Tagging images with a GPS-enabled camera

• US 8,929,921 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gum, Arnold Jason, Vasanadu, Ajay, Han, Charles Seunghwan, Ische, Marc, Tan, John Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US13/450,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/550.1, 455/420, 348/231.5, 348/231.99, 348/135, 348/234, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/231.3, 348/239, 348/207.1, 709/202, 709/218, 709/205
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system

Abstract

A method and device of geographically tagging images by capturing an image, determining a position based on detection of satellite signals and a wireless network signal, and tagging the image with the determined position is provided.

Claims

1. A method, on a device comprising a camera, of geographically stamping a batch of images, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of images

selecting the plurality of images;

determining a position of the device, the position being determined based on one or more configurable parameters, the configurable parameters indicating that the device position is determined based on;

a current position of the device based on detection of satellite signals and detection of a wireless network signal, wherein;

a first value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs after selecting the plurality of images; and

a second value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs before selecting the plurality of images; and

tagging the plurality of images with the determined position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, based on the first value of the one or more configurable parameters, determining the current position occurs before capturing the plurality of images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, based on the second value of the one or more configurable parameters, determining the current position occurs after selecting the plurality of images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current position is determined based on a selected one of:

a stand-alone SPS mode;

an assisted SPS mode; and

a network-information mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the stand-alone SPS mode is selected based on SPS signals meeting a first threshold;

the assisted-SPS mode is selected based on the SPS signals meeting a second threshold lower than the first threshold, and further based on availability of network information; and

the network-information mode is selected based on the SPS signals not meeting the second threshold, and further based on availability of the network information.

6. A method, on a device comprising a camera, of geographically tagging images, the method comprising:

capturing of a first image;

commencing a first position determination process triggered by the capturing of the first image;

interrupting the first position determination process prior to the determination of a position;

capturing of a second image;

commencing said a second position determination process;

determining a position; and

tagging the first image and the second image with the determined position.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first position determination process and the second position determination process comprise determining the position based on a selected one of:

a stand-alone SPS mode;

an assisted SPS mode; and

a network-information mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the stand-alone SPS mode is selected based on SPS signals meeting a first threshold;

the assisted-SPS mode is selected based on the SPS signals meeting a second threshold lower than the first threshold, and further based on availability of network information; and

the network-information mode is selected based on the SPS signals not meeting the second threshold, and further based on availability of the network information.

9. A method, on a device comprising a camera, of geographically tagging images, the method comprising:

capturing of a first image at a first time;

determining a first position;

tagging the first image with the first position

capturing of a second image at a second time;

determining an elapsed time between the second time and the first time;

comparing the elapsed time to a predetermined threshold; and

when the elapsed time is less than the predetermined threshold, tagging the second image with the first position, and when the elapsed time is greater than the predetermined threshold,

determining a second position; and

tagging the second image with the second position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the first position and determining the second position comprises determining a position using a selected one of:

a stand-alone SPS mode;

an assisted SPS mode; and

a network-information mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the stand-alone SPS mode is selected based on SPS signals meeting a first threshold;

the assisted-SPS mode is selected based on the SPS signals meeting a second threshold lower than the first threshold, and further based on availability of network information; and

the network-information mode is selected based on the SPS signals not meeting the second threshold, and further based on availability of the network information.

12. A device comprising a camera for geographically tagging images, the device comprising:

means for capturing a plurality of images;

means for selecting a subset of the plurality of images;

means for determining a position of the device, the position being determined based on one or more configurable parameters, the configurable parameters indicating that the device position is determined based on;

a current position of the device based on detection of satellite signals and detection of a wireless network signal, wherein;

a first value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs after selecting the subset of the plurality of images; and

a second value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs before selecting the subset of the plurality of images; and

means for tagging the subset of the plurality of images with the determined position.

13. A device comprising a camera for geographically tagging images, the device comprising:

means for capturing of a first image;

means for commencing a first position determination process triggered by the capturing of the first image;

means for interrupting the first position determination process prior to the determination of a position;

means for capturing of a second image;

means for commencing a second position determination process;

means for determining a position; and

means for tagging the first image and the second image with the determined position.

14. A device comprising a camera for geographically tagging images, the device comprising:

means for capturing of a first image at a first time;

means for determining a first position;

means for tagging the first image with the first position

means for capturing of a second image at a second time;

means for determining an elapsed time between the second time and the first time;

means for comparing the elapsed time to a predetermined threshold; and

means for tagging the second image with the first position when the elapsed time is less than the predetermined threshold, and means for determining a second position and tagging the second image with the second position when the elapsed time is greater than the predetermined threshold.

15. A computer-readable product comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising:

code for capturing a plurality of images;

code for selecting a subset of the plurality of images;

code for determining a position of a device, the position being determined based on one or more configurable parameters, the configurable parameters indicating that the device position is determined based on;

a current position of the device based on detection of satellite signals and detection of a wireless network signal, wherein;

a first value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs after selecting the plurality of images; and

a second value of the one or more configurable parameters indicates determining the position occurs before selecting the plurality of images; and

code for tagging the subset of the plurality of images with the determined position.

16. A computer-readable product comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising:

code for capturing of a first image;

code for commencing a first position determination process triggered by the capturing of the first image;

code for interrupting the first position determination process prior to the determination of a position;

code for capturing of a second image;

code for commencing a second position determination process;

code for determining a position; and

code for tagging the first image and the second image with the determined position.

17. A computer-readable product comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising:

code for capturing of a first image at a first time;

code for determining a first position;

code for tagging the first image with the first position

code for capturing of a second image at a second time;

code for determining an elapsed time between the second time and the first time;

code for comparing the elapsed time to a predetermined threshold; and

code for tagging the second image with the first position when the elapsed time is less than the predetermined threshold, and code for determining a second position and tagging the second image with the second position when the elapsed time is greater than the predetermined threshold.