TWI421615B - A method of automatically synchronizing digital camera time with GPS time - Google Patents

Description

Method for automatically synchronizing digital camera photo time with GPS time

The present invention relates to a method of automatically synchronizing digital camera photo time with GPS time.

The use of digital cameras is now quite popular. Photographs taken with a digital camera are usually stored or processed using JPEG's graphic file compression format. The interchangeable image file format (EXIF) can be added to the JPEG graphic file compression format of digital photos to increase the number of digits. The content of the camera's shooting information and the version of the index image or image processing software, etc., and the addition of Global Positioning System (GPS) latitude and longitude coordinates to the EXIF field of digital photos is now quite common. application.

EXIF is specially used for photo files taken by digital cameras to record various settings of digital photos. The recorded data includes: camera manufacturer, camera model, resolution, last modification time, ISO value, aperture value. , exposure time, shooting mode and other information, for the convenience of users for future reference.

The basic flow of the operation of adding GPS latitude and longitude coordinate data to the EXIF field of a digital photo is as follows: (1) importing a photo file; (2) importing a GPS track file; and (3) inputting a digital camera time and UTC ( World standard time) The time difference between them (D_UTC).

Among them, the time difference (D_UTC) is an important factor to make the time synchronization, and the error directly causes the deviation of the photo from the actual shooting position.

However, the accuracy of the input of the digital camera time to the UTC time (D_UTC) is quite difficult for most users. Moreover, since the time difference (D_UTC) between the digital camera time and the UTC time is manually input, problems such as inaccuracy, time consuming, and easy input errors are apt to occur.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for automatically synchronizing digital camera photo time with GPS time, which greatly simplifies the operation flow and reduces the error rate of human input to achieve more accurate results.

According to the state of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time, comprising the steps of: turning on a GPS device having a time/date display function before taking a photo using a digital camera, and positioning is completed. Thereafter, shooting to record the time/date display screen of the GPS device; recording the GPS track; performing a general photo shooting operation; completing the shooting operation of all the photos; and opening the Geotag integrated software with automatic synchronization function on the computer; Import photo files and GPS track files; select the auto sync function and specify the JPEG file (UTC_SYNC_JPG) in the step of recording the time/date display of the GPS device, and the integrated software will automatically capture the captured image. The photo shooting time (PHOTO_SHOT_TIME) in the EXIF field in the photo file, and the GPS UTC obtained by automatically recognizing the time/date display of the GPS device photographed on the photo by optical character recognition (OCR) Time (PHOTO_UTC_TIME), depending on the photo capture time (PHOTO_SHOT_TIME) and the UTC time ( PHOTO_UTC_TIME) calculates the time difference (D_UTC); and according to the obtained time difference (D_UTC), compares the shooting time in each photo with the UTC time of each track point in the GPS track file, so as to be in the GPS track The latitude and longitude coordinates of each photo are correctly found in the file, and the obtained latitude and longitude coordinate data is added to the EXIF field of the photo to complete the integration of the photo coordinates (Geotag).

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time, which uses image text recognition technology and EXIF analysis method to extract photo shooting time data and UTC from photos containing UTC time display. Time data and calculate the time difference between the shooting time and UTC time (D_UTC).

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time by using a picture text recognition technology by capturing a time picture of the GPS device or any device capable of displaying the current UTC time. The UTC time is fed back and the time of the original camera is corrected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative only and not limiting.

Next, a method of automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

1 is a flow chart showing a method of automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

In step 101, the GPS device is turned on before the photo camera is used to take a photo, and the GPS device has a time/date display function. Then, after the positioning is completed, photographing is taken to record the time/date display screen of the GPS device.

At step 102, recording of the GPS trajectory begins.

At step 103, a shooting operation of a general photograph is started.

At step 104, the shooting of all the photos is completed.

In step 105, the photo tag (Geotag) integration software with automatic synchronization function is turned on on the computer side.

At step 106, the photo archive and the GPS track file are imported.

At step 107, the automatic sync function is selected and the JPEG file (UTC_SYNC_JPG) in step 101 is specified. At this point, the integration software will automatically capture the two data in the captured photo file for time synchronization, that is, the photo shooting time (PHOTO_SHOT_TIME) in the EXIF field, and the optical character recognition (OCR) method. The GPS UTC time (PHOTO_UTC_TIME) obtained by the time/date display of the GPS device captured on the photo is automatically recognized. Then, the time difference (D_UTC) = PHOTO_SHOT_TIME - PHOTO_UTC_TIME.

Finally, in step 108, according to the obtained accurate D_UTC, and comparing the shooting time in each photo with the UTC time of each track point in the GPS track file, each piece can be correctly found in the GPS track file. The latitude and longitude coordinates of the photo (if the recording time interval is greater than 1 second, interpolation can be used to obtain the correct latitude and longitude coordinates), and the obtained latitude and longitude coordinate data is added to the EXIF field of the photo, that is, the completion Photo coordinates (Geotag) integration.

In addition, with respect to the method for automatically synchronizing the digital camera photo time with the GPS time according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the image recognition method and the EXIF analysis method are used to extract the photo shooting time data and the UTC from the photo containing the UTC time display. Time data and calculate the time difference between the shooting time and UTC time (D_UTC).

In addition, with respect to the method for automatically synchronizing the digital camera photo time with the GPS time according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the image recognition function is utilized by taking a time picture of the GPS device or any device capable of displaying the current UTC time. The UTC time is fed back and the time of the original camera device is corrected, and the original camera device includes, for example, a digital camera, a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer (NB), a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and the like. .

Therefore, as can be seen from the above, the method for automatically synchronizing the digital camera photo time with the GPS time according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention is achieved by using the picture character recognition technology.

2 is a flow chart showing the implementation of a picture character recognition technique.

At step 201, the file is entered.

At step 202, the operation of eliminating noise is started.

At step 203, the operation of font trimming is started.

At step 204, the operation of splitting the word is started.

At step 205, the operation of thinning the word is started.

At step 206, the operation of extracting feature points is started.

At step 207, the operation of the comparison is started.

At step 208, an operation of outputting the identification result is started.

Therefore, according to the detailed description of the foregoing embodiment of the method for automatically synchronizing the digital camera photo time with the GPS time, the present invention provides a method for automatically synchronizing the digital camera photo time with the GPS time, which greatly simplifies the operation flow, and Reducing the error rate of human input to achieve more accurate results, indeed a design that is both novel and progressive, should be able to meet the patent application requirements, and apply in accordance with the law.

In order to enable the reviewing committee to further understand the advantages, features and other objects of the present invention, the drawings are described in detail below.

(1) Schema part:

1 is a flow chart showing a method of automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart showing the implementation of the picture text recognition technique.

Claims (6)

A method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time, comprising the steps of: turning on a GPS device having a time/date display function before taking a photo using a digital camera, and after the positioning is completed, taking a picture to record the GPS device Time/date display screen; record GPS track; perform general photo shooting; complete all photo shooting operations; open photo coordinate (Geotag) integration software with automatic synchronization on the computer; import photo files and GPS track files; Select the auto sync function and specify the JPEG file (UTC_SYNC_JPG) in the step of recording to record the time/date display of the GPS device, and the integrated software will automatically capture the EXIF field in the captured photo file. Photo taking time (PHOTO_SHOT_TIME), and automatically recognizing the GPS UTC time (PHOTO_UTC_TIME) obtained by the time/date display of the GPS device photographed on the photo by optical character recognition (OCR), and then according to the photo The time difference (D_) is calculated by the shooting time (PHOTO_SHOT_TIME) and the UTC time (PHOTO_UTC_TIME) UTC); and according to the time difference (D_UTC) obtained, compare the shooting time in each photo with the UTC time of each track point in the GPS track file, so that each piece is correctly found in the GPS track file The latitude and longitude coordinates of the photo, and the obtained latitude and longitude coordinate data is added to the EXIF field of the photo to complete the photo coordinate (Geotag) integration. A method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time as described in claim 1, wherein if the interval of the recording time is greater than 1 second, interpolation may be employed to obtain the latitude and longitude coordinates. A method for automatically synchronizing digital camera photo time with GPS time, using image text recognition technology and EXIF analysis method, taking photo shooting time data and UTC time data from photos containing UTC time display, and calculating shooting time and UTC Time difference of time (D_UTC). A method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time, by taking a time picture of a GPS device or any device that can display the current UTC time, using the picture text recognition technology to feed back UTC time and correct the original camera The time of the device. The method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the image text recognition technology comprises the steps of: file input; eliminating noise; font trimming; dividing a single word; Extraction; feature points; alignment; and output identification results. The method for automatically synchronizing a digital camera photo time with a GPS time as described in claim 4, wherein the original camera device is selected from the group consisting of a digital camera, a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer (NB), and a mobile phone. One of a group of personal digital assistants (PDAs).