JPH11284939A - Image pickup device having a plurality of recording/ reproducing units, and recording/reproducing units - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily synthesize the name of a place showing a photographing place with an image taken by an optical camera and a digital camera by recording position information on the name of the place as a part of the image, based on calculated present position information. SOLUTION: A control part 1 takes out map information in ROM 7 by position information from a satellite measurement system (GPS) receiver 6 and retrieves the name of a place, the name of a sightseeing place and the name of a building, which correspond to position information existing in a circle with a radius which is previously set. When photographing by a digital camera is finished and a 'place name take-in function' is turned on from an input part 5, it is judged whether the name of the place, the name of the sightseeing place, the name of the building are preserved in RAM 2 or not. When they are stored, the name of the place, the name of the sightseeing place and the name of the building are read from the storage area and they are displayed on a display part 4. When a user depresses 'OK' from the input part 5, the name of the place, the name of the sightseeing place, and the name of the building are developed into font image data, they are synthesized in the designation position of image data and the synthesized video data is stored in RAM 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image information recording apparatus such as an optical camera, a digital camera, and a video camera capable of recording positional information such as a place name.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, optical cameras, digital cameras,
The video camera has a built-in clock IC and the like.
It is configured so that the date and time can be read from C and recorded as part of an image.

[0003] In digital cameras, video cameras, and the like, it is also practiced to combine character information and the like by an image data editing function after photographing.

By the way, photographers often want to know not only date information such as date and time and time but also information such as location when viewing a photographed image at a later date. Conventionally, in such a case, there has been no other choice but to make a memo or the like in advance at the time of photographing, or to record a place or the like based on the stored photographed image.

[0005]

An optical camera, a digital camera, and the like can record date information at the time of photographing together with an image, but a place name indicating a place where the image was photographed at the time of photographing, a sightseeing place name, and a building name. Etc. cannot be easily captured. Digital cameras, video cameras, etc. can use the editing function after composition to input place names, etc., but for editing, it is necessary to write down place names, etc., and the editing work is cumbersome. There is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image information recording apparatus in which a photographer can easily record location information such as a place name, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image information recording apparatus comprising: means for calculating a current position; and a position for recording position information such as a place name as a part of an image based on the current position information calculated by the means. Information recording means.

[0008] According to the above-described configuration, a place name or the like indicating a photographing place or the like can be easily combined with an image photographed by an image information recording device such as an optical camera or a digital camera and recorded.

Further, the present invention can be configured so that the current position information is calculated periodically and the movement history of the movement is recorded.

[0010] According to the above-described configuration, the place where the photographer has moved can be easily grasped later.

As a means for calculating the current position, a satellite positioning system may be used.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera. This digital camera has a function of recording current position information in addition to a normal photographing function.

In this digital camera, an image is given from a lens 11 to a CCD type solid-state image pickup device 12,
The video signal is converted by the D-type solid-state imaging device 12. The video image signal is AD-converted and supplied to the control unit 1. After performing image compression processing, the control unit 1 including a CPU or the like stores the video in a RAM 2 formed of a memory card or the like. Alternatively, a PCMCIA-compliant card can be inserted into the card control section 3 and the data can be sent to a personal computer or the like via the card.

The captured image is provided to a display unit 4 composed of a liquid crystal display device, and the user can monitor the captured image and the like on the display unit 4.

An input unit 5 having keys and the like is provided, and various commands are given to the control unit 1 from the input unit 5.

The digital camera of the present invention uses a satellite positioning system (GPS: Glob) for obtaining current position information.
a GPS receiver 6 using an Al Positioning System. In addition, map information software such as latitude, longitude and altitude is stored in the ROM 7. Further, the control unit 1 has a built-in ROM for storing programs for controlling these operations, a RAM for temporarily storing data, and the like.

In this apparatus, power is supplied to a power supply unit 9 from a battery 8 such as a lithium ion secondary battery, and is driven by the power supply from the power supply unit 9.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the place name search function of the present invention.

The operation of searching for a place name, a sightseeing place name, and a building name from the position information acquired from the GPS receiver 6 will be described. When "Place name search function" is turned on by the input unit 5,
The position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the current shooting location is provided from the GPS receiver 6 to the control unit 1 (step S).
1). The control unit 1 extracts the map information stored in the ROM 7 based on the position information obtained from the GPS receiver 6, and places names corresponding to the position information existing within a circle (or a sphere) indicated by a preset radius. The name of the sightseeing spot and the name of the building are searched (step S2). When the search is completed, the candidate sites listed are displayed on the display unit 4 (Step S).
3). Regarding the display, whether the candidate place name is displayed together with the map or only the candidate place name is displayed, the display method may be selected according to the application. If the accuracy of GPS increases, the radius set in advance can be reduced, and the number of candidate place names can be reduced.

Next, when the user selects a candidate place name from the input unit 5, the selected information is given to the control unit 1 (step S4). When the selection is completed, the control unit 1 stores the selected place name, sightseeing place name, and building name in the RAM 2, and the search operation ends (step S5).

Next, the operation of synthesizing a place name, a sightseeing spot, and a building name with an image taken by a digital camera will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When photographing with the digital camera is completed and the "place name taking-in function" is turned on from the input unit 5, it is first determined whether or not a place name, a sightseeing place name, a building name and the like are stored in the RAM 2 (step S10). If the place name or the like is not stored, the place name or the like cannot be imported, so that the display is made on the display unit 4 and the operation is terminated.

When the place names and the like are stored in the RAM 2, the place names, sightseeing place names, building names, and the like are read from the storage area (step S11) and displayed on the display unit 4 (step S).
12). When the user presses "OK" from the input unit 5 (step S3), the place names, sightseeing spots, building names, etc. are developed into font image data, synthesized at the designated position of the image data, and the synthesized video data is stored in the RAM 2. It is stored (step S14). When the user presses “cancel” from the input unit 5 (step S13), the combining is canceled and the operation is terminated.

The user turns on the "place name search function" again from the input unit 5, and stores the place name, sightseeing place name, building name, etc. in the RAM 2.
Then, if the "place name taking-in function" is turned on, the place name, sightseeing spot, building name, and the like that are currently stored in the image data can be combined.

Of course, the "place name search function" and the "place name capture function" can be performed simultaneously at the time of photographing.

Next, an operation of recording the place name and the like to which the user has moved will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the operation of recording the movement history according to the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be described. When the “movement history record search function” is turned on by the input unit 5, the position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the current shooting location is received from the GPS receiver 6.
Is given to the control unit 1 (step S21). Control unit 1
Is the ROM 7 based on the position information obtained from the GPS receiver 6.
Is retrieved, and a place name, a sightseeing place name, and a building name corresponding to position information existing within a circle (or a sphere) indicated by a preset radius are searched (step S22). When the search is completed, the date and time are obtained (step S3). The control unit 1 stores the searched place name, sightseeing place name, building name, date, and time in the RAM 2, and the search operation ends (step S24). This operation can be periodically repeated by the built-in clock function while the “movement history record search function” is turned on, and the movement history can be stored in the RAM 2. The recording of the movement history may be manually recorded by the user.

Next, the operation of the user obtaining the movement history will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When "output of travel history" is turned on from the input unit 5, it is first determined whether or not travel history such as a place name, a sightseeing place name, a building name, a date, and a time is stored in the RAM 2 (step S30). . If the movement history is not stored, the movement history cannot be captured, so that the display is displayed on the display unit 4 and the operation is terminated. Move history is RAM
2, the date, time, place name, sightseeing spot name, etc. are read out from the storage area (step S31), and the date, time, place name, sightseeing spot, building name, etc. are developed into font image data, and the font The image data is combined with the new image data (step S32). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not all the movement histories have been combined with the image data (step S33). The process returns to step S31 until all the movement histories have been combined, and the above-described operation is repeated, thus completing the combination of all the image data. And end the operation. The synthesized image data can be stored in the RAM 2.

Further, if there is map image data, it is possible to create image image data in which a movement history is synthesized on a map.

In the above-described embodiment, the GPS receiver 6 is used as a means for obtaining position information.
The location information service function using S may be used to obtain location information. For this purpose, a PHS terminal and position information software may be incorporated in the main unit instead of the GPS receiver.

In the above embodiment, the digital camera has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to an optical camera, a video camera, and the like.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily combine a place name indicating a shooting place or the like with an image shot by an optical camera or a digital camera.

In addition, by calculating the current position information periodically and recording the movement history of the movement, the place where the photographer has moved can be easily grasped later.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of a place name search function of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a place name capturing function of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of creating a movement history according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of moving history synthesis according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 RAM 4 Display part 5 Input part 6 GPS receiver 7 ROM 12 CCD type solid-state image sensor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Manabu Yamane 3-201 Minamiyoshikata, Tottori-shi, Tottori Prefecture Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kiyoji Inoue 3-201 Minamiyoshikata, Tottori-shi, Tottori Sanyo Tottori Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image information recording apparatus comprising: means for calculating a current position; and position information recording means for recording position information such as a place name as part of an image based on the current position information calculated by the means. . 2. The image information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current position information is calculated periodically, and a movement history of the movement is recorded. 3. The image information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a satellite positioning system is used as a means for calculating the current position.