Location-informed camera

• US 6,914,626 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• 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: Squibbs, Robert Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/788,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20010015759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 348/116, 348/231.6, 348/231.2, 348/239, 348/333.09, 348/207.99, 348/231.9, 348/552, 348/14.08, 348/174, 348/14.09, 348/231.3, 348/231.01, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

A camera (90) is provided with an arrangement for location-stamping image recordings and with a subsystem for recording location data (175) independently of making an image recording. The independently-recorded location data is sequentially associated with the image recordings and can be used subsequently to retrieve corresponding photos from a photo archive (40).

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image recording subsystem for making image recordings;

a location-providing subsystem for providing location data items representative of a current location of the camera,

a location-stamping subsystem for recording, in association with said image recordings, respective said location data items that each represent the location of the camera at the time the corresponding image recording was taken, and

a location recording subsystem for recording, independently of the making of said image recording, location data items in response to respective user triggerings, these location data items and those associated with the location-stamped image recordings being recorded in a sequential association with each other.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein both the location-stamped image recordings and the location data items recorded independently of recording an image recording, are recorded in data structures of the same form, the data structures being arranged or explicitly linked into a sequence indicative of the order of recording.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein each location data item recorded independently of recording an image recording, is recorded in a log distinct from the location-stamped image recordings along with sequence data indicating its sequence position relative to the sequence of recorded image recordings.

4. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the image recording subsystem and the location recording subsystem have independent user-operable controls for triggering recording.

5. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the location providing subsystem is a GPS subsystem.

6. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the location providing subsystem comprises a cellular mobile radio subsystem for receiving location-related data from a mobile radio infrastructure.

7. A digital camera comprising:

an image recording subsystem for making image recordings;

a location-providing subsystem for providing location data items representative of a current location of the camera,

a location-stamping subsystem for recording, in association with said image recordings, respective said location data items that each represent the location of the camera at the time the corresponding image recording was taken, and

a location recording subsystem for recording, independently of the making of a said image recording, location data items in response to respective user triggerings, these location data items and those associated with the location-stamped image recordings being recorded in a sequential association with each other, and wherein the image recording subsystem and the location recording subsystem have a common user-operable control for triggering recording and a common sensor for determining whether there is an image to be recorded, the image recording subsystem being operative to record an image recording when said control is operated only if said sensor indicates that an image is present, and the location recording subsystem only recording a location data item when said control is operated, if said sensor indicates that an image is absent.

8. A camera according to claim 7, wherein said sensor is a sensor for detecting whether a lens shutter of the camera is open or closed.

9. A camera according to claim 7, wherein sensor is an optical sensor located in an image plane of the camera.

10. A camera according to claim 9, wherein said optical sensor is constituted by an electronic image capture device of the image recording subsystem.