Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-14
2003-10-21
Mullen, Thomas (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C342S357490, C348S231500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636158
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and a program storage medium. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method whereby measured position data and time data are acquired from satellites and stored, as well as to a program storage medium which accommodates a program constituting the method for use with the apparatus.
Recent years have seen the widespread acceptance of apparatuses for capturing, storing and processing images through the use of digital technology. Generally, images such as those taken by digital camera are later arranged by date, grouped into predetermined categories or otherwise sorted out by users. Such follow-up classification of images requires information about where and when the images were captured.
The need for image-classifying information is met illustratively by methods for associating data representing images taken by digital camera or by other means with data about where and when the image data were acquired. One such method, proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-233985, utilizes a digital camera and a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to obtain (i.e., store) positions at which images were captured. According to this method, the GPS device is connected to the digital camera so that position information acquired by the GPS device is stored in association with the image data taken by the digital camera.
It is possible to incorporate position data into image data by connecting a GPS device to a digital camera as proposed by the method above. However, if the digital camera has no means of connecting with a GPS device, there is no way of acquiring the position data.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides an information processing apparatus and method as well as a program storage medium allowing position and time-of-day information to be stored into a GPS device in such a manner that the stored information is later associated with captured image data through a personal computer or the like, whereby users may edit the image data easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: a position measuring element for measuring positions; a time generating element for generating time data representing times of day at which the positions are measured by the position measuring element; a storing element for storing data constituted by an output of the position measuring element and by an output of the time generating element, the two outputs having an associative relation established therebetween; and an outputting element for outputting the stored data from the storing element to an external entity.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the steps of: measuring positions; generating time data representing times of day at which the positions are measured in the position measuring step; and storing data constituted by an output of the position measuring step and by an output of the time generating step, the two outputs having an associative relation established therebetween.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the step of: outputting, to an external entity, position data representing measured positions and time data representing times of day at which the position data are obtained, the position data and the time data having been stored with an associative relation established therebetween.
According to an even further aspect of the invention, there is provided a program storage medium which stores a program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of: measuring positions; generating time data representing times of day at which the positions are measured in the position measuring step; and storing data constituted by an output of the position measuring step and by an output of the time generating step, the two outputs having an associative relation established therebetween.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a program storage medium which stores a program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the step of: outputting, to an external entity, position data representing measured positions and time data representing times of day at which the position data are obtained, the position data and the time data having been stored with an associative relation established therebetween.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5414432 (1995-05-01), Penny, Jr. et al.
patent: 5594425 (1997-01-01), Ladner et al.
patent: 5724316 (1998-03-01), Brunts
patent: 5726660 (1998-03-01), Purdy et al.
patent: 233985 (1998-09-01), None
Bando Hiroyuki
Kumai Yuji
Narioka Hiroto
Mullen Thomas
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sony Corporation
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