Location name registration apparatus and location name registration method

• US 8,264,570 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Karimoto, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US12/497,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.3, 348/143, 348/240.99, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• 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 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A location name registration apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive, from a picture-taking apparatus, picture data of a picture of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, picture-taking location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the picture was taken, and object location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of an object location of a target of picture-taking; a location name acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location and to acquire, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location; and a location name registration unit configured to register the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other in a predetermined storage unit.

Claims

1. A location name registration apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving, from a picture-taking apparatus, a plurality of picture data, each picture data including an image of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, some of the plurality of picture data including picture-taking location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the some of the plurality of picture data were taken, the some of the plurality of picture data including object location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of the object, and at least one of the plurality of picture data not including picture-taking location information and object location information;

location name acquisition means for acquiring, from a location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the picture-taking location information, and acquiring, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the object location information;

a processor that generates a graphical user interface that includes a list of candidate picture-taking location names and object location names for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information, said list of candidates being taken only from the picture-taking location names and object location names for the some of the plurality of picture data,

wherein the processor receives an instruction that identifies, from the list of candidates, the picture-taking location name and the object location name for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information; and

location name registration means for registering, for each of the plurality of picture data, the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other in predetermined storage unit.

2. The location name registration apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the reception means receives, from the picture-taking apparatus, camera information for each of the some of the plurality of picture data, said camera information including a direction from the picture-taking location to the object, a picture-taking angle with respect to the object, shutter speed, and aperture, and

wherein the location name registration means registers the camera information, as well as the picture-taking location name and the object location name, in association with the picture data, in the predetermined storage unit.

3. The location name registration apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

transmission means for transmitting, to the picture-taking apparatus, the picture-taking location name or the object location name for one or more of the plurality of picture data registered in the predetermined storage unit by the location name registration means.

4. The location name registration apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmission means for transmitting, to the picture-taking apparatus, the graphical user interface.

7. The location name registration apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor transmits another graphical user interface that includes the plurality of picture data, receives an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface, and generates a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.

10. The location name registration apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor receives an identification of a photographer name, the processor transmits another graphical user interface that includes picture data from the plurality of picture data that corresponds to the identified photographer name, receives an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface, and generates a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.

5. A location name registration method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a picture-taking apparatus, a plurality of picture data, each picture data including an image of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, some of the plurality of picture data including picture-taking location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the some of the plurality of picture data were taken, the some of the plurality of picture data including object location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of the object, and at least one of the plurality of picture data not including picture-taking location information and object location information;

acquiring, from location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the picture-taking location information;

acquiring, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the object location information;

generating a graphical user interface that includes a list of candidate picture-taking location names and object location names for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information, said list of candidates being taken only from the picture-taking location names and object location names for the some of the plurality of picture data;

receiving an instruction that identifies, from the list of candidates, the picture-taking location name and the object location name for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information; and

registering, in a storage unit, for each of the plurality of picture data, the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting another graphical user interface that includes the plurality of picture data;

receiving an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface; and

generating a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an identification of a photographer name;

transmitting another graphical user interface that includes picture data from the plurality of picture data that corresponds to the identified photographer name;

receiving an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface; and

generating a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.

6. A location name registration apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive, from a picture-taking apparatus, a plurality of picture data, each picture data including an image of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, some of the plurality of picture data including picture-taking location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the some of the plurality of picture data were taken, the some of the plurality of picture data including object location information corresponding to a latitude and longitude of the object, and at least one of the plurality of picture data not including picture-taking location information and object location information;

a location name acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the picture-taking location information and to acquire, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location for each of the some of the plurality of picture data in accordance with the object location information;

a processor that generates a graphical user interface that includes a list of candidate picture-taking location names and object location names for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information, said list of candidates being taken only from the picture-taking location names and object location names for the some of the plurality of picture data,

wherein the processor receives an instruction that identifies, from the list of candidates, the picture-taking location name and the object location name for the at least one of the plurality of picture data not including the picture-taking location information and not including the object location information; and

a location name registration unit configured to register, for each of the plurality of picture data, the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other in a predetermined storage unit.

9. The location name registration apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor transmits another graphical user interface that includes the plurality of picture data, receives an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface, and generates a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.

12. The location name registration apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor receives an identification of a photographer name, the processor transmits another graphical user interface that includes picture data from the plurality of picture data that corresponds to the identified photographer name, receives an instruction that identifies at least one of the plurality of picture data from the another graphical user interface, and generates a travel route from a current position to the picture taking location of the at least one of the plurality of picture data identified by the instruction.