JP2003333482A - Electronic album creating system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system capable of enabling user to enjoy an electronic album more conveniently. <P>SOLUTION: A collecting type digital camera 2 is used, which is provided with a position detecting means 27 for detecting positional coordinates of a photographic spot, and a buffer memory 25 for storing photographing data 34 consisting of image data, photographing data and time and the positional coordinates so that the data are associated. After collecting the camera 2, the data 34 are read from the memory 25, and the electronic album 35 is created by a photographic data adding means 32. The created album 35 is stored in a storage medium 33, and is distributed to the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for creating an electronic album based on image data taken by a digital camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a digital camera, captured image data is stored in a memory card such as a built-in memory or smart media. A user connects the camera body or a memory card to an information terminal such as a personal computer, saves and reads out image data, prints it on a display screen or a printer, and enjoys it.

On the other hand, the number of users who independently edit image data and publish it on homepages or create electronic albums is increasing. Especially when traveling abroad, etc., where the number of shots is large, we have added a comment and a map of the surrounding area so that the shooting location can be identified for each number of shots.

In order to meet the demands of the users as described above, there has been proposed a system in which a shooting location and image data are associated and stored / displayed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 179491 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-322109 disclose a GPS (Global Positioning System) used in a vehicle-mounted navigation device or a mobile phone.
A system for creating an electronic album attached on the map data by associating the image data of the digital camera with the position coordinates of the shooting location by using the position detecting means such as the above is described. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-126731 discloses that
There is described a system that uses a visited database that stores visited data such as map information and displays / outputs an electronic album by associating a shooting location with image data.

[0005]

However, the work of creating an electronic album by attaching image data on a map is very complicated for the user, so that the electronic album cannot be enjoyed easily. . In addition, this work is largely dependent on the user's individual technology, which is difficult for a technically inexperienced user such as a PC beginner.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic album creating system which allows users to enjoy an electronic album more easily.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention associates position detection means for detecting the position coordinates of a shooting location with image data, image date and time, and image data including the position coordinates. And a photographing data storing means for storing the photographing data, and the photographing data attaching means for attaching the photographing data to the map data in correspondence with the photographing place after the digital camera is collected, and the photographing data attaching means. Electronic album storage means for storing the electronic album created by the data attaching means is provided.

Further, the present invention provides the above digital camera,
A transmission means for transmitting the photographing data to an internet server is provided, and the internet server is provided with
A photographing data storage area for storing the photographing data is provided. Further, the electronic album storage means is at least one of a storage medium and an electronic album storage area provided in the Internet server, the access of which is restricted by a specific access code.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a digital camera.
2 and FIG. 2, the camera body 3 of the digital camera 2
A lens barrel 4, an optical finder 5, and a stroboscopic light emitting section 6 are provided in the. A grip portion 7, a mode dial 8, and a shutter button 9 are provided on the side surface and the upper surface of the camera body 3. On the other side surface of the camera body 3, a card slot 1 into which the memory card 10 is inserted
1, a color liquid crystal monitor 12 and an operation unit 13 including a cross key and various function buttons are provided on the back side.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the internal structure of the digital camera 2. The microcomputer 21 outputs a control signal to each section in response to an operation signal from the mode dial 8, the shutter button 9, and the operation section 13. The image pickup section 22 includes a CCD image pickup element arranged behind the lens barrel 4 and a CC image pickup element.
And a D drive control unit, and detects an optical image of a subject formed through the photographing lens as an image pickup signal. The detected image pickup signal is amplified to a certain level by the signal processing circuit 23, subjected to signal processing such as white balance adjustment and γ correction, and then converted into digital image data.

The display control section 24 displays an image on the color liquid crystal monitor 12 based on the image data. The image data output from the signal processing circuit 23 is output to the display control unit 24, and the image of the subject is continuously displayed on the color liquid crystal monitor 12 during shooting. The buffer memory 25 as a photographing data storage means performs various processes such as writing, reading and erasing of image data via the microcomputer 21.

The microcomputer 21 has a clock circuit 26 and a position detecting means 2 for detecting the position coordinates of the photographing location.
7 and 7 are connected. The clock circuit 2 is included in each image data.
The shooting date and time is stored on the basis of the clock signal from 6. The position detecting means 27 performs position detection by a GPS system using radio waves from an artificial satellite, a Loran system using terrestrial waves, or the like by an antenna (not shown). The image data, the shooting date and time, and the position coordinates are stored in the shooting data 34 (see FIG.
See)). The shooting data 34 are stored in the buffer memory 25 in association with each other.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the electronic album creating system. The electronic album creating system 31 includes a photographing data attaching unit 32 and a storage medium 33 as an electronic album storing unit. Image data attaching means 32
Creates an electronic album 35 attached on the map data by associating the shooting data 34 stored in the buffer memory 25 with the shooting location. The storage medium 33 is, for example, a CD-
It consists of an optical disk such as R and a magnetic disk.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic album 35 is
A mark 43 (camera mark in this case) indicating a shooting location is displayed on a map 42a (for example, a map of Japan, a world map, or a map for each area thereof) displayed on the display screen 41 of a personal computer or the like (1). When the cursor 44 is placed over this mark 43 and selected, a more detailed map 42b of the shooting location and its surroundings is enlarged and displayed (2). A thumbnail image 45 is displayed on the map 42b at a position corresponding to the shooting direction. When the cursor 44 is placed over the thumbnail image 45 and selected, the photographed image 46 is displayed (3). When there are a plurality of shots at one shooting location, thumbnail images 45 are displayed in an overlapping manner. Note that a mark such as a photograph may be displayed without displaying the thumbnail image 45.

Next, a series of processes in the electronic album creating system 31 will be described with reference to FIG. Upon receiving an application for use of the digital camera 2 from the user (A), the provider provides the digital camera 2 to the user (B). The user photographs with the digital camera 2 (C). After the shooting is completed, the user returns the digital camera 2 to the provider (D). After collecting the digital camera 2, the provider reads the photographed data 34 from the buffer memory 25 (E), and the photographed data attaching means 32 causes the electronic album 35.
(F). And the created electronic album 3
5 is stored in the storage medium 33 (G) and distributed to the user (H). The user can use the personal computer or the like to store the storage medium 33.
Watch the electronic album 35 stored in (1). In this way, the user can enjoy the electronic album easily because he / she can view it without taking his / her own time after shooting it with the digital camera 2.

The digital camera 2 may be provided with a transmitting means for transmitting the photographed data to the Internet server to configure the electronic album creating system 51 as shown in FIG. The electronic album creating system 51 is provided with an internet server 55 including a photographed data attachment means 52, a storage medium 53, and a photographed data storage area 54. In the photographed data storage area 54, photographed data 57 transmitted via the transmission means 56 of the digital camera 2.
Is saved. In this case, the photographing data 57 obtained by photographing is transmitted to the server 55 by the transmitting means 56 at any time (d) and is stored in the photographing data storage area 54 (e). The provider creates the electronic album 58 based on the shooting data 57 (f). The user notifies the provider via the transmission means 56 when the photographing is completed (9). The provider saves the electronic album 58 created accordingly in the storage medium 53 (h) and distributes it to the user (j). In this way, an electronic album can be created without waiting for the return of the digital camera, and the service can be speeded up.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, instead of the storage medium, electronic album storage areas 63 and 73 as electronic album storage means may be provided in the servers 64 and 74. In this case, the provider issues a specific access code for accessing the electronic album storage areas 63 and 73 to the user when returning the digital camera. The user accesses the servers 64 and 74 with this access code and views the electronic albums 66 and 76 through the Internet. By doing this, the electronic albums 66 and 76 stored in the electronic album storage areas 63 and 73 are
It is possible to perform services such as printing out according to an order on the Internet and providing it to the user. The storage medium as the electronic album storage means and the electronic album storage area may be used in combination.

The electronic album may be provided with an editing function such as adding a comment to a photographed place on the map or a photographed image. However, this editing is not performed directly on the image data, but is written as separate data. This way,
The edited electronic album can be returned to the provider again, and the provider can print out and provide the service to the user.

The term "provider" used here means a DP on the street.
It corresponds to a retail store such as an E store that handles photo development. Also, the administrator of the Internet server corresponds to a manufacturer that manufactures and sells digital cameras and memory cards.

[0020]

As described above, according to the electronic album creating system of the present invention, the position detecting means for detecting the position coordinates of the shooting place is associated with the shooting data consisting of the image data, the shooting date and time and the position coordinates. A collecting-type digital camera having a photographing data storage means for storing the photographing data is used, and after the digital camera is collected, the photographing data attaching means for attaching the photographing data to the map data in association with the photographing place, and the photographing data. Since the electronic album saving means for saving the electronic album created by the attaching means is provided, the electronic album can be enjoyed more easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a digital camera.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a digital camera.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electronic album creating system and a diagram illustrating a series of processes.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic album,
(1) shows a state where a mark indicating the shooting location is displayed on the map, (2) shows a more detailed map of the shooting location and its surroundings, and (3) shows a state where the shot image is displayed. Show.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 digital camera 21 Microcomputer 25 buffer memory 26 clock circuits 27 Position detection means 31 Electronic Album Creation System 32 Image data attachment means 33 storage medium (electronic album storage means) 34 Shooting data 35 Electronic Album 42a, 42b map 54 Image data storage area 55 Internet server 63 electronic album storage area (electronic album storage means)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A system for creating an electronic album based on image data taken by a digital camera, position detecting means for detecting position coordinates of a shooting place, and shooting data composed of the image data, shooting date and time and the position coordinates. And a photographing data storing means for storing the photographing data, the photographing data attaching means for attaching the photographing data to the map data in association with the photographing place after collecting the digital camera. An electronic album creating system comprising: an electronic album saving means for saving the electronic album created by the photographing data attaching means. 2. The digital camera is provided with a transmitting means for transmitting the photographed data to an internet server, and the internet server is provided with a photographed data storage area for storing the photographed data. The electronic album creating system described in 1. 3. The electronic album storage means is at least one of a storage medium and an electronic album storage area provided on the Internet server, the access of which is restricted by a specific access code. Alternatively, the electronic album creating system described in 2.