Method of position stamping a photo or video clip taken with a digital camera

• US 8,253,822 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U-Blox AG (u-blox Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: U-Blox AG (u-blox Holding AG)
• Inventors: Yule, Andrew T., Marshall, Christopher B., Turner, Simon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh, Justin P
• Application Number:
  US12/987,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A method of appending a position stamp to an image file of a photo or video clip taken with a digital camera having a GPS antenna and a GPS RF front-end including an analogue to digital converter for receiving GPS signals and outputting GPS signal samples together with a digital camera and computer for the same.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(i) taking a photo or video clip using a digital camera;

(ii) creating an image file containing that photo or video clip;

(iii) sampling received GPS signals substantially simultaneously with the creation of said image file;

(iv) storing the received GPS signal samples with an indication of the image file of the photo or video clip to which GPS signal samples pertain; and

(v) subsequently processing the GPS signal samples to obtain a position fix resulting from said processing of the signal samples and appending the position fix to the image file.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein step processing is done after a predetermined delay has elapsed after said storing.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the uploading the image file and GPS signal samples to an external computer prior to said processing.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising detecting a connection to the camera of an external power source whereupon said processing is done either automatically or after user confirmation of an automatic prompt for the same.

5. A method according to claim 1 said taking, creating and sampling is performed a plurality of times, prior to said processing being done for the first photo or video clip.