Image collecting system and method thereof

An image screening system that effectively accumulates data of images in which a certain target character is caught into an image database, comprising:

• a camera system that captures an image having the target character therein in a predetermined area, and that records a time and place the image is captured;
• an image transmitter that operably connects to said camera system;
• a character information database that stores character information for identifying a person caught in an image as the target character;
• a character positioning unit for obtaining position information of the target character at a certain time;
• an image screening unit for identifying a person caught in said image as the target character based on the time and place the image is captured, the character information stored in said character information database, and position information of the target character obtained by said character positioning unit, and for selecting said image having the target character therein from images captured by said camera system and transmitted by said image transmitter;
• and
• an image database that connects to said image screening unit and stores data of the selected image having the target character therein.

A method for collecting an image having a target character therein in a predetermined area, comprising:

• registering character information of the target character;
• capturing images in which the target character is caught and recording a time and place each image is captured;
• storing image data of the captured images;
• obtaining position information of the target character;
• identifying a person in each of the images thus stored as the target character based on at least one of the character information thus registered, the time and place that said each image is captured, and the position information of the target character when said each image is captured obtained by the obtaining of position information;
• and
• collecting images in which the target character is identified.

A method for screening an image captured in a predetermined area, in order to store image data having a target character therein, the method comprising:

• registering character information of the target character;
• capturing images including at least one image with the target character therein, and recording a time and place each image is captured;
• obtaining position information of the target character;
• screening images thus captured for said at least one image with the target character, based on registered character information, recorded time and place said each image is captured, and position information of the target character when said at least one image with the target character is captured;
• and
• storing image data of the screened at least one image with the target character is caught.

An image identifying system for identifying a plurality of persons caught in a plurality of images, captured in a predetermined area, with at least one target character therein, the image identifying system comprising:

• an image set database that stores a plurality of images;
• each image of said plurality of images having the plurality of persons therein with at least one target character comprises an image set in said image set database;
• a character information database that stores character information for identifying a person in an image as the target character;
• a character positioning unit for obtaining position information of the at least one target character and relative position information of each person with respect to the plurality of persons in the image set;
• and
• an image identifying unit for identifying the plurality of persons in the image set,
• wherein when said image identifying unit identifies substantially all of the plurality of persons in one image included in the image set, based on the character information of the at least one target character in said one image and the relative position information of each person in the plurality of persons, the plurality of persons in the rest of the images in the image set is identified.

A method for identifying a plurality of a same set of persons having at least one target character, caught in a plurality of images which are captured in a predetermined area, the method comprising:

• registering character information of each target character;
• capturing the plurality of images with the same set of persons having at least one target character therein;
• obtaining position information of each target character and relative position information of each person with respect to the same set of persons;
• and
• identifying the plurality of the same set of persons in the plurality of images based on registered character information, captured images, and obtained position information,
• wherein when said each person of the same set of persons is identified in one of the plurality of images and one person of the same set of persons is identified in the rest of the plurality of images, the rest of the same set of persons in the rest of the plurality of the images are identified based on the relative position information of said each person in the same set of persons.

A server for collecting an image in which a certain target character is caught, comprising:

• an image database storing image data, said image data including data of the image in which the target character is caught and data about when and where said image is captured;
• a character information database storing character information of the target character for identifying a person caught in the image with the target character;
• a character positioning unit obtaining position information of the target character;
• and
• an image collecting unit, connecting to said image database, said character information database, and said character positioning unit, for identifying the person caught in the image with the target character, and collecting the image in which the target character is caught from the image data stored in said image database,
• wherein said image collecting unit identifies the person caught in the image stored in said image database with the target character based on said data about when and where said image is captured, the character information stored in said character information database, and position information of the target character when the image is captured obtained by said character positioning unit.

An image screening server for accumulating images, in which a person as a target character is caught, into an image database for effectively offering an image in which the target character is caught, comprising:

• a character information database storing character information for identifying the person caught in the image with the target character;
• a character positioning unit obtaining position information of the target character;
• an image screening unit connecting to said character information database and said character positioning unit, and screening the images, when said images in which the target character is caught are sent with data about when and where the image is captured,
• said image screening unit screening said images based on a time and place each of the images is captured, the position information of the target character when said each image is captured obtained by said character positioning unit, and the character information stored in said character information database;
• and
• an image database storing screened images in which the target character is caught.

A recording medium which stores a program for a computer for collecting an image in which a target character is caught in a predetermined area, said program comprising:

• a first communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with an image database storing the image, when image data having a person as the target character therein is sent with data about when and where the image is captured;
• a second communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with a character information database storing character information for identifying a person caught in the image with the target character;
• a third communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with a character positioning device obtaining position information of the target character;
• and
• an image collecting module, which operates the computer to connect to said first communicating module, said second communicating module, and said third communicating module, the image collecting module identifying the person caught in the images sent from said first communicating module with the target character based on the data about when and where the image is captured sent from said first communicating module, the character information sent from said second communicating module, and the position information of the target character when the image is captured sent from said third communicating module, and collecting the image in which the target character is caught.

A recording medium which stores a program for a computer for storing images, in which a person as a target character is caught, to accumulate into an image database for effectively offering an image in which the target character is caught, said program comprising:

• a first communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with a character information database storing character information for identifying a person caught in an image as the target character;
• a second communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with a character positioning device obtaining position information of the target character;
• an image screening module, which operates the computer to connect to said first communicating module and said second communicating module, to receive images in which the target character is caught sent with data of when and where the images are captured, and screen the images based on when and where each image is captured, the character information stored in the character information database sent by said first communicating module, and the position information of the target character at the time said each image is captured sent by said second communicating module, and
• a third communicating module, which operates the computer to communicate with an image database, to write the image in which the target character is caught, screened by said image screening module, to the image database.