JP2008122286A - Device, method and program for searching route image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for searching a route image that allows a desired point state to be observed on a display screen from a plurality of directions, and to provide a method and program for searching the route image. <P>SOLUTION: When a point specification section 100 acquires coordinate information on the desired point that user inputs through an input operation section 18 and specifies the point as a search position of the route image, a position search section 102 searches and acquires, from a route image database 16, the route image whose photographed position is within a predetermined distance from the specified point. An angle search section 104 searches a route image whose photographed direction is within a predetermined angle from the line connecting the specified point to the photographed position from the route images searched by the position search section 102. The searched route image is displayed on a display section 20 by a display control section 106. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a route image search device, a route image search method, and a route image search program.

  Conventionally, in order to manage routes such as roads and rivers, devices for searching and displaying route images in association with map information, aerial photograph images and the like have been proposed.

For example, Patent Document 1 below also discloses an image information retrieval system that retrieves and displays attributes, data, and the like of an object in an image together with a CG image of the object and the like by an instruction to the object.
JP 2003-287434 A

  However, in the above conventional technology, the situation at a desired point cannot be observed from a plurality of directions on the display screen. For example, a non-life insurance company can sufficiently investigate and confirm the situation at the time of an accident at a desired point. There was a problem that it was difficult to do.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a route image search device, a route image search method, and a route capable of observing a situation of a desired point from a plurality of directions on a display screen. To provide an image search program.

  In order to achieve the above object, the route image search device according to claim 1 is characterized in that a point specifying means for specifying a desired point and a position search for searching for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point. And an angle search means for searching for a route image whose shooting direction is within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the spot and the shooting position with respect to the route image searched by the position search means. .

  The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the point is specified based on an aerial photograph image or a map image.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the point is an intersection of a road.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the angle search unit determines a photographing direction based on a plurality of consecutive photographing positions. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the route image is searched for every season, weather or time taken.

  The route image searching method according to claim 6 includes a point specifying step of specifying a desired point, a position searching step of searching for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point, and the position searching step. An angle search step of searching for a route image having a shooting direction within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the spot and the shooting position with respect to the searched route image.

  The route image search program according to claim 7 specifies a desired point, searches for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point, and the shooting direction of the searched route image is the point. The computer is caused to execute a process of searching for a route image within a predetermined angle from a line connecting to the photographing position.

  According to the present invention, the situation at a desired point can be observed from a plurality of directions on the display screen, and the situation at the desired point can be accurately grasped.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a route image search system according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the route image search system includes a route image search device 10, an aerial photograph image database 12, a map information database 14, and a route image database 16.

  The route image search device 10 designates a desired point, acquires a route image obtained by photographing the point, and displays it. Details of the configuration and functions will be described later.

  The aerial photograph image database 12 stores aerial photograph image information of each region, and provides aerial photograph image information in response to requests from others. This aerial photograph image information includes an aerial photograph image and coordinate information of a point on the aerial photograph image.

  The map information database 14 stores map information of each region, and provides map information in response to requests from others. This map information includes a map image and coordinate information of points on the map image.

  The route image database 16 stores photographic images of routes taken while traveling along routes such as roads and rivers. The route image is an image of a road acquired by driving a car on a road, an image of a river acquired by navigating a ship to a river, and the like. Search information (search information) is added to each route image. The search information includes the route number (road number, river number), the shooting date and time of the route image, the coordinate information of the shooting point, and the like. Position) is associated with a table or the like.

  The route image search system described above may be realized by providing the route image search device 10, the aerial photograph image database 12, the map information database 14, and the route image database 16 in the same casing, or may be realized by using the Internet or the like. It may be realized by connecting with a network.

  The route image search apparatus 10 includes a point designating unit 100, a position search unit 102, an angle search unit 104, a display control unit 106, and a communication unit 108.

  The point designating unit 100 is realized by a central processing unit (CPU) and a program for controlling the processing operation of the CPU, acquires coordinate information of a point input by the user from the input operation unit 18, and displays the point in the route image. Specify as search position. The user refers to an aerial photograph image or map image displayed on the display unit 20 by the display control unit 106 and designates an intersection of a road as a desired point. As described above, since the aerial photograph image information or the map information has the coordinate information of the points on the aerial photograph image or the map image, the point designation unit 100 displays the aerial photograph image displayed on the display unit 20. Or the coordinate information of the point designated by the user on the map image can be acquired.

  The position search unit 102 is realized by the CPU and a program for controlling the processing operation of the CPU, and based on the coordinate information of the point specified by the point specifying unit 100, the route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point is routed. Search from the image database 16.

  The angle search unit 104 is realized by a CPU and a program that controls the processing operation of the CPU, and for a route image searched by the position search unit 102, a predetermined value is obtained from a line connecting a point where the shooting direction of the route image is specified and the shooting position. Search for route images within an angle. The method for determining the shooting direction will be described later.

  The display control unit 106 is realized by a CPU and a program for controlling processing operations of the CPU, and performs control for displaying a route image as a search result on the display unit 20. When the display control unit 106 displays the aerial photograph image or the map image on the display unit 20, the display control unit 106 reads from the aerial photograph image database 12 or the map information database 14 based on an instruction input from the input operation unit 18 by the user. Obtain and display aerial photo image information or map information.

  The communication unit 108 is realized by an appropriate communication interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port or a network port, and exchanges information with the aerial photograph image database 12, the map information database 14, and the route image database 16.

  In the route image search system described above, the input operation unit 18, the display unit 20, and the display control unit 106 are realized by a computer different from the route image search device 10, and the computer and the route image search device 10 are connected to the Internet. It is good also as a structure connected by networks, such as. This makes it possible to search for route images via the network.

  The input operation unit 18 is realized by an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and is used by a user to input a desired point and the like. The display unit 20 is realized by a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various types of information according to instructions from the display control unit 106.

  FIG. 2 shows an explanatory diagram of a search process for a route image within a predetermined distance from a designated point by the position search unit 102. In FIG. 2, for the routes (roads in this case) R <b> 1 and R <b> 2, shooting points where a route image is acquired by driving a car are indicated by ◯. The position search unit 102 acquires the coordinate information of the photographing point from the route image database 16 when searching for the route image. In addition, the arrow shown in each imaging | photography point has shown the imaging | photography direction mentioned later.

  When the user designates a road intersection or the like as a desired point with reference to the aerial photograph image or map image displayed on the display unit 20, the position search unit 102 designates the designation indicated by + in FIG. A circle C having a radius of a predetermined distance r from the point is set. Next, among the route images stored in the route image database 16, a route image having coordinate information in the circle C is searched for the route images taken on the roads R1 and R2 where the designated point exists. . Thereby, it is possible to search for a route image taken within the radius r from the point designated by the user.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of search processing by the angle search unit 104. FIG. FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram of processing for determining the shooting direction of a route image, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram of search processing for a route image having a predetermined shooting direction.

  In FIG. 3A, the angle search unit 104 acquires from the route image database 16 route images at a plurality of continuous shooting positions, for example, a route image for which the shooting direction is desired and three route images before and after the route image. In the route image, as described above, since the shooting position and the shooting date and time are associated with each other, the shooting position and the shooting order of each route image are determined based on the information. In FIG. 3A, ◯ is the shooting position, and the numbers described in ○ are the shooting order. From this shooting position and the shooting order, a curve passing through the route image (4) for which the shooting direction is to be obtained and the three route images (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) before and after that is obtained. In FIG. 3A, this curve is indicated by a broken line. The angle search unit 104 obtains the tangent direction of the curve at the shooting position of the route image (4) and sets it as the shooting direction. Alternatively, the path image (4) is taken as an intermediate value between the shooting direction of the previous path image (3) and the shooting direction of the rear path image (5), assuming that the curve is constant in curvature (a uniform curve). The direction may be determined. In the method of FIG. 3A, three shooting positions before and after the shooting position of the route image (4) are used, but the number is not limited to this. If the shooting direction can be appropriately determined, a configuration in which a smaller or larger number of shooting positions are used may be used.

  In FIG. 3B, a circle C is set by the position search unit 102 in FIG. The angle search unit 104 searches for a route image in which the shooting direction determined by the method of FIG. 3A is within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the point designated by the user and the shooting position. The reason why the angle is within the predetermined angle is to select a route image that is taken in the direction of the point designated by the user and that is likely to include the image of the point. In FIG. 3B, the + mark is the designated point, and the arrow is the shooting direction of each route image. When the line connecting the designated point and the shooting position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 3B and the shooting direction are searched within 90 degrees, for example, a route image at the shooting position indicated by □ is selected.

  By the search processing of the position search unit 102 and the angle search unit 104 described above, it is possible to search for a route image in the vicinity of the point designated by the user and including the image of the designated point.

  FIG. 4 shows a flow of an operation example of the route image search apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, the point designating unit 100 acquires coordinate information of a desired point input by the user from the input operation unit 18 and designates the point as a route image search position (S <b> 1).

  Next, the position search unit 102 searches the route image database 16 for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point specified by the point specifying unit 100 (S2). In this search, the search may be made every season, weather or time when the route image is taken. As a result, for example, a non-life insurance company can easily check the status of a survey point when an accident occurs.

  For the route image searched by the position search unit 102 in S2, the angle search unit 104 selects a route image in which the shooting direction of the route image is within a predetermined angle from the line connecting the point specified as the search position and the shooting position. Search (S3).

  The display control unit 106 displays the route image searched through the above steps on the display unit 20 (S4). In this case, when there are a plurality of route images as search results, it is preferable to display them simultaneously on the display unit 20. Thereby, the situation of the desired point can be observed from a plurality of directions on the display screen, and the situation of the desired point can be grasped more accurately.

It is a block diagram of one embodiment of a route image retrieval system according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the search process of the route image within the predetermined distance from the designated point by a position search part. It is explanatory drawing of the search process by an angle search part. It is a flowchart of the operation example in one Embodiment of the route image search device concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Route image search apparatus, 12 Aerial photograph image database, 14 Map information database, 16 Route image database, 18 Input operation part, 20 Display part, 100 Point designation part, 102 Position search part, 104 Angle search part, 106 Display control part 108 Communication part.

Claims (7)

A point designating means for designating a desired point;
Position search means for searching for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point;
With respect to the route image searched by the position search means, an angle search means for searching for a route image whose shooting direction is within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the spot and the shooting position;
A route image search device comprising:   The route image search device according to claim 1, wherein the point is specified based on an aerial photograph image or a map image.   3. The route image search device according to claim 1, wherein the point is a road intersection.   4. The route image search device according to claim 1, wherein the angle search unit determines a shooting direction based on a plurality of continuous shooting positions. 5.   The route image search device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the route image is searched for every season, weather, or time taken. A point designating process for designating a desired point;
A position search step of searching for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point;
For the route image searched in the position search step, an angle search step for searching for a route image whose shooting direction is within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the spot and the shooting position;
A route image search method comprising: Specify the desired point,
Search for a route image whose shooting position is within a predetermined distance from the point,
A route image search program for causing a computer to execute a process of searching for a route image whose shooting direction is within a predetermined angle from a line connecting the spot and the shooting position with respect to the searched route image.

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