Photography – With data recording
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-20
2001-01-30
Gray, David M (Department: 2851)
Photography
With data recording
C396S429000, C348S116000, C348S236000, C342S357490
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181878
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an image capturing apparatus capable of recording a captured image together with information about an image capturing place and the like.
In recent years, car navigation systems having a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) have been commercially available.
Also, there have been proposed a variety of public radio communications systems, such as mobile telephone system, personal handyphone system (PHS). These public radio communications systems have different zone areas which respective radio transmission base stations of the systems can cover. For example, the mobile telephone system has a large radio area, such as the size of a city. This system is called a large area radio communication system or LARCS. The personal handyphone system has a small radio area, such as the size of a block of a city. This system is called a small area radio communications system or SARCS.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,884 discloses a camera provided with a position detector adopting GPS. This camera has an advantage of specifying a place of photographing by the built-in GPS receiver. However, the camera having the built-in GPS receiver has a larger size and consumes a large amount of power, which necessitates mounting of a heavy battery. This reduces the degree of portability.
Further, there has been proposed a search system adopting the PHS, specifically a wandering aged man search system. According to this search system, an aged man having a wandering habit is equipped with a terminal of the PHS and his position is confirmed by receiving radio signals from a base station of the PHS.
However, these technologies utilizing the GPS and the public radio communications systems, the camera having the built-in GPS receiver and the wandering aged man search system adopting the PHS have not vet fulfilled the strong demand of an image capturing apparatus having small size, small power consumption, excellent portability, and recording of image capture place information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image capturing apparatus which has overcome the problems residing in the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an image capturing apparatus comprises: an image pickup device which picks up an optical image of an object; and a place information generator which receives identification information concerning an identification of a radio base station having a predetermined radio transmission zone, and generates place information concerning a place of picking up an image of an object based on received identification information.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image capturing apparatus comprises: an image pickup device which picks up an optical image of an object; a receiver unit which receives electromagnetic waves including a signal representative of identification information concerning an identification of a radio base station having a predetermined radio transmission zone; a detector which detects identification information from received electromagnetic waves; a storage unit which stores place data related to identification information of the radio base station; and an output unit which outputs place information concerning a place of picking up an optical image of an object based on detected identification information and place data stored in the storage unit.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image capturing apparatus connectable with a receiver unit which receives electromagnetic waves including a signal representative of identification information concerning an identification of a radio base station having a predetermined radio transmission zone, the image capturing apparatus comprising: an image pickup device which picks up an optical image of an object; a detector which detects identification information from received electromagnetic waves; a storage unit which stores place data related to identification information of the radio base station; and an output unit which outputs place information concerning a place of picking up an optical image of an object based on detected identification information and place data stored in the storage unit.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for generating information concerning a place of picking up an image of an object, the method comprising the steps of: receiving identification information concerning an identification of a radio base station having a predetermined radio transmission zone; and generating place information concerning a place of picking up an image of an object based on received identification information.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5296884 (1994-03-01), Honda et al.
patent: 5335072 (1994-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5506644 (1996-04-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5671451 (1997-09-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5842131 (1998-11-01), Yamane
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Gray David M
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
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