Recording-location determination

• US 7,123,188 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Needham, Bradford H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/772,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20040157622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 342/450, 342/457, 701/213, 701/215, 455/456.1, 455/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

Tracking and multiple signal sources, such as cellular phone towers, 802.11 hotspots, Radio Data System (RDS) transmitters, or the like, and using one or more of these sources to determine a current position that can be associated with a recording, such as a digital camera photo or other digital recording, conventional camera photo, or other recording.

Claims

1. A method for annotating a recording with a current location comprising:

monitoring, while traveling, for different types of signal sources that may be used to facilitate determining a current location;

identifying a first signal source at a first time;

determining a current location based at least in part on the first signal source;

making a recording; and

associating the current location with the recording.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging the first time and characteristics of the signal source; and

associating the current location after completing traveling.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein characteristics of the signal source include a signal source type, a signal source strength, a signal source position, and a signal source location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location is based at least in part on characteristics of the signal source including a signal source type, a signal source strength, a signal source position, and a signal source location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location has an associated margin of error determined with respect to the type of the first signal source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said different types of signal sources include signals from GPS, LORAN, cellular phone towers, 802.11 hotspots, and Radio Data System (RDS) transmitters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second signal source different from the first signal source; and

determining the current location based in part on the second signal source.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a primary position determination device is not available.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the primary position determination device comprises a GPS receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

looking up the first signal source on a coverage map to determine an origin of the first signal source; and

determining the current location based at least in part on the origin.

11. An article of manufacture to facilitate annotating a recording with a current location, comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing;

monitoring, while traveling, for different types of signal sources that may be used to facilitate determining a current location;

identifying a first signal source at a first time;

determining a current location based at least in part on the first signal source;

making a recording; and

associating the current location with the recording.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

logging the first time and characteristics of the signal source; and

associating the current location after completing traveling.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the data for logging characteristics of the signal source comprises further data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

identifying a signal source type, a signal source strength, a signal source position, and a signal source location.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

identifying a second signal source different from the first signal source; and

determining the current location based in part on the second signal source.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

determining a primary position determination device is not available.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

looking up the first signal source on a coverage map to determine an origin of the first signal source; and

determining the current location based at least in part on the origin.