JP2004356694A - Photo photographing location attaching apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately attach a photographing location to a photo while facilitating operations of photo photographing so as to accurately photograph an object as desired without the need for revising the design of a conventional camera. <P>SOLUTION: A GPS receiver 3 obtains positional coordinates (latitude and longitude) of a photo photographing location attaching apparatus 1. Further, positional information database 5 registers positional information data of place names or position management index names in advance in cross-reference with the positional coordinates (latitude and longitude). A microcomputer application circuit 4 acquires positional information data in cross-reference with the position coordinate of the photo photographing location attaching apparatus 1 entered by the GPS receiver 3 from the positional information database 5, and records the data to a position recording memory 6. When a memory card 9 with a photographed image and a photographing date and time of a digital camera 8 recorded thereon is inserted to the apparatus 1, the microcomputer application circuit 4 acquires the positional information data corresponding to the photographing date and time of the memory card 9 from the position recording memory 6 and attaches the data to image file data of the memory card 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, when a photograph is taken by a camera such as an optical camera, a video camera, a digital camera, and a digital camera with a built-in GPS, the photographing position is recorded in a representation format used in human daily life and daily work. It belongs to the technical field of a photographing position adding device.
[0002]
[Prior art field]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, photography is performed by a camera such as an optical camera, a video camera, a digital camera, and a digital camera with a built-in GPS. In such a case, the date and time of photographing can be recorded in an image photographed by a conventional optical camera, video camera, and digital camera, but the photographing place cannot be recorded in many cases.
[0003]
In addition, a digital camera with a built-in GPS can record the latitude and longitude values of a shooting location based on positional information from GPS satellites. In many cases, it is not possible to easily know the specific location of the captured image on the day after the capture because it is not an expression form of the position used in daily work. For this reason, management of the position where the photograph was taken has been complicated.
[0004]
Therefore, the latitude / longitude information obtained by using the global positioning system (hereinafter also referred to as GPS device) and the place name obtained by searching by the map information search means based on the latitude / longitude information -By passing the building name to the camera body, when taking a picture with the camera body, the latitude and longitude information from the GPS device and the place name from the map information search means together with the image taken with the film unit A video recording device capable of imprinting a building name has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
According to the video recording device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the shooting location can be recorded together with the photographing, and the user of the video recording device can easily know the shooting location.
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2003-51997
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the video recording device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is necessary to connect the map information search means to the camera body at all times when shooting with the video recording device. However, when the photographing is performed by the camera body to which the map information search means is connected, not only the connected map information search means is disturbed, but also the operation of the photographing becomes complicated, It is difficult to accurately photograph a subject as desired, and a desired photographic image cannot be obtained. In particular, in such a case, a photographic expert can accurately obtain a desired photographic image, but a general user cannot easily obtain a desired photographic image accurately.
[0006]
Patent Document 1 discloses mounting a GPS device on a camera body, but does not disclose mounting a map information search unit on the camera body. Therefore, it is conceivable that the map information search means is also mounted on the camera body similarly to the GPS device. However, when the map information search means is mounted on the camera body in this way, it is necessary to significantly change the design of a conventional camera or a camera with a built-in GPS, which not only increases the cost but also increases the position information. However, there is a problem that the camera must be a dedicated camera for recording.
Furthermore, if the user forgets to connect the GPS device and the map information search means to the camera body at the time of photographing, there is a problem that the video recording device cannot exhibit the function of recording the photographing place.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily perform a photographing operation and to accurately photograph a subject as desired without changing the design of a conventional camera. Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographing position adding device capable of accurately adding a photographing place.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 includes a photographing place position coordinate acquiring unit that acquires position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) of a photographing place from a global positioning system, a place name or a position management sign. The position information database in which the position information data of the name is registered in advance corresponding to the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) and the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) input from the photographing location position coordinate acquisition means Position recording means for recording position information data of a corresponding place name or position management sign name and time information data of the date and time when the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) are inputted from the photographing place position coordinate acquisition means; The position input from the position information data registered in the position information database based on the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) input from the shooting location position coordinate acquisition unit. Position information data corresponding to a target (latitude value, longitude value), and time information of the date and time when the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) are input from the location information data and the shooting location position coordinate obtaining means. Data is recorded in the position recording means, and further, when a photographing date and time is inputted from outside, from the position information data recorded in the position recording means, the photographing date and time correspond to the photographing date and time inputted from outside. And a controller for adding the acquired position information data to the image file data of the camera photographed recorded on the recording medium or the file name of the image file data. I have.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the shooting date and time input from the outside is input by at least one of a memory card and a communication cable.
[0009]
[Action]
In the photographing position adding apparatus of the present invention thus configured, when a photograph is taken by a camera, the position information data of the photographing position and the time information data of the photographing date and time are used in daily life and daily work of a person. It will be recorded accurately in the specified expression format.
[0010]
In addition, since recording by a camera only records time information data of the photographing date and time together with the photographed image file data, the latitude and longitude of a camera such as a conventional digital camera capable of recording the photographing date and time on a recording medium and the photographing place are recorded. A conventional digital camera with a built-in GPS device that can record on a recording medium can be used with almost no design change. Therefore, recording of the position information data is performed at low cost, and a dedicated camera for recording the position information data is not required. In addition, since it is possible to take a picture by detaching the device for adding the positional information data from the camera, the photographing operation becomes easy, and the subject can be photographed exactly as desired, and the photographing location can be accurately determined. Will be recorded.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of an embodiment of a photographing position adding device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the photographing position adding device in this example is a digital photographing position adding device 1. This digital photographing position adding device 1 includes a GPS antenna 2, a GPS receiver (corresponding to a photographing position coordinate acquiring means of the present invention) 3, and a microcomputer application circuit for the digital photographing position adding device 1 (of the present invention). A position information database 5, a position recording memory (corresponding to the position recording means of the present invention) 6, and a memory card interface 7.
[0012]
The GPS receiver 3 receives a signal of the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) of the digital photographing position adding device 1 from a GPS satellite (not shown) via the GPS antenna 2, and thereby receives the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude). Value) and the time information of the date and time at which the digital photographing position adding device 1 is located at the position coordinates, and periodically detects the information and transmits it to the microcomputer application circuit 4.
[0013]
In the position information database 5, position information data of a place name or a position management sign name in an expression format used in a person's daily life and daily work is registered in advance in correspondence with the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value). ing. The position management sign name can indicate a specific point on the road and its surroundings. For example, a distance sign (km post, management kilometer, etc.) installed on the road, an intersection name, a public facility name , Famous buildings, etc.
[0014]
The microcomputer application circuit 4 searches the position information database 5 based on the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) of the digital photographing position adding device 1 sent from the GPS receiver 3 and registers it in the position information database 5. The location name or the location management sign name corresponding to these latitude and longitude values is obtained from the place name or the location management sign name, and the obtained location name or location management sign name and this digital photograph The time at which the position adding device 1 is located at the position coordinates is recorded in the position recording memory 6.
In this example, the digital photographing position adding device 1 is provided separately from the digital camera 8. Although the specific configuration of the digital camera 8 is not shown, it is the same as the configuration of a conventionally known digital camera 8 having a memory card, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0015]
Then, in order to take a photograph with the digital camera 8, when going to the photographing place, the digital photographing position adding device 1 is brought together with the digital camera 8 to the photographing place, and the photographing by the digital camera 8 is performed. During this time, the digital photographing position adding device 1 is continuously operated.
[0016]
In this state, when the photographing by the digital camera 8 is performed in the same manner as the photographing by the conventional digital camera, the file creation time of the memory card (corresponding to the recording medium of the present invention) 9 mounted on the digital camera 8 is reduced. In the management table, the image file data of the captured image and the time information of the date and time when the image file data was created are recorded using the file name of the image file data.
[0017]
On the other hand, at the time of photographing by the digital camera 8, since the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1 is operating, the position coordinates of the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1, that is, the place name or the position of the photographing place, as described above. The position information of the management sign name and the time information of the date and time when the digital photographing position adding device 1 is located at the position coordinates are recorded in the position recording memory 6.
[0018]
Next, a method of recording the location information of the shooting location in the image file data of the shot image or the file name of the image file by the digital photo shooting position adding apparatus 1 of this example will be described.
At a place where the photograph is taken immediately after taking a picture by the digital camera 8 or at a place different from the place where the picture is taken after a lapse of a predetermined time from the taking of the picture, the memory card 9 is removed from the digital camera 8 and the memory of the digital picture taking position adding device 1 is removed. Insert it into the card interface 7. Then, the microcomputer application circuit 4 reads out the time information at which the image file data was created from the file creation time management table in the inserted memory card 9 and searches the position recording memory 6 based on the read time information. Then, the position information data of the place name or the position management sign name where the image file data is created is acquired.
[0019]
Further, the microcomputer application circuit 4 performs an operation of rewriting the file name management table in the memory card 9 to use the file name of the image file data in the daily life and daily work of the person obtained from the position recording memory 6. Processing to change to a file name to which position information data such as a place name or a position management sign name in a given expression format is added, or a place name or a position management sign name obtained from the position recording memory 6 on a photographed image At least one of the processes of changing the image file data so that the character of the position information data is added (displayed) is performed. At this time, at least one of a process of changing the file name to which the time information of the shooting date and time is added and a process of changing the data of the image file so that the time information is displayed is also performed. When there are a plurality of image files, the microcomputer application circuit 4 performs the above-described processing for each image file.
In this way, the shooting position of the image taken by the digital camera 8 is expressed in the form of the name of the image file and the name of the image file in an expression format such as a place name and a position management sign name used in daily life and daily work of a person. Recorded in at least one of the data.
[0020]
According to the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1 of this example, when a photograph is taken by a camera, the position information of the photographing position and the time information of the photographing date and time are added to the file name or the image file data of the image file, and the daily life of a person is taken. And in the form of expressions used in daily work.
Therefore, it is possible to save the trouble of managing the position where the photograph was taken, so that it is easy to organize the photograph and create a document using the photograph, and it is possible to prevent the photograph from being complicated. This makes photographing with the camera fun, and it is possible to expand interest in photographing for the user.
[0021]
In addition, by accurately recording the position information and the time information at which the photograph was taken, it is possible to improve the material value and evidence value of the photograph.
Further, since the recording by the digital camera only records the data of the photographing date and time together with the photographed image data, the latitude and longitude of the conventional digital camera which can record the photographing date and time on the memory card 9 and the photographing place can be recorded on the memory card 9. A conventional digital camera with a built-in GPS device can be used with almost no design change. Therefore, while recording the position information at a low cost, it is possible to make the operation of photographing easy and to accurately photograph the subject as desired while eliminating the need for a dedicated camera for recording the position information, and The shooting location can be accurately recorded.
[0022]
Note that, in the digital camera 8 of this example, photography is performed using the digital camera 8, but the present invention is applicable to any camera having a memory card 9 that can record the date and time of photography. It can also be applied to photography with various cameras. In this case, the memory card 9 as a recording medium includes a magnetic recording medium, an electronic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or a normal film. Further, even in the case of photographing with a camera having no memory card 9, it is only necessary to write down the photographing date and time for each photographing and manually input the date and time when the memo was recorded to the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1 later. Thus, the photographing place can be recorded in the photographed image for each photograph in a display format such as the above-mentioned place name or position management sign name.
[0023]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1, schematically illustrating another example of the embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the above-described example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In the example shown in FIG. 1 described above, by inserting the memory card 9 removed from the digital camera 8 into the digital photographing position adding device 1, the position information data of the photographing position is recorded in the file name of the image file or the image file data. In the digital photographing position adding device 1 of this example, the digital camera 8 is directly connected to the digital photographing position adding device 1 with a communication cable, so that the memory card 9 is detached from the digital camera 8. Instead, the position information data of the shooting position is recorded in the file name of the image file or the image file data.
[0024]
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1 of this example, the memory card interface 7 of the above-described example is omitted. The microcomputer application circuit 10 in the digital camera 8 can be directly connected to the microcomputer application circuit 4 in the digital photographing position adding device 1 by a communication cable 11 (FIG. 2 shows a digital photographing position adding device). Interfaces for connecting to the microcomputer application circuits 4 and 10 provided in the apparatus 1 and the digital camera 8, respectively, are not shown). The communication cable 11 is used when the digital camera 8 is connected to a personal computer (PC) and image file data recorded in the memory of the digital camera 8 or the memory card 9 is read out to the personal computer, as is conventionally done. The general-purpose serial communication cable (USB) used can be used. Of course, any other known communication cable can be used as the communication cable 11 as long as it can read image file data of the digital camera 8.
[0025]
Other configurations of the digital photographing position adding device 1 of this example are the same as those of the above-described example. The microcomputer application circuit 10 of the digital camera 8 is not shown in FIG. 1 described above, and is incorporated in a conventionally-known digital camera that is commercially available as a control device of the known digital camera. Needless to say.
[0026]
In the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1 configured as described above, in recording the position information of the photographing place in the image file data of the photographed image or the file name of the image file, after photographing by the digital camera 8, The digital camera 8 is connected to the digital photographing position adding device 1 via the communication cable 11 at the photographing place or at a place other than the photographing place. Then, the microcomputer application circuit 4 in the digital photographing position adding device 1 reads the file creation time management table in the memory card 9 via the communication cable 11 and the microcomputer application circuit 10 in the digital camera 8 in the same manner as in the above-described example. The time information at which the image file data was created is read, and the position recording memory 6 is searched based on the read time information, and the location information data of the place name or the position management sign name at which the image file data was created is retrieved. get. Thereafter, in the same manner as in the above-described example, the position information of the shooting place and the shooting time information are recorded in the image file data of the shot image or the file name of the image file.
[0027]
According to the digital camera 8 of this example, even if the memory card 9 is not removed from the digital camera 8, the location information of the shooting location and the shooting time information are recorded in the image file data of the shot image or the file name of the image file. can do. Thus, for example, it is possible to flexibly cope with a digital camera 8 that can be connected to a personal computer via USB.
Other functions and effects of this embodiment are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.
[0028]
In each of the above-described examples, a memory (corresponding to a recording medium of the present invention) built in the microcomputer application circuit 10 or the like of the digital camera 8 can be used without using the memory card 9. 9 can also be used in combination.
Further, in each of the above-described examples, the position information of the photographing place is recorded by only one of the memory card 9 and the communication cable 11, but the present invention is not limited to the digital photographing position adding apparatus 1. Instead, the location information of the shooting location can be recorded by both the memory card 9 and the communication cable 11. In that case, one of the memory card 9 and the communication cable 11 may be selected.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the digital photographing position adding apparatus of the present invention, when a photograph is taken by a camera, the position information data of the photographing position and the time information data of the photographing date and time are stored in the file of the image file. It becomes possible to accurately record in a name or image file data in an expression format used in daily life and daily work of a person.
[0030]
In addition, since recording by a camera only records time information data of the photographing date and time together with the photographed image file data, the latitude and longitude of a camera such as a conventional digital camera capable of recording the photographing date and time on a recording medium and the photographing place are recorded. A conventional digital camera with a built-in GPS device that can record on a recording medium can be used with almost no design change. Therefore, the recording of the position information can be performed at low cost, and a dedicated camera for recording the position information can be dispensed with. In addition, since it is possible to take a picture by detaching the device for adding the position information data from the camera, the photographing operation can be facilitated, and the subject can be photographed exactly as desired. It is possible to record the shooting location in the camera.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of an embodiment of a photographing position adding device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1, schematically showing another example of the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital photographing position addition device, 2 ... GPS antenna, 3 ... GPS receiver, 4 ... Microcomputer application circuit (control device), 5 ... Position information database, 6 ... Position recording memory, 7 ... Memory card interface, 8 ... Digital camera, 9 memory card, 10 microcomputer application circuit, 11 communication cable

Claims (2)

A photographing place position coordinate acquiring means for acquiring the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) of the photographing place from the global positioning system;
A position information database in which position information data of a place name or a position management sign name is registered in advance corresponding to position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value);
The location information data of the place name or the position management sign name corresponding to the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) input from the shooting location position coordinate obtaining means, and the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude) from the shooting location position coordinate obtaining means. Value recording means for recording the time information data of the date and time when the
From the position information data registered in the position information database based on the position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) input from the shooting location position coordinate acquisition means, input position coordinates (latitude value, longitude value) And the time information data of the date and time when the position coordinates (latitude and longitude values) are input from the photographing location position coordinate obtaining means, to the position recording means. Recording, and further, when a shooting date and time is input from outside, from among the position information data recorded in the position recording means, position information data corresponding to the shooting date and time input from outside is acquired. A control device for adding the acquired position information data to image file data of a camera photographed on a recording medium or a file name of the image file data. Photography location addition device which is characterized in that it comprises and. 2. The photographing position adding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing date and time input from the outside is inputted by at least one of a memory card and a communication cable.

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