Image processing system, method and apparatus for correlating position data with image data

• US 7,627,420 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NK Works Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ujino, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/133,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-213, 340994-99518
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A navigation system includes a processing unit for generating route data relating to a route along which a vehicle has actually traveled, from position data acquired by a position acquiring unit, an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data, a first storage section for storing the image data acquired by the image acquiring unit according to groups of respective destinations, and a second storage section for storing the route data generated by the processing unit. A link data generating section is provided for correlating the respective destinations with the respective route data via link data. An outputting unit is configured to extract a group linked to a destination by the link data in response to a manual designation of a route data stored in the second storage section or to a manual or automatic designation of a designation included in that route data and then to output the image data included in that group from the first storage section to an outputting section.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

a processing unit for correlating position data acquired by position acquiring means with photographic image data acquired by an image data acquiring section;

an image data storing section for storing map image data indicated by said position data; and

an outputting section for outputting the photographic image data;

wherein said position acquiring means acquires timing data for specifying a time when said position data was acquired; and

wherein said processing unit comprises a link processing means for correlating photographic date data annexed to said photographic image data and said timing data by correlating said position data with said photographic image data via link data; and

an output controlling means for outputting map image data extracted from the image data storage section based on the position data and the photographic image data correlated to the position data via the link data to said outputting section.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said outputting section is a display unit for displaying images;

said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect a playback operation for obtaining the position data by designating the timing data one after another, displaying the map image data corresponding to each position data on the display unit and displaying, also on the display unit, the photographic image data correlated to the position data acquired by the position acquiring means of the plurality of the position data stored by the storing operation.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said outputting section is a display unit for displaying images;

and said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect, after the storing operation, a simulating operation for extracting one after another position data corresponding to designated timing data from the plurality of stored position data by designating the timing data one after another along a time base and then displaying, on the display unit, one after another the map image data corresponding to the plurality of position data extracted and extracting photographic image data correlated with the extracted position data and extracting the photographic image data correlated to the extracted position data and displaying the extracted photographic image data on the display unit.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said outputting section is a media drive for storing data in a storage medium;

said processing unit is configured to effect a storing operation for storing a plurality of the position data within a set time period, storing the photographic image data acquired by the image data acquiring section and storing also the link data generated by the link processing means for correlating the photographic image data with the position data; and

said output controlling means is configured to effect a storing operation for storing the position data, the photographic image data, the link data and the map image data corresponding to the position data in the storage medium set to the media drive.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said output controlling means writes the position data, the photographic image data and the link data stored in the storage medium in a data format which allows reading of the data according to an order along a time base of the timing data.

6. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit constituting a car navigation system;

said map image data is map data used in the car navigation system; and

said output controlling means is a display unit constituting the car navigation system.

7. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a GPS unit constituting a car navigation system;

said map image data is map data used in the car navigation system; and

said output controlling means is a media drive for storing data in a disc type or semiconductor type storage medium.

8. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said image data acquiring section comprises a plurality of semiconductor drives for acquiring photographic image data from a semiconductor type storage medium used with a digital camera and said plurality of semiconductor drives are disposed adjacent a plurality of seats in a vehicle.

9. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

correlating position data acquired by a position acquiring section with photographic image data acquired by an image data acquiring section;

storing map image data indicative of location of the position data in an image data storage section;

acquiring timing data for specifying a time when the position data was acquired;

a link processing step for correlating the position data with the photographic image data via link data so that photographic date data annexed to the photographic image data and the timing data may correspond to each other; and

an outputting step for outputting the map image data extracted from the image data storage section based on the position data and the photographic image data correlated with the position data via the link data to an outputting section.