JPH09179491A - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the arrangement of photographs photographed by a digital camera by retrieving coordinates, corresponding to each photograph of a photographic recording medium, from a travel locus recording medium, and displaying a photographic image in the coordinate position on a displayed map. SOLUTION: A computer 50 takes in the travel locus (coordinates and passing time) of an on-vehicle navigation system from an RAM card through a card reader 60 and in succession takes in photographic data photographed by a digital camera 70 through a card reader 62. A map in a range of including the whole travel locus held in the RAM card is then displayed on a monitor 52. When a display area is selected by a frame, the map in that range is displayed, and photographs of the digital camera 70 photographed at the passing time and date of the travel locus in that range are extracted. Photographed position coordinates are retrieved on the basis of the time and date of each photograph, and these photographs are superimposed on the corresponding position coordinates on the map.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing system, and more particularly to an image processing system capable of displaying a photograph taken by a digital camera in association with a traveling locus obtained by a navigation device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle-mounted navigation device, a GPS
(Global Positioning System) The receiver detects the vehicle position and displays the vehicle position on the monitor to guide the route to the destination. Here, a system of displaying a traveling locus on the monitor by putting a predetermined mark on the passing road has been put into practical use.

A digital camera that holds a photographed image as digital data in a memory is widely provided.

[0004]

However, in the digital camera, the upper limit of the film type is about 36 because of the need to differentiate from the film type camera.
The mainstream is the one that can shoot 100 or more images. Here, the shooting time is stored together with the image, but when a large number of 100 pictures are taken, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to organize the pictures only by the shooting time.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system capable of easily arranging photographs taken by a digital camera. is there.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a position detecting device for detecting a position coordinate of a vehicle, a clock for measuring time, and a display device. A traveling locus storage medium that stores position coordinates and time, a storage device that stores the traveling locus storage medium in association with the position and time detected by the position detection device, a photograph image, and a copy of the image. And a coordinate recording means for retrieving the coordinates corresponding to the time of each photograph of the photo recording medium from the traveling locus recording medium, and the traveling locus recording medium on the display device. An image display means for displaying the image of the photograph retrieved by the coordinate retrieval means in association with the held position is a technical feature.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image processing system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a traveling locus recording medium that holds a traveling locus consisting of coordinates when the vehicle is traveling, an image of a photograph, and a copy of the image. The photographic recording medium which holds the respective coordinates, the display device for displaying the map, the map corresponding to the traveling locus held on the traveling locus recording medium on the display device, and on the map. At the coordinate position of
An image display means for superimposing and displaying the images of the photographs of the coordinates held in the photographic recording medium is a technical feature.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the traveling locus including the coordinates and the passing time of the vehicle during traveling is held on the traveling locus recording medium. On the other hand, the image of the photograph taken by the digital camera and the time when the image is photographed are held in the photographic recording medium. Then, the coordinate search means searches the travel locus recording medium for the coordinates corresponding to the time of each photograph on the photograph recording medium. Then, the image display means displays the map on the display device in association with the held position of the travel locus recording medium, and displays the photographic image searched by the coordinate search means at the coordinate position on the map. To do.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the traveling locus including the traveling coordinates and the passing time of the vehicle is held on the traveling locus recording medium. On the other hand, an image of a photograph taken by a digital camera having a coordinate position detecting device and the coordinates of the point where the image is photographed are held on a photographic recording medium. In the image processing system, the image display means displays a map corresponding to the traveling locus held by the traveling locus recording medium on the display device, and at the coordinate position on the map, the coordinates held on the photographic recording medium. The photo images of are displayed in a superimposed manner.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle-mounted navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a GPS receiver 18 is used as a device for measuring the vehicle position.

The GPS receiver 18 calculates the vehicle position by demodulating the data from the radio wave received by the dedicated antenna 18a attached to the vehicle and processing the data. The calculated vehicle position data is sent to the CPU 12. The CPU 12 is adapted to correct the position information from the GPS receiver 18 based on outputs from a gyro and a vehicle speed sensor (not shown).

A CDROM (not shown) loaded in the CDROM player 30 stores map data in which a map is processed into a predetermined format and is associated with coordinates of north latitude and east longitude. The CDROM player 30 is
Play the CDROM to read the desired map data,
Send to CPU12.

The CPU 12 causes the CDROM player 30 to read out necessary data. The map screen data created by the data read by this is the graphic display controller (GDC) 2
It is written in the VRAM 24 via the data. The GDC 22 stores the screen data in the VRAM 24, generates a display timing signal and outputs the display timing signal to the monitor 28, and V
A signal for reading the screen data stored in the RAM 24 is output. The output of the data read from the VRAM 24 is converted into an analog RGB signal by the palette DAC 26 and displayed as an image on the monitor 28.

The ROM 14 is a memory in which work procedures (programs) of the CPU 12 and fixed data are stored. Further, the RAM 16 is a work memory used as necessary when the CPU 12 advances various processes. The input device 20 is a device that includes a numeric keypad for inputting a telephone number or the like of a destination, and is a device for setting and operating a destination of the vehicle-mounted navigation device by the user pressing the key with a finger. To the CPU 12 according to the above.

The storage device 34 is loaded with a RAM card 36 which can be attached to and detached from a throttle (not shown).
The CPU 12 holds the traveling locus by storing the coordinates and the time in the RAM card 36 via the storage device 34 at every predetermined time or every predetermined traveling distance. The clock 32 detects the present time and sends it to the CPU 12. In addition, the receiver 38 transmits the instruction sent by infrared rays from the remote control device 40 shown in FIG.
It is configured to be transferred to the U12 side.

The remote control device 40 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), a scroll key 42 for moving a later-described cursor on the monitor 28 and a click key 44.
, An image switching key 46, and input keys 48a, 48b, 48c, 48c for performing other inputs.

Now, the processing by the CPU 12 of the vehicle-mounted navigation device of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the CPU 12 uses GPS
Based on the data from the receiver 18, the coordinates of the current position (north latitude / east longitude) are detected (S12). Then, the traveling distance is integrated based on the output from the wheelou sensor (not shown) (S14). Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance (here, 1 km) (S16). Where 1km
Every time the vehicle travels (Yes in S16), the current coordinates and the current time are stored in the RAM card 36 (S20). On the other hand,
When the vehicle has not traveled for a predetermined distance (No in S16), it is determined whether it is a predetermined time (S18). Here, the current coordinates and time are stored in the RAM card 36 at a predetermined time (for example, every minute) (Yes in S18) (S20).

Subsequently, it is judged whether or not the cursor key 42 of the remote control device 40 shown in FIG. 1B has been operated (S22), and unless the cursor key 42 is operated (S22 is No), the click key 44 is operated. If it is determined (S26) that the click key 42 has not been operated (No in S26), it is determined whether an image switching instruction has been issued (S30), and navigation processing is performed (S32). Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, a map including the current position is displayed on the monitor 28, and the current position X of the own vehicle is overlaid on the map along the traveling direction. By repeating the above processing, route guidance is performed while maintaining the traveling locus.

When the cursor key 42 of the remote control device 40 shown in FIG. 1B is operated (S
22 is Yes), the cursor Y on the monitor 28 is moved as shown in FIG. 3B according to the operation of the click key 44 (S24). When the click key 44 is operated (Yes in S26), the coordinates of the point designated by the cursor Y (for example, north latitude 135: 11: 12, east longitude 35:
21:44) and passing time (PM 01:33 on 27th) are obtained by searching the RAM card 36 and displayed as shown in FIG. 3 (C).

On the other hand, when the image switching key 46 of the remote control device 40 shown in FIG. 1 (B) is operated (S30), the navigation process is temporarily suspended and the image is switched to the map selected by the operator (S34). ).
After that, similar to the above-described processing, the position coordinates and the passing time of the point designated on the map image are displayed (S2).
2 to S28). That is, in the example with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, in the map image during route guidance, the coordinates and the passing time of the point on the travel route within the range of the map displayed in the image are displayed. Although displayed, the coordinates of the past passing position and the passing time which are not displayed on this map are displayed by switching the map to the one that has run in the past in step 30 and step 34.

Subsequently, image processing for arranging the photographs stored in the RAM card (not shown) of the digital camera 70 shown in FIG. 4 (B) based on the traveling locus stored in the RAM card 36 by the above-described processing. The processing performed by the device will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. Here, the driver of the vehicle equipped with the on-vehicle navigation device is
The following description will be made assuming that a landscape or the like is photographed by the digital camera 70 while moving by the vehicle and the photograph of the digital camera 70 is reproduced / edited by the image processing device shown in FIG. Note that the date and time when the image was taken is also stored in each photo.

The computer 50 of the image processing device includes a monitor 52, a keyboard 56, a card reading device 60 for reading data from the RAM card 36 of the vehicle-mounted navigation device, and a RAM of the digital camera 70.
A card reading device 62 for reading a card and a printer 64 are connected. Here, in the throttle 60a of the card reading device 60, the traveling locus and the passing time R are held by the processing described above with reference to FIG.
An AM card 36 is loaded, and a RAM card that holds photo data taken by the digital camera 70 is loaded on the throttle 62a of the card reading device 62.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of image reproduction / editing processing by the computer 50. The computer 50 is a CDROM of the CDR0M player shown in FIG.
It holds map data that is almost the same as the map data from. First, this computer starts with the card reading device 6
The travel locus (coordinates and passage time) of the vehicle-mounted navigation device is loaded from the RAM card 36 via 0 (S4
2) Then, subsequently, the photo data taken by the digital camera 70 is taken in via the card reading device 62 (S44). After that, the coordinates of the most northeast and the southwest of the running coordinates of the vehicle-mounted navigation device of the RAM card 36 are extracted, and the map surrounded by these coordinates (the map for selecting the display area) is monitored. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), it is displayed at 52 (S46). That is, the map of the range which covers all the traveling loci of the vehicle-mounted navigation device held in the RAM card 36 is first displayed.

Here, when the operator selects a display area in the frame 50a on the map shown in FIG. 6A (S48 is Y
es), the map of the range surrounded by the frame 50a is shown in FIG.
It is displayed as shown in (B). On the other hand, when the operator does not use the frame (No in S48) and specifies the travel area by date (Yes in S50), the computer 50 causes the computer 50 to be located in the most northeastern part of the route locus traveled on the date (for example, 27th). The coordinates of the position and the coordinates of the most southwest position are extracted, and the map surrounded by these coordinates is displayed on the monitor 52 (S54). The travel range is specified by date not only for one day, but it is also possible to select a plurality of dates and specify a travel range for several days.

The computer 50 uses the above-mentioned step 4
When the display range is designated by the frame 50a in 8, the passing date and time of the traveling locus (here, PM12 to PM4 on the 27th) is within the range displayed on the monitor 52. The photographed digital camera 70 is extracted according to the date and time of the photograph (S53). That is, the photograph taken while traveling on the locus displayed on the monitor 52 is extracted. Then, the position coordinates of the photographed images are retrieved based on the date and time (S5).
6), the corresponding position coordinates on the displayed map are displayed in FIG.
Superimpose the photo as shown in (C) (S5
8). It should be noted that, as shown in the figure, a plurality of photographs are displayed in a shifted manner so that the contents of each can be confirmed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7D, when a specific photograph is designated by the cursor Y and movement is instructed (Yes in S60), the photograph is changed as shown in FIG. 7D. It moves (S62). When the enlargement of the photograph designated by the cursor Y is designated (Yes in S64).
s), the photograph is enlarged as shown in FIG. Although FIG. 8 (E) shows the photograph enlarged to the maximum, in this embodiment, the size of each photograph can be continuously enlarged / reduced. Furthermore, when a character is input via the keyboard 56 (Yes in S68), the input character is superimposed as shown in FIG. 8 (F) (S70). Then, when the operator gives an instruction to print out (Yes in S72), the edited image on the monitor 52 is output by the printer 64 shown in FIG. When the editing along the traveling locus is completed by repeating the editing process from step 60 to step 74 (S
76 is Yes), and all processing is completed.

According to this embodiment, when a vehicle equipped with the on-vehicle navigation device shown in FIG. 1 is used for a trip and a photograph is taken by the digital camera 70 shown in FIG. Since it is easy to organize and you can edit the photos on the running track, you can easily create a so-called travel diary.

Next, the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 shows processing by the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, the digital camera 70 holds the date and time together with the picture, but in the second embodiment, the digital camera 70 is equipped with a GPS receiver and the coordinates of the position where the picture is taken together with the picture. Is held. In the second embodiment as well, it is assumed that the traveling locus data recorded in the RAM card 36 by the vehicle-mounted navigation device of the first embodiment is used. The mechanical configuration of the image processing apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIG.

First, the travel data of the vehicle-mounted navigation device is fetched from the RAM card 36 (S shown in FIG. 9).
42) After capturing the photograph data (S47), the coordinates of the photograph taken at the most northeastern point in the photograph data and the coordinates of the most southwestern photograph are extracted (S47).
49). Then, map data for displaying a range surrounded by the northeast coordinates and the southwest coordinates is created (S51). After that, the position coordinates of each photo are searched, and image data in which the image of the photo is combined with the corresponding position coordinates on the map by this map data is created (S55) and displayed as shown in FIG. 7C ( S57). After that, by the processing from step 60 to step 74, the photographic image is edited as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, since the coordinates are held on the photograph side, when taking photographs continuously while the vehicle is running, it is possible to determine from which position on the road each photograph was taken. There is an advantage that it is easy to do.

In the vehicle-mounted navigation device described above, the traveling locus is held in the removable RAM card 36, but it may be held in the internal RAM 16. Further, as the storage medium of the traveling locus, the above-mentioned first,
Although the RAM card is used in the second embodiment, it goes without saying that various media such as a floppy disk and a magneto-optical disk can be used as the recording medium.

[0032]

[Effect] As described above, according to the image processing system of the present invention, it is possible to easily organize a large number of photographs taken by a digital camera and to easily create a diary in which the photographs are combined on the travel route. It will be possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle-mounted navigation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of a remote control device.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process performed by a CPU shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an image on the monitor shown in FIG.

FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an image reproducing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a front view of a digital camera.

5 is a flowchart showing processing by the computer shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an image on the monitor shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an image on the monitor shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an image on the monitor shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing by the image reproducing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 CPU 28 Monitor 32 Clock 34 Storage Device 36 RAM Card 42 Scroll Key 44 Click Key 50 Computer 52 Monitor 70 Digital Camera

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06F 15/401 320C

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A position detection device for detecting position coordinates of a vehicle, a clock for measuring time, a display device, a travel locus storage medium for storing position coordinates and time, and a position detection device for detecting the position. A storage device that stores the travel locus storage medium in association with different positions and times, a photo recording medium that holds a photo image, and the time at which the image was captured, and the time of each photo of the photo recording medium. And a coordinate search unit that searches the travel locus recording medium for the coordinates corresponding to, and the display device displays the image of the photo searched by the coordinate search unit in association with the position held on the travel locus recording medium. An image processing system comprising: 2. A running locus recording medium for holding a running locus consisting of coordinates when the vehicle is running, a photographic recording medium for holding a photograph image and the coordinates of the image, and a map are displayed. A display device for displaying a map corresponding to the traveling locus held on the traveling locus recording medium on the display device, and displaying a map corresponding to the traveling locus held on the traveling locus recording medium at the coordinate position on the map. An image processing system comprising: an image display unit that displays images in an overlapping manner.