claim 16 where the path of the stored image is based on the name of the location.

19. A method of storing images on a digital imaging device, comprising:

determining the location of the digital imaging device when the image is created;

determining when the image is created

determining the name of the location;

determining the direction the digital imaging device is facing when the image is created;

naming the stored image based on the name of the location, the direction and when the image was created.