Information processing apparatus capable of displaying maps and position displaying method

• US 7,305,102 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagasaki, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhatnagar; Anand
• Application Number:
  US10/446,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382/107, 382/113, 701/200, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A method for displaying a locus of positions on a map is disclosed. In the method, positions where images have been picked up by a digital camera device are determined based on characters included in the picked up images, and a locus of the determined positions of the images are displayed on a map to show a route in which the camera device has been transferred. Also, attributes of characters included in a picked up image are judged to decide whether the characters indicate a name of place or a station name, for example, and a map that matches the judgment is displayed. For example, a road map may be displayed when the characters are determined to indicate a name of place, and a railroad route map may be displayed when the characters are determined to indicate a station name. Furthermore, a position determined based on the characters may be displayed on the map that matches the attribute of the characters to show where in the map the image was picked up. Also, a map may be displayed based on characters included in one of picked up images selected by the user such that the user can confirm the place that has been visited. Also, a position determined based on the characters may be displayed on the map to allow the user to confirm details of the place that has been visited in the past.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a recognizing unit that recognizes a picked up character string on a picked up image;

a storage unit that stores geographic position information determined based on the character string recognized by the recognizing unit; and

a display unit that displays on a map a locus of picked up positions of images based on a plurality of geographic position information stored in the storage unit.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit indicates marks of picked up positions of the images on the locus and, when one of the marks is selected, displays an image that is picked up at a position indicated by the one of the marks selected.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map storage unit that stores map information; and

a judging unit that judges geographic position information indicated by the character string recognized by the recognizing unit based on the character string recognized by the recognizing unit and the map information stored in the map storage unit,

wherein the storage unit stores the geographic position information judged by the judging unit.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pick up unit that images;

an image storing unit that stores a plurality of images picked up by the pick up unit; and

a selection unit that selects any one of the plurality of images stored in the image storing unit,

wherein the recognizing unit recognizes the picked up character string on the image selected by the selection unit.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claimed 1, further comprising:

a pick up unit that images,

wherein, when an instruction is given within a predetermined time range from the time the image was picked up by the pick up unit, the recognizing unit starts the recognizing processing.

6. A method for displaying positions, the method comprising the steps of:

recognizing a picked up character string on a picked up image;

storing in a memory geographic position information judged based on the character string recognized by the recognizing step; and

displaying on a map a locus of picked up positions of images based on a plurality of geographic position information stored in the memory.