Information recording apparatus, imaging apparatus, information recording method, and program

• US 8,218,031 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujimaki, Garen, Kakuda, Hiroshi, Morita, Takao, Sakuma, Takashi, Ishii, Kayo, Endo, Yuka
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Segura, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US12/583,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.3, 348/231.99
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• 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 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: a captured image data generation unit generating captured image data by capturing a subject; a positional information acquisition unit acquiring positional information indicating a position at which the captured image data are generated; an area determination unit determining whether the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the acquired positional information; a positional information conversion unit, when the area determination unit determines that the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in the positional information conversion area, converting the acquired positional information into positional information indicating a position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information; and a record control unit, when recording the generated captured image data, carrying out control to record the generated captured image data in association with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

a captured image data generation unit that generates captured image data by capturing a subject;

a positional information acquisition unit that acquires positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated;

an area determination unit that determines whether the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the acquired positional information;

a positional information conversion unit that, when the area determination unit determines that the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in the positional information conversion area, converts the acquired positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information;

a record control unit that, when recording the generated captured image data, carries out control so as to record the generated captured image data in association with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit; and

a positional information history holding unit that holds a history of the acquired positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information is confined by the positional information conversion unit to within a history area defined by the history of the positional information held by the positional information history holding unit.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional information conversion unit converts the acquired positional information into the positional information that indicates the different position using a displacement used to move the position indicated by the acquired positional information.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional information conversion unit generates the positional information that indicates the different position in the positional information conversion area on the basis of a random number.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information is confined by the positional information conversion unit to within an extended area that includes the history area, defined by the history of the positional information held by the positional information history holding unit, and the positional information conversion area.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an encryption processing unit that carries out encryption process on the acquired positional information, wherein when the area determination unit determines that the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in the positional information conversion area, the record control unit carries out control so that the generated captured image data are recorded so as to be associated with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit and the positional information encrypted by the encryption processing unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the encryption processing unit generates a correspondence table that associates the encrypted positional information with the acquired positional information.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a password accepting unit that accepts a password, wherein the encryption processing unit generates the encrypted positional information using a cryptographic key generated on the basis of the password accepted by the password accepting unit.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional information conversion unit extracts a maximum value and minimum value of latitudes and a maximum value and minimum value of longitudes from the history held by the positional information history holding unit and defines the history area based on the extracted maximum and minimum values.

9. An information recording apparatus comprising:

a file read control unit that carries out control so as to read out a captured image file, which associates captured image data generated by capturing a subject with positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated, from a recording medium;

a positional information extracting unit that extracts positional information in the captured image file read by the file read control unit;

an area determination unit that determines whether a position indicated by the extracted positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the extracted positional information;

a positional information conversion unit that, when the area determination unit determines that the position indicated by the extracted positional information is included in the positional information conversion area, converts the extracted positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information;

a record control unit that carries out control so as to record the read captured image file so that the captured image data in the read captured image file are associated with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit; and

a positional information history holding unit that holds a history of the extracted positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information is confined by the positional information conversion unit to within a history area defined by the history of the positional information held by the positional information history holding unit.

10. The information recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a transmission control unit that carries out control so as to transmit the captured image data, associated by the record control unit with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit, and the converted positional information.

11. The information recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the positional information conversion unit extracts a maximum value and minimum value of latitudes and a maximum value and minimum value of longitudes from the history held by the positional information history holding unit and defines the history area based on the extracted maximum and minimum values.

12. A positional information conversion method, comprising:

generating captured image data by capturing a subject; and

using a processor to carry out the following;

acquiring positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated,

determining whether the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the acquired positional information,

when the position indicated by the acquired positional information is determined to be included in the positional information conversion area, converting the acquired positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information,

holding a history of the acquired positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information is confined to within a history area defined by the history of the acquired positional information, and

when recording the generated captured image data, carrying out control so as to record the generated captured image data in association with the converted positional information.

13. A position information conversion method, comprising:

using a processor to carry out the following;

carrying out control so as to read out a captured image file, which associates captured image data generated by capturing a subject with positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated, from a recording medium,

extracting positional information in the read captured image file,

determining whether a position indicated by the extracted positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the extracted positional information,

when the position indicated by the extracted positional information is determined to be included in the positional information conversion area, converting the extracted positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information,

holding a history of the extracted positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information is confined to within a history area defined by the history of the extracted positional information, and

carrying out control so as to record the read captured image file so that the captured image data in the read captured image file are associated with the converted positional information.

14. A processor encoded with a computer program for carrying out a positional information conversion method, the method comprising:

generating captured image data by capturing a subject;

acquiring positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated;

determining whether the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the acquired positional information;

when the position indicated by the acquired positional information is determined to be included in the positional information conversion area, converting the acquired positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information;

holding a history of the acquired positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information is confined to within a history area defined by the history of the positional information, and

when recording the generated captured image data, carrying out control so as to record the generated captured image data in association with the converted positional information.

15. A processor encoded with a computer program for carrying out a positional information conversion method, the method comprising:

carrying out control so as to read out a captured image file, which associates captured image data generated by capturing a subject with positional information that indicates a position at which the captured image data are generated, from a recording medium;

extracting positional information in the read captured image file;

determining whether a position indicated by the extracted positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the extracted positional information;

when the position indicated by the extracted positional information is determined to be included in the positional information conversion area, converting the extracted positional information into positional information that indicates a position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information;

holding a history of the extracted positional information,

wherein the position different from the position indicated by the extracted positional information is confined to within a history area defined by the history of the extracted positional information, and

carrying out control so as to record the read captured image file so that the captured image data in the read captured image file are associated with the converted positional information.