Information processing device and method, program, and information processing system

• US 7,739,033 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Wenwu, Clarkson, Brian, Aoyama, Ryu, Murata, Makoto, Kojima, Tamaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEN, MINGJEN
• Application Number:
  US11/630,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20080019564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/113, 382/190, 701/207, 701/210, 701/211, 701/214, 348/207.1, 348/207.99, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/295 Markov models or related models, e.g. semi-Markov models; Markov random fields; Networks embedding Markov models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/85 Markov-related models; Markov random fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/36 Indoor scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/38 Outdoor scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/39 Urban scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

An information processing device and method, a program, and an information processing system, for location identification at small granularity with high accuracy are disclosed. A portable terminal has a camera in addition to a GPS module. In a location recognition model construction phase, a location recognition model is constructed from an image sequence taken by the camera, associated with location information collected by the GPS module and the like, and stored. In a location identification phase, the current location in a global area is identified by the GPS module, and the current location in a local area is identified on the basis of the location recognition model selected from the identification result and the image sequence obtained at the time. The present invention can be applied to portable terminals such as notebook type personal computers, PDAs and mobile telephones.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising:

a location measuring unit configured to make a location measurement and determine a first location of the information processing device;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire data for recognition for performing location identification, which includes a model including image data corresponding to the first location determined by the location measuring unit, on the basis of location information obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit;

an image sensor configured to acquire image data of surroundings of the information processing device;

a location identification unit configured to identify a second location within said first location by comparing the acquired image data to the model corresponding to the first location; and

a creating unit configured to create said data for recognition on the basis of an output of said image sensor;

a memory configured to store said data for recognition created by said creating unit while associating the data for recognition with the location information obtained by the location measurement unit,

wherein the acquisition unit is configured to acquire said data for recognition from said memory based on the location information obtained by the location measurement unit, and

in a case where;

the location information obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit is represented by a predetermined location coordinate, and

the location information stored in said memory in association with said data for recognition is represented by a predetermined location coordinate range,

said acquisition unit acquires said data for recognition from a device remotely connected to the information processing device, when the location coordinate obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit exceeds said predetermined location coordinate range.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit said data for recognition to a server remotely connected to the information processing device.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive the data for recognition from said server remotely connected to the information processing device; and

a searching unit configured to search for said data for recognition on the basis of said location information,

wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit said data for recognition searched by said searching unit to said server remotely connected to the information processing device.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said acquisition unit is configured to acquire said data for recognition from a server remotely connected to the information processing device if said data for recognition corresponding to the location information obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring means is not stored by said memory.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition unit is configured to acquire said data for recognition at predetermined time intervals.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said location measuring unit is configured to make location measurements using a GPS and a PHS, and selects, from a location obtained by using the GPS and a location obtained by using the PHS, the location exhibiting a higher reliability level as a location measurement result.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

said image sensor includes a camera or a plurality of optical sensors.

8. An information processing method, comprising:

measuring, at a location measurement unit of an information processing device, a location of the information processing device and determining a first location of the information processing device based on the location measurement;

acquiring data for recognition for performing location identification, which includes a model including image data corresponding to the first location determined by the location measuring unit, on the basis of location information obtained by the location measurement;

acquiring, at an image sensor of the information processing device, image data of surroundings of the information processing device;

performing location identification of identifying a second location within the first location by comparing the acquired image data to the model corresponding to the first location;

creating said data for recognition on the basis of an output of said image sensor; and

storing, at a memory of the information processing device, said created data for recognition while associating the data for recognition with the location information obtained by the location measurement unit,

wherein the acquiring includes acquiring said data for recognition from said memory based on the location information obtained by the location measurement unit, and

in a case where;

the location information obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit is represented by a predetermined location coordinate, and

the location information stored in said memory in association with said data for recognition is represented by a predetermined location coordinate range,

said acquiring includes acquiring said data for recognition from a device remotely connected to the information processing device, when the location coordinate obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit exceeds said predetermined location coordinate range.

9. A computer-readable recording medium including a program, which when executed by an information processing device, causes the information processing device to perform a method, comprising:

measuring, at a location measurement unit of the information processing device, a location of the information processing device and determining a first location of the information processing device based on the location measurement;

acquiring data for recognition for performing location identification, which includes a model including image data corresponding to the first location determined by the location measuring unit, on the basis of location information obtained by the location measurement;

acquiring, at an image sensor of the information processing device, image data of surroundings of the information processing device; and

performing location identification of identifying a second location within the first location by comparing the acquired image data to the model corresponding to the first location;

creating said data for recognition on the basis of an output of said image sensor; and

storing, at a memory of the information processing device, said created data for recognition while associating the data for recognition with the location information obtained by the location measurement unit,

wherein the acquiring includes acquiring said data for recognition from said memory based on the location information obtained by the location measurement unit, and

in a case where;

the location information obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit is represented by a predetermined location coordinate, and

the location information stored in said memory in association with said data for recognition is represented by a predetermined location coordinate range,

said acquiring includes acquiring said data for recognition from a device remotely connected to the information processing device, when the location coordinate obtained by the location measurement made by said location measuring unit exceeds said predetermined location coordinate range.