Imaging device for imaging based upon a reference composition for a subject

• US 7,417,672 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Nobuyoshi, Yoda, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/837,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,686 Days
• Field of Search: 396/310, 396/287, 396/311, 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/231.3, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.04, 348/208.15, 702/150
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure

Abstract

Recommended composition data, which represent composition images recommended at locations of photography, are stored in a recommended-composition storage medium in correlation with positional information which represents the photography locations. A GPS section receives radio waves from GPS satellites and inputs GPS information to a read-out section. Based on the positional information in the GPS information, the read-out section retrieves the recommended composition data stored in the recommended-composition storage medium. If recommended composition data is desired, it is read out and input to a superposition section. The image data obtained by an imaging section is also input to the superposition section. The desired, recommended composition data and the image data are superposed and displayed on a display unit. The image data is displayed on the display unit in real time so that photographing can be performed with the image data coincident with the desired, recommended composition data.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

imaging means for imaging a subject to acquire image data which represents said subject;

storage means for storing recommended composition data, which represent composition images that represent an image of a composition that is recommended in performing photography at various locations, in correlation with photography information including positional information which represents said various photography locations;

photography information acquisition means for acquiring said photography information;

read-out means for reading out desired, recommended composition data correlated with the photography information which corresponds to said acquired photography information, from said storage means, based on said acquired photography information; and

display means for superposing and displaying a recommended composition image represented by said desired, recommended composition data and an image represented by said image data,

wherein along with said positional information included in the photography information, said photography information also includes date information which represents various recommended dates for performing photography at said various photography locations; and

in addition to said various photography locations, said recommended composition data represent the composition images recommended on said various recommended dates for performing photography at said various photography locations,

and when the photography information includes more than one recommended photography dates, each of the photography dates is ranked according to a relative degree of preference for performing photography.

2. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein along with said positional information included in the photography information, said photography information also includes weather information which represents various recommended weather conditions when performing photography at said various photography locations;

and

in addition to said various photography locations, said desired, recommended composition data represent composition images recommended under said various recommended weather conditions when performing photography at said various photography locations.

3. The imaging device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said photography information acquisition means includes global positioning system (GPS) means for acquiring GPS information as said photography information, based on radio waves from GPS satellites, and weather information acquisition means for accessing a weather information server which provides weather information recommended at said photography location, to acquire the weather information recommended at said photography location;

and

the read-out means reads out said desired, recommended composition data correlated with photography information, which contains the positional information and the date information corresponding to said GPS information and said acquired weather information, from said storage means, based on said GPS information and said acquired weather information.

4. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said photography information acquisition means includes global positioning system (GPS) means for acquiring GPS information as said photography information, based on radio waves from GPS satellites;

and

the read-out means reads out said desired, recommended composition data correlated with photography information which contains the positional information corresponding to said GPS information, from said storage means, based on said GPS information.

5. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising archive means for archiving the image data acquired by said imaging means.

6. The imaging device as set forth in claim 5, wherein

said storage means stores imaging-condition information, which represents recommended imaging conditions suitable for archiving said image data in said archive means, in correlation with said desired recommended composition data;

and

said read-out means reads out desired imaging-condition information correlated with said desired, recommended composition data, along with said desired, recommended composition data.

7. The imaging device as set forth in claim 6, further comprising imaging-condition display means for displaying the recommended imaging conditions represented by said desired imaging-condition information.

8. The imaging device as set forth in claim 7, further comprising imaging-condition set means for setting said imaging means, based on the recommended imaging conditions represented by said desired imaging-condition information.

9. The imaging device as set forth in claim 7, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

10. The imaging device as set forth in claim 6, further comprising imaging-condition set means for setting said imaging means, based on the recommended imaging conditions represented by said desired imaging-condition information.

11. The imaging device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising imaging-condition-set switching means for switching ON and OFF states of said imaging-condition set means.

12. The imaging device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said read-out means reads out only said desired, recommended composition data correlated with the imaging-condition information which represents recommended imaging conditions settable in said imaging means.

13. The imaging device as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

14. The imaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said read-out means reads out only said desired, recommended composition data correlated with the imaging-condition information which represents the recommended imaging conditions settable in said imaging means.

15. The imaging device as set forth in claim 14, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

16. The imaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

17. The imaging device as set forth in claim 6, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

18. The imaging device as set forth in claim 5, wherein

said desired, recommended composition data have attendant information related to said recommended composition image;

and

said archive means attaches said attendant information to said image data when archiving said image data.

19. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising read-out recognition means for informing that said desired, recommended composition data is read out, when reading out said desired, recommended composition data.

20. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display means includes selection display means for switching display and non-display of said recommended composition image.

21. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising coincidence recognition means for informing that said recommended composition image displayed on said display means has coincided with the image representing said subject.

22. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising photography-information-acquisition switching means for switching ON and OFF states of said photography information acquisition means.

23. The imaging device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

image switching means for switching ON and OFF states of said imaging means; and

switching display means for sequentially displaying recommended composition images, represented by the recommended composition data stored in said storage means, on said display means when said imaging means is in the OFF state.

24. An imaging device comprising:

imaging means for imaging a subject to acquire image data which represents said subject;

storage means for storing recommended composition data, which represent composition images that represent an image of a composition that is recommended in performing photography at various locations, in correlation with photography information including positional information which represents said various photography locations;

photography information acquisition means for acquiring said photography information;

read-out means for reading out desired, recommended composition data correlated with the photography information which corresponds to said acquired photography information, from said storage means, based on said acquired photography information; and

display means for superposing and displaying a recommended composition image represented by said desired, recommended composition data and an image represented by said image data,

wherein along with said positional information included in the photography information, said photography information also includes weather information which represents various recommended weather conditions suitable for photographing the recommended composition image at said various photography locations.

25. The imaging device as set forth in claim 24, wherein

said photography information acquisition means includes global positioning system (GPS) means for acquiring GPS information as said photography information, based on radio waves from GPS satellites, and weather information acquisition means for accessing a weather information server which provides the weather information recommended at said various photography locations, to acquire the weather information recommended at said various photography locations;

and

the read-out means reads out said desired, recommended composition data correlated with the photography information, which contains the positional information corresponding to said GPS information and said acquired weather information, from said storage means, based on said GPS information and said acquired weather information.

26. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging part for imaging a subject to acquire image data which represents said subject and a memory part for temporarily storing the image data;

a storage medium for storing recommended composition data, which represent composition images that represent an image of a composition that is recommended in performing photography at various locations, in correlation with photography information including positional information which represents said various photography locations;

a global positioning system (GPS) for acquiring said photography information containing positional information for a location;

a data read-out device for reading out desired, recommended composition data correlated with the photography information which corresponds to said acquired photography information for the location, from said storage medium, based on said acquired photography information; and

a display or viewfinder for superposing and displaying a recommended composition image represented by said desired, recommended composition data and an image represented by said image data,

wherein along with said positional information included in the photography information, said photography information also includes date information which represents various recommended dates for performing photography at said various photography locations; and

in addition to said various photography locations, said recommended composition data represent the composition images recommended on said various recommended dates for performing photography at said various photography locations,

and when the photography information includes more than one recommended photography dates, each of the photography dates is ranked according to a relative degree of preference for performing photography.

27. The imaging device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said photography information includes weather information accessed through a weather information server which provides the weather information recommended at said photography location, to acquire the weather information recommended at said photography location.

28. The imaging device as set forth in claim 26, further comprising an archiving part for archiving the image data acquired by said imaging device.

29. The imaging device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said display or viewfinder includes a selection device for switching between a display mode and a non-display mode of said recommended composition image.

30. The imaging device as set forth in claim 26, further comprising coincidence recognition device for indicating that said recommended composition image displayed on said display or viewfinder has coincided with the image representing said subject.

31. The imaging device as set forth in claim 26, further comprising a photography-information-acquisition switching device for switching between ON and OFF states of said global positioning system (GPS).

32. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging part for imaging a subject to acquire image data which represents said subject and a memory part for temporarily storing the image data;

a storage medium for storing recommended composition data, which represent composition images that represent an image of a composition that is recommended in performing photography at various locations, in correlation with photography information including positional information which represents said various photography locations;

a global positioning system (GPS) for acquiring said photography information including the position information for a location;

a data read-out device for reading out desired, recommended composition data correlated with the photography information which corresponds to said acquired photography information for the location, from said storage medium, based on said acquired photography information; and

a display or viewfinder for superposing and displaying a recommended composition image represented by said desired, recommended composition data and an image represented by said image data,

wherein along with said positional information included in the photography information, said photography information also includes weather information which represents various recommended weather conditions suitable for photographing the recommended composition image at said various photography locations.