KR200320719Y1 - Input equipment of Image including location information - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus such as an optical camera, a digital camera, a video camera capable of recording location information.

The image recording apparatus of the present application calculates the current position using a GPS receiver, reads the position information stored in the ROM 7 based on the calculated current position information, and records the position information together as part of the image. Controlled by the control unit.

An object of the present application is to provide an image information recording apparatus in which a photographer can easily record position information such as a place name.

Description

Image information recording apparatus including location information {Input equipment of Image including location information}

The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus such as an optical camera, a digital camera, a video camera capable of recording location information of a place name.

Currently, optical cameras, digital cameras, and video cameras have built-in ICs that provide date and time information, and are configured to read dates and times from these ICs and record them as part of an image.

Although optical cameras, digital cameras, and the like can record the date and time information at the time of shooting together with the image, it is difficult to display and record a place name, a tourist destination name, a building name, etc. indicating the place where the image was taken at the time of shooting. Digital cameras, video cameras, etc. can be input after synthesizing the names according to the text editing function, but it is inconvenient and cumbersome to note the names separately for such editing work.

As described above, it is difficult or impossible to record the shooting location and the location information with the conventional technology.

Accordingly, an object of the present application is to provide an image information recording apparatus capable of finding a current position from a GPS receiver and extracting the corresponding position information from the map information on the ROM and recording the image information together with the image information.

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

2 is a flow chart showing the position search function of the present invention

3 is a flow chart showing the position recording function of the present invention

(Code description of main parts of drawing)

1: control unit 2: RAM

3: Card control unit 4: Display unit

5 input unit 6 GPS receiver

7: ROM 8: Location information search means

10: location information recording means 12: CCD camera

The image information recording apparatus of the present application includes a calculation means for calculating a current position, a position information retrieval means 8 for retrieving position information such as a place name, a tourist name, a building name, and the like based on the current position calculated from the means. And position information recording means 10 for synthesizing and recording the image into an image.

1 is a view of the configuration of an embodiment of the present application.

An image from the lens 11 is projected onto the CCD solid-state image pickup device 12, which is converted into a video image signal by the CCD solid-state image pickup device 12, and is converted into AD and transmitted to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 constituted by the CPU performs the image compression process and stores the image in the RAM 2 formed of the memory card. In addition, by inserting a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) type card into the card control unit 3, the data can be transferred to a computer such as a personal PC via this card to display and edit images. In addition, the photographed image is transmitted to the display unit 4 formed of the liquid crystal display and can be monitored by the user. An input unit 5 including a key is provided, and various input commands can be input from this input unit to adjust the control unit. The image information recording apparatus is driven by applying power to the power source unit 9 by using a battery 8 such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

A GPS receiver 6 using a Global Positioning System (GPS) for obtaining current position information is provided, and map information software such as latitude, longitude, and altitude is stored in the ROM 7. The controller 1 has a built-in ROM storing a program for controlling such an operation and a RAM storing data primarily.

2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the position search function in the present application. When the name search function is selected at the input unit, the position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the current photographing location is transmitted from the GPS receiver to the control unit 1 (step 1). The controller 1 reads the map information stored in the ROM 7 according to the location information received from the GPS receiver 6 and responds to the location information in the garden (or premises) displayed at a preset radius. Search the name and building name (step 2). When the search is completed, candidates indicated by the list are displayed on the display unit 4 (step 3). This display may display the map together with the candidate name, or may display only the candidate name. Therefore, the display method of positional information can be selected as needed. If the GPS accuracy is high, the preset radius can be reduced and the number of candidate names can be reduced. Next, when the user selects the candidate place name in the input unit 5, the specified information is transmitted to the control unit (step 4). After the selection of the candidate site, the control unit stores location information such as the selected place name, tourist name, building name, etc. in the RAM and ends the search operation (step 5).

Next, a position information recording function of combining place names, tourist attractions, and building names with images taken by a digital camera will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When shooting by the digital camera is finished and the location recording function is operated from the input unit, it is first determined whether location information such as place name, tourist name, building name, etc. is stored in the RAM (step 10). If the information is not stored, the display unit 4 indicates that information cannot be entered and the operation ends. If the information is stored in the RAM, the positional information is read from the RAM (step 11) and displayed on the display unit (step 12). When the user presses the completion key in the input unit (step 13), location information such as a place name, a tourist destination name, a building name, etc. are developed into font image data, synthesized at a designated location of the image data, and the synthesized image data is stored in the RAM (step 14). . If the user presses cancel in the input unit, the synthesis stops and the operation ends. Of course, the position information retrieval means 8 and the position information recording means 10 can be operated simultaneously when the picture is taken. In addition, by calculating the current position on a regular basis, it is possible to create image image data obtained by synthesizing the movement route on the map.

In the above embodiment, the GPS receiver is illustrated as a means for obtaining location information, but the location information may be obtained from a location information service function using a PHS and a personal portable terminal. To this end, a PHS terminal and location information software can be stored and used in place of the GPS receiver.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily synthesize location information such as a place name indicating a shooting location in an image captured by an image recording device such as an optical camera and a digital camera, and periodically calculate the current location information. By configuring to record the movement route, there is an effect that the photographer can easily determine the moving place or shooting place.

Claims (2)

An image recording apparatus capable of receiving a video signal and converting it into a digital signal, GPS receiver (6) for obtaining information about the location where the image was taken, ROM (7) storing map information software such as latitude, longitude, and altitude, ROM storing program, and RAM storing data primarily Location information retrieval means (22) and a location information retrieval means (8) comprising a control unit (1), a display unit (4) for selecting a candidate site of a user, and an input unit (5) for inputting a candidate place name; And position information recording means (10) for combining the position information with a designated position of the image data and storing the synthesized image data in a RAM. The image information recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information retrieval means stores a PHS terminal and position information software in a main body instead of a GPS receiver to receive current position information.