GPS pre-acquisition for geotagging digital photos

• US 9,766,342 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr Konrad, Ngo, Ngoc Bich, Vanden Heuvel, David Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US14/490,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 34235752
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• 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 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A handheld electronic device, such as a GPS-enabled wireless communications device with an embedded camera, a GPS-enabled camera-phone or a GPS-enabled digital camera, determines whether ephemeris data needs to be obtained for geotagging digital photos taken with the device. By monitoring user activity with respect to the camera, such as activation of the camera, the device can begin pre-acquisition of a GPS position fix by obtaining needed ephemeris data before the photograph is actually taken. This GPS pre-acquisition improves the likelihood that a position fix (GPS lock) is achieved by the time the photo is taken (to enable immediate geotagging). Alternatively, the photo can be geotagged retroactively by appending the current location to the metadata tag associated with the digital photo. An optional acquisition status indicator can be displayed on a user interface of the device to indicate that a position fix is being obtained.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile electronic device comprising a digital camera, a position-determining subsystem, and a user interface, the method comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device via the user interface, user activity with respect to the digital camera of the device; and

in response to detecting the user activity and prior to initiating capture of an image using the digital camera, initiating, by the position-determining subsystem of the mobile device, acquisition of current position data for a current position of the device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises obtaining assistance data for a satellite-based navigation-signal broadcast system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises obtaining ephemeris data for a Global Positioning System (GPS).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein detecting user activity comprises determining whether the digital camera is being activated.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein acquisition of current position data is initiated based on a comparison of historical usage with one of a current location and time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises obtaining data for the current position from a server.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein acquisition of the current position data is initiated when the digital camera is activated.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detecting user activity comprises detecting user activation of a camera application.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein detecting user activity comprises monitoring a usage pattern of the digital camera.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises activating a UPS receiver.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising capturing an image with the digital camera.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising capturing an image with the digital camera prior to completing acquisition of a position fix.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises acquiring a position fix.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising associating an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising geotagging an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising displaying an indication of acquisition status for the current position data.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that UPS acquisition is progressing.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that a UPS lock has been acquired.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that UPS lock has not been acquired.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the indication of acquisition status is selected from the group comprising:

an indication that an image taken by the camera is being geotagged;

an indication that an image taken by the camera will be geotagged; and

an indication warning that a time elapsed between capturing an image and a subsequent position fix has exceeded a specified threshold.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image is a digital photograph.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein acquisition of the position data is in response to detecting user activation of the camera application.

23. A non-transitory computer medium comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a mobile electronic device comprising a digital camera, a position-determining subsystem, is a user interface, causes the device to perform the acts of:

detecting, by the mobile device via the user interface, user activity with respect to the digital camera of the device; and

in response to detecting the user activity and prior to initiating capture of an image using the digital camera, initiating, by the position-determining subsystem of the mobile device, acquisition of current position data for a current position of the device.

24. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein initiating acquisition comprises obtaining ephemeris data for a satellite-based navigation-signal broadcast system.

25. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein initiating acquisition comprises obtaining ephemeris data for a Global Positioning System (GPS).

26. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein detecting user activity comprises detecting user activation of the digital camera.

27. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein acquisition of current position data is initiated based on a comparison of historical usage with one of a current location and time.

28. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein the initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises obtaining data for the current position from a server.

29. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein acquisition of the current position data is initiated when the digital camera is activated.

30. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein the detecting user activity comprises detecting user activation of a camera application.

31. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein detecting user activity comprises monitoring a usage pattern of the digital camera.

32. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises activating a GPS receiver.

33. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 further comprising capturing an image with the digital camera.

34. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 further comprising capturing an image with the digital camera prior to completing acquisition of a position fix.

35. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein initiating acquisition of the current position data comprises acquiring a position fix.

36. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 further comprising associating an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

37. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 further comprising geotagging an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

38. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 further comprising displaying an indication of acquisition status for the current position data.

39. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 38 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that GPS acquisition is progressing.

40. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 38 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that a GPS lock has been acquired.

41. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 38 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that GPS lock has not been acquired.

42. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 38 wherein the indication of acquisition status is selected from the group comprising:

an indication that an image taken by the camera is being geotagged;

an indication that an image taken by the camera will be geotagged; and

an indication warning that a time elapsed between capturing an image and a subsequent position fix has exceeded a specified threshold.

43. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23 wherein the image is a digital photograph.

44. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a digital camera for capturing an image;

a user interface;

a position-determining subsystem; and

a processor that is configured to detect, via the user interface, user activity with respect to the digital camera and for causing the position-determining subsystem to initiate acquisition of current position data for a current position of the device in response to detecting the user activity and prior to initiating capture of the image using the digital camera.

45. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the position-determining subsystem is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver which the processor operates using a GPS driver in association with a GPS cache stored in the memory of the device.

46. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor obtains ephemeris data from the GPS cache.

47. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the memory stores a user activity monitoring application that is executed by the processor to detect user activity.

48. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 47 wherein the user activity monitoring application detects Whether the digital camera is being activated.

49. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 47 wherein the user activity monitoring application initiates acquisition of the current position data based on a comparison of historical usage of the digital camera with one of a current location and time.

50. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor geotags the image by using event data in a calendar application.

51. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 comprising a user activity monitoring application that logs all requests to an API for current position data, the API residing between the camera application and an operating system.

52. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to initiate acquisition of the current position data by obtaining data for the current position from a server.

53. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to initiate acquisition of the current position data when the digital camera is activated.

54. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to detect user activity by detecting user activation of a camera application.

55. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to detect user activity by monitoring a usage pattern of the digital camera.

56. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to initiate acquisition of the current position data by activating a GPS receiver.

57. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 comprising a memory for storing the image captured by the digital camera.

58. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 comprising a memory for storing the image captured by the digital camera prior to completing acquisition of a position fix.

59. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to initiate acquisition of the current position data by acquiring a position fix.

60. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to associate an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

61. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to geotag an image captured by the digital camera with the acquired current position data.

62. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the processor is configured to display an indication of acquisition status for the current position data.

63. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 62 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that UPS acquisition is progressing.

64. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 62 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that a GPS lock has been acquired.

65. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 62 wherein the indication of acquisition status comprises an indication that GPS lock has not been acquired.

66. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 62 wherein the indication of acquisition status is selected from the group comprising:

an indication that an image taken by the camera is being geotagged;

an indication that an image taken by the camera will be geotagged; and

an indication warning that a time elapsed between capturing an image and a subsequent position fix has exceeded a specified threshold.

67. The mobile electronic device as claimed in claim 44 wherein the image is a digital photograph.