Portable information device, imaging apparatus and information acquisition system

• US 20100039505A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: HAMADA, Tomohide, INOUE, Hideya, IWAOKA, Toru, HATORI, Masayuki, NOBORISAKA, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging portion that takes an image of a subject, a position information acquisition portion that acquires position information of an imaging position, and an orientation information acquisition portion that acquires orientation information representing an imaging direction at the imaging position.

Claims

1. A portable information device comprising:

an image sensor;

a position information acquisition portion that outputs position information;

an orientation sensor; and

a display that displays an image of an object output from the image sensor and displays relevant information on the object, the relevant information on the object being obtained based on at least measurement data from the position information acquisition portion and the orientation sensor.

2. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein, on a screen of the display, the image of the object and a window of the relevant information on the object are next to each other.

3. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein, on a screen of the display, a part of a window of the relevant information on the object is overlaid on the image of the object.

4. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display comprises a touch panel.

5. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display displays a signage that designates a display content of the relevant information on the object.

6. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the relevant information on the object.

7. The portable information device according to claim 5,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the signage.

8. The portable information device according to claim 5,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object, the signage, and the relevant information on the object.

9. The portable information device according to claim 5,

wherein display statuses are switched among a first status of simultaneous display of the image of the object and the relevant information on the object, a second status of simultaneous display of the image of the object and the signage, and a third status of simultaneous display of the image of the object, the relevant information on the object, and the signage.

10. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein a display content of the relevant information on the object comprises at least one of a name of the object, an address of the object, a telephone number relating to the object, a peripheral image of the object, a type of the object, latitude/longitude of the object, a specification of the object, an internal image of the object, a post information relating to the object, commercial information relating to the object, and a discount coupon information relating to the object.

11. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data and the image of the object via the image sensor.

12. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data and a character data relating to the object.

13. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data, the image of the object via the image sensor, and a character data relating to the object.

14. The portable information device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication portion,

wherein the relevant information on the object is obtained via the wireless communication portion and an external server.

15. The portable information device according to claim 14,

wherein the relevant information on the object is selectively obtained via the wireless communication portion and the external server.

16. The portable information device according to claim 15,

wherein at least a part of remaining the relevant information on the object is additionally obtained via the wireless communication portion and the external server.

17. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the orientation sensor comprises an electronic compass.

18. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the orientation sensor detects an orientation along an arranging direction of mechanical elements.

19. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the orientation sensor detects an orientation along a direction toward the object viewed from a user.

20. The portable information device according to claim 1,

wherein the display displays a field in which a past year is input and displays a past image data according to the positional information from the position information acquisition portion and the input past year.

21. An information acquisition system comprising:

a server;

a database; and

a portable information device that comprises an image sensor, a position information acquisition portion that outputs position information, an orientation sensor, a display, and a wireless communication portion, the display displaying an image of an object output from the image sensor and displays relevant information on the object, the relevant information on the object being obtained from the database via the wireless communication portion and the server based on at least measurement data from the position information acquisition portion and the orientation sensor.

22. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein, on a screen of the display, the image of the object and a window of the relevant information on the object are next to each other.

23. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein, on a screen of the display, a part of a window of the relevant information on the object is overlaid on the image of the object.

24. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display comprises a touch panel.

25. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display displays a signage that designates a display content of the relevant information on the object.

26. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the relevant information on the object.

27. The information acquisition system according to claim 25,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the signage.

28. The information acquisition system according to claim 25,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object, the signage, and the relevant information on the object.

29. The information acquisition system according to claim 25,

wherein display statuses are switched among a first status of simultaneous display of the image of the object and the relevant information on the object, a second status of simultaneous display of the image of the object and the signage, and a third status of simultaneous display of the image of the object, the relevant information on the object, and the signage.

30. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein a display content of the relevant information on the object comprises at least one of a name of the object, an address of the object, a telephone number relating to the object, a peripheral image of the object, a type of the object, latitude/longitude of the object, a specification of the object, an internal image of the object, a post information relating to the object, commercial information relating to the object, and a discount coupon information relating to the object.

31. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data and the image of the object via the image sensor.

32. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data and a character data relating to the object.

33. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the display displays the relevant information on the object obtained based on the measurement data, the image of the object via the image sensor, and a character data relating to the object.

34. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the server checks whether or not user identification information received from the portable information device has been registered.

35. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the server writes information representing a post for the object in the database when receiving information representing the post together with the identification information.

36. The information acquisition system according to claim 21,

wherein the server transmits discount coupon information relating to the object to the portable information device.

37. The information acquisition system according to claim 36,

wherein the server writes accounting information, in which at least the object and a information providing fee are associated with each other, in the database based on a detection result that the discount coupon information has been used.

38. The information acquisition system according to claim 36,

wherein the server writes point information, in which at least the object and a user identification information are associated with each other, in the database based on a detection result that the discount coupon information has been used.

39. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging portion that takes an image of a subject;

a position information acquisition portion that acquires position information of an imaging position; and

an orientation information acquisition portion that acquires orientation information representing an imaging direction at the imaging position.

40. The imaging apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising:

a wireless communication portion that is connected to the Internet through wireless communication; and

a control portion that acquires information on the subject from an information search system that is connected to the Internet through the wireless communication portion based on the position information and the orientation information.

41. The imaging apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the information on the subject at least includes the name of the subject.

42. The imaging apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a memory portion that stores image data, which is acquired by imaging the subject, and the position information and the orientation information corresponding to the image data so as to be associated with each other.

43. The imaging apparatus according to claim 40,

wherein the control portion acquires information on the subject from the information search system based on the position information, the orientation information, and an image data of imaging the subject.

44. The imaging apparatus according to claim 40,

wherein the control portion selectively acquires the information on the subject from the information search system.

45. An information acquisition system comprising:

an imaging apparatus; and

an information search system,

wherein the information search system searches for information on a subject of which an image is taken by the imaging apparatus and transmits the search result to the imaging apparatus,

wherein the imaging apparatus comprises;

an imaging portion that takes an image of a subject;

a position information acquisition portion that acquires position information of an imaging position; and

an orientation information acquisition portion that acquires orientation information representing an imaging direction at the imaging position, and

wherein the information search system comprises;

a database in which the information on the subject is stored in association with the position information and the orientation information; and

an information search server that searches for the information on the subject corresponding to the position information and the orientation information acquired by performing imaging of image data from the database based on the position information and the orientation information of the image data acquired by performing imaging using the imaging apparatus.

46. The information acquisition system according to claim 45, further comprising a control portion that transmits the image data, which is in the middle of the imaging process, and the position information and the orientation information to be associated with each other to the information search system when the image searching is performed in a state in which the imaging apparatus performs imaging.

47. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein the imaging apparatus further includes a control portion that stores the image data acquired by performing imaging in the memory portion in association with the position information and the orientation information corresponding to the image data,

wherein the control portion reads outs the image data together with the position information and the orientation information from the memory portion and transmits the image data, the position information, and the orientation information to the information search system when an information search is performed for the information search system.

48. The information acquisition system according to claim 45, wherein the information search server searches for the information on the subject from the database in a case where user identification information received from the imaging apparatus has been registered already.

49. The information acquisition system according to claim 48, wherein the information search server writes information representing a post for the subject in the database in association with the position information and the orientation information of the subject when receiving information representing the post together with the identification information.

50. The information acquisition system according to claim 45, wherein, when detecting that discount coupon information is included in the information on the subject, the information search server transmits the search result to which the discount coupon information is added to the imaging apparatus.

51. The information acquisition system according to claim 50, wherein, when the imaging apparatus detects that the discount coupon information has been used in a store as the subject, the information search server writes an information providing fee charged to the store as the subject in a charge table, in which identification information stored in the database for identifying the store is stored, in association with the identification information of the store.

52. The information acquisition system according to claim 50, wherein, when the imaging apparatus detects that the discount coupon information has been used, the information search server writes predetermined points in a user registration table, in which the user identification information stored in the database is stored, in association with the user identification information corresponding to the imaging apparatus.

53. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein the information search server searches for the information on the subject from the database based on the position information, the orientation information, and an image data of the subject.

54. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein the information search server searches for the information on the subject from the database based on the position information, the orientation information, and text data of the subject.

55. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein, while imaging the subject, the imaging apparatus displays the information on the subject in an image display field of the imaging apparatus so that the information on the subject is overlaid on the image data.

56. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein, while imaging the subject, the information search server searches for the information on the subject based on the position information and the orientation information.

57. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein the information search server selectively transmits the information on the subject to the imaging apparatus.

58. The information acquisition system according to claim 45,

wherein the information on the subject includes commercial information.

59. A portable information device comprising:

a position information acquisition portion that outputs position information;

a display; and

a control portion that displays information on an object and an image of the object so as to be associated with each other, the information on the object being obtained based on at least the position information from the position information acquisition portion, and on data used for identifying the object that is imaged at an imaging position, the imaging position being on the basis of the position information.

60. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the data used for identifying the object comprises orientation information.

61. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the data used for identifying the object comprises an image of the object used for identifying the object by performing image recognition.

62. The portable information device according to claim 59, further comprising:

a communication portion that receives the information on the object from an external server in which the object is identified.

63. The portable information device according to claim 62,

wherein the external server identifies the object based on a database that has a plurality of image data by which the image of the object is identified.

64. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein, on a screen of the display, the image of the object and a window of the information on the object are next to each other.

65. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein, on a screen of the display, a part of a window of the information on the object is overlaid on the image of the object.

66. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the information on the object.

67. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the display comprises a touch panel.

68. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the display displays a signage that designates a display content of the information on the object.

69. The portable information device according to claim 68,

wherein the display simultaneous displays the image of the object and the signage.

70. The portable information device according to claim 59,

wherein the display content of the information on the object comprises at least one of a name of the object, an address of the object, a telephone number relating to the object, a peripheral image of the object, a type of the object, latitude/longitude of the object, a specification of the object, an internal image of the object, a post information relating to the object, commercial information relating to the object, and a discount coupon information relating to the object.