Image display device and computer-readable medium

• US 8,810,597 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Akiya, Hiroyuki, Hamamura, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/757,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 715854-855, 709227-228, 345/619
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications

Abstract

An image display device includes: an image display unit that displays a list of images each including information related to a position of photography; a selection unit that selects at least one image from among the images; a photography position information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the position of photography; a specification unit that specifies a map server based on the information related to the position of photography; a requesting unit that transmits to the specified map server the information related to the position of photography, and that requests the map server to transmit map data for a range that includes the position of photography; a reception unit that receives the map data transmitted from the map server; and a display control unit that displays a map based on the received map data, and displays information specifying the position of photography upon the map.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

an image display unit that displays a list of images each already including information related to a position of photography;

a selection unit that selects at least one image from among the images displayed by the image display unit;

a photography position information acquisition unit that acquires the information related to the position of photography of the image selected by the selection unit from the selected image;

a communication unit that is capable of connecting to a plurality of external map servers each having map data to be used for displaying a map around the position of photography of the selected image;

a specification unit that selects a map server, which has map data suitable for displaying a map on which information specifying the position of photography of the selected image is displayed, from among the plurality of external map servers, based on the information related to the position of photography acquired by the photography position information acquisition unit, and specifies the selected map server as a map server from which map data is to be acquired via the communication unit;

a requesting unit that transmits to the map server specified by the specification unit the information related to the position of photography acquired by the photography position information acquisition unit, and that requests the map server to transmit map data for an area that includes the position of photography, via the communication unit;

a reception unit that receives the map data transmitted from the map server specified by the specification unit via the communication unit; and

a display control unit that displays a map based on the map data received by the reception unit, and displays information specifying the position of photography of the image selected by the selection unit upon the displayed map, wherein the specification unit specifies a country in which the image was photographed based on the information related to the position of photography of the image, and selects a map server that is installed in the specified country and has map data of the specified country, from among the plurality of external map servers as a map server from which map data is to be acquired.

2. An image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information specifying the position of photography is latitude and longitude information for the position of photography; and

the specification unit specifies the country in which the image was photographed by employing a conversion table for converting the latitude and longitude information for the position of photography into a country code for specifying a country.

3. An image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information specifying the position of photography is latitude and longitude information for the position of photography; and

the specification unit specifies the country in which the image was photographed by transmitting the latitude and longitude information for the position of photography over the Internet to a conversion service that converts the latitude and longitude information for the position of photography into a country code for specifying a country, and that returns the country code.

4. An image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when the selection unit has selected a plurality of images, the specification unit specifies, as a map server from which map data is to be acquired, a map server in a country, among countries of photography of the plurality of images, in which the greatest number of images were photographed.

5. An image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when a geodetic system of the map server is different from a geodetic system of the information related to the position of photography included in the image, the requesting unit requests the map server to transmit map data, after having converted the geodetic system of the information related to the position of photography included in the image, to the geodetic system of the map server.

6. An image display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification unit that, when the image selected by the selection unit does not include the information relating to the position of photography, notifies a user a fact that the image does not include the information relating to the position of photography.

7. An image display device according to claim 6, wherein:

when the notification unit has notified the user the fact that the image does not include the information relating to the position of photography, the requesting unit requests a map server that is set in advance to transmit map data for an area that is set in advance.

8. An image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when no response has been received from the map server specified by the specification unit after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the server was requested to transmit map data, the requesting unit requests a map server installed in a country that is different from a country of the map server specified by the specification unit to transmit map data.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps, the steps comprising:

an image display step of displaying a list of images each already including information related to a position of photography;

a selection step of selecting at least one image from among the images displayed by the image display step;

a photography position information acquisition step of acquiring the information related to the position of photography of the image selected by the selection step from the selected image;

a communication step capable of connecting to a plurality of external map servers each having map data to be used for displaying a map around the position of photography of the selected image;

a specification step of selecting an map server, which has map data suitable for displaying a map on which information specifying the position of photography of the selected image is displayed, from among the plurality of external map servers, based on the information related to the position of photography acquired by the photography position information acquisition step, and specifying the selected map server as a map server from which map data is to be acquired via the communication step;

a requesting step of transmitting to the map server specified by the specification step the information related to the position of photography acquired by the photography position information acquisition step, and that requests the map server to transmit map data for an area that includes the position of photography via the communication step;

a reception step of receiving the map data transmitted from the map server specified by the specification step via the communication step; and

a display control step of displaying a map based on the map data received by the reception step, and displays information specifying the position of photography of the image selected by the selection step upon the displayed map, wherein

the specification step specifies a country in which the image was photographed based on the information related to the position of photography of the image, and selects a map server that is installed in the specified country and has map data of the specified country, from among the plurality of map servers as a map server from which map data is to be acquired.