Image information output method

Abstract

Provided is a video image data generation system including a database for storing a plurality of image data photographed in various directions in various locations, correlating the directions and the locations with the stored image data, and correlating and storing a photographed sub-region when the image data is acquired, a route view point specifying device which specifies various locations and eye level directions arranged on a view point route, an image search engine which searches an image of an eye level direction specified from a location of a view point route specified by the route view point specifying device and outputs video data, wherein the image search engine searches image data stored in a database and the image data including a sub-region located in an eye level direction in each of a plurality of locations on a view point route by referencing photography direction data correlated with the sub-region.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for outputting information comprising:
 photographing in a plurality of directions at each of a plurality of photographic locations a photographic region with a photographing device, obtaining a plurality of image data of the photographic region and storing in a memory, the plurality of image data of the photographic region at each of the plurality of photographic locations, the photographic region being divided into a plurality of sub-regions;   correlating and storing in the memory photographic location data and photographic direction data at the time when the plurality of image data is obtained with each of the plurality of image data when storing each of the plurality of image data in the memory;   specifying a photographed sub-region when the image data is obtained, by referencing the photographic location data and the photographic direction data correlated with image data stored in the memory;   correlating and storing in a database the image data, the photographic location data and photographic direction data with the specified sub-region;   specifying a plurality of locations arranged in order on a perspective route set above the photographic region and a direction of sight line towards the photographic region at each of the plurality of locations;   referencing the photographic location data correlated with the sub-region stored in the database and reading out in order image data with searching the image data including the sub-region, the sub-region being located in the direction of sight line at each of the plurality of locations on the perspective route; and   outputting the image data read out in order;   wherein the photographic device includes a plurality of cameras pointing in a plurality of directions, the plurality of cameras simultaneously photograph at each of the plurality of photographic locations and the plurality of image data is obtained; and   for each sub-region of the plurality of sub-regions, if a sub-region is photographed a plurality of times when seeing a plurality of photographic locations from an arbitrary geographical point in the sub-region, then an adjacent photographic location is included in a three dimensional angular range of 0.004 steradians or more and 0.54 steradians or less.   
     
     
         2 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 1 , wherein the photographic device is installed in a flying object including unmanned air vehicle, and the plurality of cameras photograph facing the ground including a vertical direction from the flying object. 
     
     
         3 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 1 , wherein the flying object is an unmanned air vehicle equipped with a flight control system which rectifies deviations from a flight route which passes through the plurality of photograph locations. 
     
     
         4 . An image data outputting system comprising:
 a database which stores a plurality of image data obtained by photographing in a plurality of directions at each of a plurality of photographic locations a photographic region with a photographing device, the photographic region being divided into a plurality of sub-regions, the database correlating and storing photographic location data and photographic direction data at the time when the plurality of image data is obtained with each of the plurality of the image data;   a perspective route specifying device which specifies a plurality of locations arranged in order on a perspective route above the photographic region, and specifies a sight line direction pointing at the photographic region at each of the plurality of locations; and   an image search engine which searches and outputs image data in order, the image search engine searching image data in a direction specified by locations on the perspective route specified by the perspective route specifying device by referencing the photographic location data correlated with a sub-region stored in the database and reading out in order image data, which is stored in the database;   wherein the photographic device includes a plurality of cameras pointing in a plurality of directions, the plurality of cameras simultaneously photograph at each of the plurality of photographic locations and a plurality of image data is obtained; and   for each sub-region of the plurality of sub-regions, if a sub-region is photographed a plurality of times when seeing plurality of photographic locations from a arbitrary geographical point in the sub-region, then an adjacent photographic location is included in a three dimensional angular range of 0.004 steradians or more and 0.54 steradians or less.   
     
     
         5 . The image data outputting system according to  claim 4 , wherein the photographic device photographs images of a square region of the photographic region, and the database correlates location data of the photographic region corresponding to four corners of image which the image data represents, distance data up to where an optical axis of the photographic device intersects with the photographic region, and angular data which shows that a frame of the image is rotating around the optical axis with respect to a horizontal surface and stores the location data, the distance data, and the angular data. 
     
     
         6 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 1 , wherein a photographic device comprising: a plurality of cameras arranged around an axis pointing from top to bottom and in which an optical axis is pointing in a direction of the axis and in an oblique lower direction, wherein an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of cameras and is essentially the same. 
     
     
         7 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 2 , wherein a photographic device comprising: a plurality of cameras arranged around an axis pointing from top to bottom and in which an optical axis is pointing in a direction of the axis and in an oblique lower direction, wherein an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of cameras and is essentially the same. 
     
     
         8 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 3 , wherein a photographic device comprising: a plurality of cameras arranged around an axis pointing from top to bottom and in which an optical axis is pointing in a direction of the axis and in an oblique lower direction, wherein an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of cameras and is essentially the same. 
     
     
         9 . The image data outputting system according to claim from  4 , wherein a photographic device comprising: a plurality of cameras arranged around an axis pointing from top to bottom and in which an optical axis is pointing in a direction of the axis and in an oblique lower direction, wherein an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of cameras and is essentially the same. 
     
     
         10 . The image data outputting system according to  claim 5 , wherein a photographic device comprising: a plurality of cameras arranged around an axis pointing from top to bottom and in which an optical axis is pointing in a direction of the axis and in an oblique lower direction, wherein an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of cameras and is essentially the same. 
     
     
         11 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of first cameras having a first focal length and a plurality of second cameras having a second focal length larger than the first focal length are included among the plurality of cameras, and an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of first cameras is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of second cameras. 
     
     
         12 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of first cameras having a first focal length and a plurality of second cameras having a second focal length larger than the first focal length are included among the plurality of cameras, and an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of first cameras is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of second cameras. 
     
     
         13 . The method for outputting information according to  claim 3 , wherein a plurality of first cameras having a first focal length and a plurality of second cameras having a second focal length larger than the first focal length are included among the plurality of cameras, and an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of first cameras is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of second cameras. 
     
     
         14 . The image data outputting system according to claim from  4 , wherein a plurality of first cameras having a first focal length and a plurality of second cameras having a second focal length larger than the first focal length are included among the plurality of cameras, and an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of first cameras is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of second cameras. 
     
     
         15 . The image data outputting system according to  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of first cameras having a first focal length and a plurality of second cameras having a second focal length larger than the first focal length are included among the plurality of cameras, and an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of first cameras is smaller than an angle formed by an optical axis and the axis of each of the plurality of second cameras.