This application is the National Phase application of International Application No. PCT/KR2006/001444, filed Apr. 19, 2006, which designates the United States and was published in English. This application, in its entirety, is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method and a system of providing various services using photos taken by a camera phone, particularly to a method and a system of providing various services, including location information at the shooting time, with the photos taken by the camera phone.
Recently, as electronic parts become high sensitive, smaller and lighter, a mobile communication terminal is getting more downsized, and the function of the mobile communication terminal is getting various according to the needs of consumers. In addition to a calling function of the mobile communication terminal, a game function, an Internet retrieving function, an e-mail receiving and transmitting function, payment-settling function, etc. become generalized. In addition, the mobile communication terminal (camera phone), additionally having a camera function shooting a shape of an object with an equipped camera lens and an image transmitting function transmitting the shape of the object shot by the camera to computers or others' mobile communication terminals, becomes commercialized.
However, since the shot photo has only image information, the conventional camera phone is limited to play a role of showing a user the image information or showing others only the shot photo by transmitting the image information to their mobile communication terminals or computers.
The present invention is provided to overcome the foregoing stated limit which the conventional camera phone contains. The object of the present invention is to provide a service of showing the user the shot location by map or guiding the user to the location when the user or others view the shot photo through the terminal, by including station information of the shot location or global positioning information of a GPS terminal in the image information at the time of shooting the photo with the camera phone.
According to the present invention, by using a method of inserting and storing the location information at the shooting time on the photo shot by the terminal equipped with the camera, it is possible to provide various location-based services using the shot location information as well as view the corresponding photo.
The location-based service using the location information included in photo information enables the user who views the photo to obtain the geographical location information by providing map information on the shot location, and enables the user to get to the location as quickly as possible when the location in the photo catches the fancy of the user by providing a service of guiding the user to the location in conjunction with a navigation system.
The location-based service method, according to the present invention, using image data provided through a terminal equipped with a camera and location data including location information of the terminal, comprises the steps of: shooting a target image with the terminal at a predetermined location and generating first image data; receiving the location data; including the received location data in the first image data and generating second image data; and displaying an image corresponding to the first image data and providing a service using the location data, if the second image data are selected.
Selectively, the terminal comprises a camera phone or a digital camera which can receive the location data.
The terminal according to the present invention, which is equipped with the camera and can receive the location data, comprises a camera section shooting the image at the predetermined location and generating the first image data; a location data processing section including the location data of the terminal in the first image data and generating the second image data; and an image data storing section receiving and storing the second image data.
The location-based service system including the terminal according to the present invention comprises a location data providing system providing the location data of the terminal and a service system providing a service based on the location data according to the user's selection.
The details and the improved matters of the present invention are disclosed in dependent claims.
Hereunder, with reference to the attached drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained in detail.
Referring to
Selectively, the terminal can comprise a digital camera supported by a satellite receiving module.
The control section (10) controls the receiving and transmitting of a radio frequency signal through the RF section (90), and controls the photo shooting and the output of the shot image data. The key inputting section (20) receives the user's instructions for the photo shooting and the output of the shot image data, and transmits the same to the control section (10). The display section (30) displays the contents related to the photo shooting which are transmitted from the control section (10) and informs the user of the same, and displays the image data transmitted from the control section (10).
The camera section (40) shoots an object through a camera lens according to the control of the control section (10), converts the image of the shot object into a digital signal, captures consecutive digital signals as still pictures, and generates the first image data. Herein, the control section (10) controls the shooting function of the camera section (40) according to the user's instructions through the key inputting section (20). Subsequently, the camera section (40) provides the image data to the location information processing section (50).
The location information processing section (50) includes the location data received from a location information providing means (not illustrated) in the first image data generated in the camera section (40). The location information providing means can be a GPS means using a satellite or CPS means using a base station information.
The means using the base station information, by means of CPS (Cell Positioning System), retrieves a particular cell in which a corresponding private mobile terminal is located and obtains the location information of the private mobile terminal. As noted, a person skilled in the art sectionalizes a service region into predetermined cells in order to provide a mobile communication service of a cellular or a PCS, and provides each cell with at least one base station. The private mobile terminal positioned in one cell performs a predetermined communication with the base station, thereby performing the processes of synchronization and paging, etc. with the base station. The location information of the private mobile terminal which is obtained by the paging with the base station is recorded in a home location registry (HLR), and, using the location information of the private mobile terminal recorded in HLR, performs a method of providing the service using the location information of the private mobile terminal according to the following present invention.
The terminal using the GPS (Global Positioning System) means which utilize a satellite receives the location data of the current altitude, direction, etc. through a GPS antenna contained in the terminal from the satellite floating over the earth.
The compression controller (60), according to the control of the control section (10), receives the first image data output from the location data processing section (50) and the second image data including the location data, compresses and stores the same in the image data storing section (70). The outer interface (80) is connected to the computer, etc. so that the image data stored in the image data storing section (70) can be displayed.
Referring to
The stored second image data can be transmitted to another mobile terminal through a wireless network, and the mobile terminal includes a PCS phone, a cellular phone, a PDA phone, etc. In addition, the data can be transmitted to a fixed terminal through an outer interface, and can be uploaded on a web page through an Internet network.
Referring to
Referring to
The map DB (54) maintains a map corresponding to the location data which the terminal of the user provides. The control section (52) controls the function within the map providing system (50). The user receiving section (51) receives a request of the map data related to optional location data through the communication network (40) from the terminal (30). In response to the input of the request, the map data selecting section (53) selects any one of the map data maintained in the map DB (54) according to a predetermined standard. The user transmitting section (53) transmits the selected map datum to the terminal (30).
Referring to
Referring to
The terminal (60) transmits the location data (shot location) of the terminal to the communication network (70) on the service request, and the communication network transmits the location data including the location data of the current terminal to the navigation system (80). The navigation system (80) can comprise a map information section, a GIS (Geography Information System) section, a transmitting and receiving section, an operating section, a control section, etc. (not illustrated), and generates navigation data based on the location data of the terminal, transmits the same to the terminal (60) through the communication network (70). The navigator (not illustrated) of the terminal (60) receives and displays the navigation information on the display section.
The guiding service can be provided to the user using the terminal at the time of moving a vehicle or walking.
Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiments, the embodiments are merely illustrative, and are not limited to the scope of the present invention.
It is understood by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in the above embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, all the modifications and changes from the claims and their equivalents will be interpreted to be included within the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2005-0032452 | Apr 2005 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/KR2006/001444 | 4/19/2006 | WO | 00 | 3/27/2008 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/112656 | 10/26/2006 | WO | A |
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Entry |
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Korea Office Action for application No. 10-2005-0032452. |
International Search Report for application No. PCT/KR2006/001444. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080171558 A1 | Jul 2008 | US |