Display of images on a map using image position information

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• receiving image data from an image capture device;
• extracting a position information from the image data selected by a user;
• transmitting the extracted position information to a map information providing server, a landmark information providing server, and an image sharing server via a communication network;
• acquiring a map image corresponding to the extracted position information from the map information providing server;
• acquiring a landmark information corresponding to the extracted position information from the landmark information providing server;
• acquiring an associated image corresponding to the acquired landmark information from the image sharing server;
• and
• simultaneously displaying the image data selected by the user, the acquired map image, the acquired landmark information and the acquired associated image,
• wherein the display of the landmark information comprises symbols superimposed on the map image and a list of selectable landmark names respectively corresponding to the symbols, and
• wherein when a name is selected from the list, an associated photograph relating to the selected name is displayed on the map at a position corresponding to the symbol for the selected name.

An image processing program that, when executed by a processor, causes a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving image data from an image capture device;
• extracting a position information from the image data selected by a user;
• transmitting the extracted position information to a map information providing server, a landmark information providing server, and an image sharing server via a communication network;
• acquiring a map image corresponding to the extracted position information from the map information providing server;
• acquiring a landmark information corresponding to the extracted position information from the landmark information providing server;
• acquiring an associated image corresponding to the acquired landmark information from the image sharing server;
• and
• simultaneously displaying the image data selected by the user, the acquired map image, the acquired landmark information, and the acquired associated image,
• wherein the display of the landmark information comprises symbols superimposed on the map image and a list of selectable landmark names respectively corresponding to the symbols, and
• wherein when a name is selected from the list, an associated photograph relating to the selected name is displayed on the map at a position corresponding to the symbol for the selected name.

An image processing system comprising:

• an image processing apparatus including:
• a position information extraction unit that extracts position information from image data selected by a user, wherein the image data is received from an image capture device;
• a communication control unit that exchanges data, via a communication network, with a map information providing server for providing map images, a landmark information providing server for providing landmark information on landmarks, and an image sharing server for providing a service of publicizing image data over the Internet;
• a map image acquisition unit that transmits the position information extracted by the position information extraction unit to the map information providing server and acquires a map image corresponding to the extracted position information from the map information providing server, via the communication control unit;
• a landmark information acquisition unit that transmits the position information extracted by the position information extraction unit to the landmark information providing server and acquires landmark information corresponding to the extracted position information from the landmark information providing server, via the communication control unit;
• an associated image acquisition unit that transmits the landmark information acquired by the landmark information acquisition unit to the image sharing server and acquires an associated image corresponding to the acquired landmark information from the image sharing server, via the communication control unit;
• and
• a display unit that simultaneously displays the image data selected by the user, the map image acquired from the image information providing server, the landmark information acquired from the landmark information providing server and the associated image acquired from the image sharing server;
• a map image providing server including:
• a storage unit that stores map images corresponded to predetermined position information;
• a map image retrieval unit that retrieves a map image corresponding to the position information transmitted from the image processing apparatus from among a plurality of map images recorded in the storage unit in response to a request from the image processing apparatus;
• and
• a map image providing unit that transmits the map image retrieved by the map image retrieval unit to the image processing apparatus via a communication network;
• a landmark information providing server including:
• a storage unit that stores landmark information corresponded to predetermined position information;
• a landmark information retrieval unit that retrieves landmark information corresponding to the position information transmitted from the image processing apparatus from among a plurality of landmark information recorded in the storage unit in response to a request from the image processing apparatus;
• and
• a landmark information providing unit that transmits the landmark information retrieved by the landmark information retrieval unit to the image processing apparatus via a communication network;
• and
• an image sharing server including:
• a storage unit that stores image data recording therein predetermined tag information containing landmark information;
• an associated image retrieval unit that retrieves image data, containing the landmark information transmitted from the image processing apparatus as the tag information, from among a plurality of image data recorded in the storage unit in response to a request from the image processing apparatus;
• and
• an associated image providing unit that transmits the image data retrieved by the associated image retrieval unit as an associated image to the image processing apparatus via a communication network,
• wherein the display of the landmark information comprises symbols superimposed on the map image and a list of selectable landmark names respectively corresponding to the symbols, and
• wherein when a name is selected from the list, an associated photograph relating to the selected name is displayed on the map at a position corresponding to the symbol for the selected name.