Image recording apparatus capable of recording position and direction information of object of shooting

• US 7,535,415 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Iizuka, Hiroshi, Oguro, Masaki, Yoshioka, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/410,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20030194203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215, 386/46, 386/117
• US Class Current: 342/357.74
• 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 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• 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 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction

Abstract

An image recording apparatus which records position information of a place of shooting an image of an object and direction information of the object relative to the recording apparatus. A shooting unit takes images of an object. A receiver receives data for position measurement being transmitted from a satellite and a position information calculator calculates position information using the satellite data. A sensing unit senses a direction of a terrestrial magnetic field and a direction information calculator calculates direction information based on the sensed direction. A transmitting unit transmits the position and direction information to the recording unit which records the position and direction information on a recording medium together with image data corresponding to the taken images. The position and direction information may then be displayed together with the images when the images are reproduced.

Claims

1. An image recording apparatus, comprising:

a shooting unit which takes images of an object;

a recording unit which records the images of the object taken by the shooting unit on a recording medium;

a receiver which receives data for position measurement transmitted from a satellite;

a position information calculator which calculates position information of the shooting unit using the data for position measurement;

a sensing unit which senses a direction of a terrestrial magnetic field;

a direction information calculator which calculates direction information of the object relative to the shooting unit based on the sensed direction of the terrestrial magnetic field; and

a transmitting unit which transmits the position information and the direction information to the recording unit,

wherein the recording unit records the position information and the direction information on the recording medium together with the images of the obiect.

2. The image recording apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first casing which houses the receiver, the position information calculator, the sensing unit, the direction information calculator and the transmitting unit therein;

a second casing which houses the shooting unit and the recording unit;

a fixing unit which removably secures the first and second casings; and

a transmitting terminal which transmits the position information and the direction information from the transmitting unit to the recording unit.

3. The image recording apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the transmitting terminal is formed on one of the first casing and the second casing.

4. The image recording apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the transmitting unit successively transmits the position information and the direction information to the recording unit at predetermined time intervals.

5. The image recording apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a storage unit which successively stores the position information and the direction information at predetermined time intervals.

6. The image recording apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a power supply which supplies power to the receiver, the position information calculator, the sensing unit, the direction information calculator and the transmitting unit.

7. A digital camcorder, comprising:

a shooting unit which takes images of an object;

a recording unit which records the images of the object taken by the shooting unit on a recording medium;

a receiver which receives data for position measurement transmitted from a satellite;

a position information calculator which calculates position information of the shooting unit using the data for position measurement;

a sensing unit which senses a direction of a terrestrial magnetic field;

a direction information calculator which calculates direction information of the object relative to the shooting unit based on the sensed direction of the terrestrial magnetic field; and

a transmitting unit which transmits the position information and the direction information to the recording unit,

wherein the recording unit records the position information and the direction information on the recording medium together with the images of the object.

8. The digital camcorder of claim 7 further comprising:

a first casing which houses the receiver, the position information calculator, the sensing unit, the direction information calculator and the transmitting unit therein;

a second casing which houses the shooting unit and the recording unit;

a fixing unit which removably secures the first and second casings; and

a transmitting terminal which transmits the position information and the direction information from the transmitting unit to the recording unit.

9. The digital camcorder of claim 8, wherein:

the transmitting terminal is formed on one of the first casing and the second casing.

10. The digital camcorder of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitting unit successively transmits the position information and the direction information to the recording unit at predetermined time intervals.

11. The digital camcorder of claim 10, further comprising:

a storage unit which successively stores the position information and the direction information at predetermined time intervals.

12. The digital camcorder of claim 11, further comprising:

a power supply which supplies power to the receiver, the position information calculator, the sensing unit, the direction information calculator and the transmitting unit.