JPH08313988A - Camera utilizing gps - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To record the names of many places by compact structure by providing a camera with plural external storage media in which the names of the places are stored every prescribed area, selecting the external storage medium corresponding to the photographing place from the external storage media and loading it in the camera. CONSTITUTION: When a photographing action is executed in the Kanto area, a CD-ROM 14 for the Kanto area is selected from the CD-ROMs 14, 14... and loaded in the camera utilizing a GPS 10 from the inserting port thereof. When the photographing action is executed in such a state, the name of the place corresponding to positional information outputted from a GPS receiver 20 is retrieved from the names of the places in the CD-ROM 14 synchronously with the releasing action of a shutter 26, converted to name-of-place information and outputted to an LED driving circuit 28. By the driving circuit 28, the name of the place is recorded on a film by turning on an LED 30 or making it flicker based on the name-of-place information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a GPS camera, and more particularly to a GPS camera which converts position information received by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver into a place name and records it on a film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art GPS is a lateral position / navigation system developed by the United States Department of Defense and uses a satellite for GPS to perform lateral position. These satellites are equipped with ultra-high-precision atomic clocks, and transmit accurate time information and satellite position information to the earth.

By the way, at present, a camera utilizing the GPS has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 6-67291 and 7-64169, etc.). These GPS
The camera used is an RO that stores a GPS receiver and a place name.
It has a built-in M (Read Only Memory) and captures the radio waves from the artificial satellites (four radio waves transmitted from four artificial satellites) with a GPS receiver and measures the arrival time to determine a specific location. The latitude, longitude, altitude, and other positions are measured. Further, the position information indicating the position is converted into the place name read from the ROM in synchronization with the shutter release. Then, the place name information indicating the place name is output to the data recording device, and the place name is recorded on the film at the time of shooting.

[0004]

However, since the conventional GPS-using camera has a built-in ROM, the RO
For example, in order to store all the place name information of all over Japan or the place name information of each country in the M, a large capacity ROM is required, which causes a disadvantage that the camera becomes large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a GPS-using camera capable of recording a large number of place names with a compact structure.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a GPS receiving device which receives radio waves from a GPS satellite and outputs position information of the received position, and a predetermined GPS receiving device. Of a plurality of external storage media in which a place name is stored for each region, a mounting portion on which a selected external storage medium is detachably mounted, data recording means for a film, and shutter release are synchronized with each other. A control unit for searching a place name in the external storage medium corresponding to the position information output from the GPS receiving device, outputting place name information indicating the searched place name to the data recording means, and recording the place name on a film; , Is provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a plurality of external storage media in which place names are stored for each predetermined area are provided, and the external storage medium corresponding to the shooting location is selected from the external storage media, and the external storage medium is selected. To the mounting part of the camera. Then, when the shutter is released, the place name in the external storage medium corresponding to the position information output from the GPS receiving device is searched, and the place name information indicating the searched place name is output to the data recording means. Thus, the place name of the shooting location is recorded on the film.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a GPS camera according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a GPS camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the GPS-using camera 10 shown in the figure, an insertion slot 16 for a CD-ROM (map card) 14 which is an external storage medium is formed on the side portion 12. C inserted from the insertion slot 16
The D-ROM 14 is pushed in along the guide groove 18,
The rear end 15 of the CD-ROM 14 is connected to a connector (not shown) on the GPS utilizing camera 10 side at a position protruding from the side portion 12.

A plurality of the CD-ROMs 14 are provided as shown in FIG. 2, and each of the CD-ROMs 14 and 14 is provided.
A detailed place name for each predetermined area is stored in ...
One of the CD-ROMs 14, 14, ... Which corresponds to the shooting location is selected and mounted on the GPS-using camera 10. The CD-ROM 14 shown in FIG. 1 stores the place names of the [Kanto] area. The four CD-ROMs 14, 14, ... Shown in FIG. 2 are for the [Hokkaido / Tohoku] area,
[Chubu] area, [Kinki] area, and [Chu Shikoku / Kyushu] area.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a GPS receiver 20 is built in the GPS utilizing camera 10. This GPS
The receiver 20 is connected to the GPS antenna 22. The GPS antenna 22 is, as shown in FIG.
Is provided at a corner of the upper surface of the camera, and is drawn out from the camera 10 as shown in FIG.

By the way, the GPS antenna 22 uses the GPS
It simultaneously captures four radio waves emitted from four artificial satellites (not shown) for output to the GPS receiver 20. The GPS receiver 20 demodulates the four radio waves, measures the current latitude, longitude, altitude, etc. based on the demodulated signals, and outputs this position information to the CPU 24 shown in FIG. The CPU 24 searches the place name corresponding to the position information from the place name of the CD-ROM 14 based on the position information, and converts the place name into place name information. The converted place name information is output to the LED drive circuit 28, which is a device for imprinting data on the film, in synchronization with the release of the shutter 26. The LED drive circuit 28 uses L based on the place name information.
The place name is recorded on the film loaded in the GPS-using camera 10 by turning on and blinking the ED 30.

Next, a method of using the GPS-using camera 10 configured as described above will be described. For example, when photographing in the Kanto area, the CD-ROM 14 for the [Kanto] area is selected from the CD-ROMs 14, 14 ... And attached to the GPS-using camera 10.

When photographing is performed in this state, the CPU 24 synchronizes with the release of the shutter 26 and outputs the place name corresponding to the position information output from the GPS receiver 20 to the CD-ROM 1.
Search from the place name of 4 and convert this to place name information and LED
Output to the drive circuit 28. The LED drive circuit 28 turns on and off the LED 30 based on the place name information to record the place name on the film. As a result, the detailed place name of the shooting position is recorded on the film.

When photographing in Hokkaido, the CD-ROM 14 for the [Hokkaido / Tohoku] area may be mounted on the GPS camera 10. As a result, the detailed place name of Hokkaido is recorded on the film. As described above, in this embodiment, since the GPS-using camera 10 does not have the ROM (place name storage medium) built therein, the CD-ROM (external storage medium) 14 is mounted to record the place name. The GPS camera can be made compact while being able to deal with the place name.

In this embodiment, the optical recording device using the LED 30 is used as the data recording means on the film, but the invention is not limited to this, and when a magnetic recording layer is formed on the film. Alternatively, magnetic recording may be performed on this magnetic recording layer by a magnetic head. Further, in the present embodiment, the CD-ROM 14 is mounted on the side portion 12 of the GPS-using camera 10, but it is not limited to this position and the mounting mode is not limited.

Further, in this embodiment, the CD-ROM for Japan is used.
As described above, if you have CD-ROMs from all over the world, it will be convenient for taking pictures when traveling abroad.

[0017]

As described above, the GPS according to the present invention
According to the camera used, a plurality of external storage media in which place names are stored for each predetermined area are provided, and an external storage medium corresponding to the shooting location is attached to the camera from the external storage media, and is output from the GPS receiving device during shooting. Since the place name in the external storage medium corresponding to the position information is searched and recorded on the film, a large number of place names can be recorded with a compact structure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a GPS camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of map cards arranged for each predetermined area.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a GPS camera

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... GPS-use camera 14 ... CD-ROM 16 ... CD-ROM insertion slot 20 ... GPS receiver 22 ... GPS antenna 24 ... CPU 26 ... Shutter 28 ... LED drive circuit 30 ... LED

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Receiving radio waves from a GPS satellite,
A GPS receiving device for outputting position information of the received position, a mounting portion to which an external storage medium storing a place name is detachably mounted, a data recording means for the film, and a shutter release in synchronization with each other. A control unit that searches for a place name in the external storage medium corresponding to the position information output from the GPS receiving device, outputs place name information indicating the searched place name to the data recording unit, and records the place name in a film. And a camera using GPS. 2. The GPS camera according to claim 1, wherein said data recording means is means for optically imprinting said place name on said film. 3. The GPS camera according to claim 1, wherein the data recording means is means for magnetically recording the place name on a magnetic recording layer formed on the film.