1. An image database registration system comprising:
an image file input unit for inputting an image file which includes an additional-information recording area in which additional information has been recorded and an image-data recording area in which image data representing an image has been recorded;
an additional-information reading unit for reading the additional information that has been recorded in the additional-information recording area included in the image file input from said image file input unit;
an image data reading unit for reading the image data that has been recorded in the image-data recording area included in the image file input from said image file input unit; and
a storage control unit for storing the additional information that has been read by said additional-information reading unit and the image data that has been read by said image data reading unit in a storage unit in association with each other.
2. An image database registration system according to claim 1, wherein the image file further includes an image-format header.
3. An image database registration system according to claim 2, wherein the image-format header comprises at least one of:
a size of the image data that has been recorded in the image-data recording area, a number of horizontal-direction pixels of the image represented by the image data, a number of vertical-direction pixels of the image represented by the image data, an offset (path) to the image data, a position-information flag indicating whether global position system (GPS) information is present, a bar-code flag indicating whether bar-code data is present, an offset (path) to the global position system (GPS) information, a data size of the global position system (GPS) information, an offset (path) to the bar-code data, a size of the bar-code data, an offset to date-of-photography data, and a size of the date-of-photography data.
4. An image database registration system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes at least one of bar-code data representing a bar code that has been read by a bar code reader, data representing a date of photography, and data representing global position system (GPS) information representing a location of photography sensed by a global position system (GPS) receiving unit.
5. An image database registration system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes bar-code data representing a bar code that has been read by a bar code reader.
6. An image database registration system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes bar-code data representing a bar code that has been read by a bar code reader, data representing a date of photography, and data representing global position system (GPS) information representing a location of photography sensed by a global position system (GPS) receiving unit.
7. An image database registration system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a bar code reader that reads a bar code and generates bar-code data representing said bar code, and a global position system (GPS) receiving unit that receives global position system (GPS) information of a location of photography and generates data representing said global position system (GPS) information.
8. An image database search system comprising:
a storage unit in which additional information, which has been recorded in an additional-information recording area of an image file, and image data, which has been recorded in an image-data recording area of the image file, are stored in association with each other;
an additional-information input unit for inputting additional information;
a search unit which, on the basis of the additional information that has been input from said additional-information input unit, retrieves the corresponding image data from said storage unit; and
an image data output unit for outputting image data that has been found by the search conducted by said search unit.
9. An image database registration method comprising:
inputting an image file which includes an additional-information recording area in which additional information has been recorded and an image-data recording area in which image-data representing an image has been recorded;
reading the additional information that has been recorded in the additional-information recording area included in the image file that has been input;
reading the image data that has been recorded in the image-data recording area included in the image file that has been input; and
storing the additional information that has been read and the image data that has been read in a storage unit in association with each other.
10. An image database registration method according to claim 9, wherein the additional information includes at least one of bar-code data representing a bar code that has been read by a bar code reader, data representing a date of photography, and data representing global position system (GPS) information representing a location of photography sensed by a global position system (GPS) receiving unit.
11. An image database registration method according to claim 10, further comprising:
reading a bar code and generating bar-code data representing said bar code, and
receiving global position system (GPS) information of a location of photography and generating data representing said global position system (GPS) information.
12. An image database search method according to claim 9, wherein the additional information includes at least one of bar-code data representing a bar code that has been read by a bar code reader, data representing a date of photography, and data representing global position system (GPS) information representing a location of photography sensed by a global position system (GPS) receiving unit.
13. An image database search method according to claim 9, further comprising:
reading a bar code and generating bar-code data representing said bar code, and
receiving global position system (GPS) information of a location of photography and generating data representing said global position system (GPS) information.
14. An image database search method comprising:
storing additional information, which has been recorded in an additional-information recording area of an image file, and image data, which has been recorded in an image-data recording area of the image file, in a storage unit in association with each other;
inputting additional information;
on the basis of the additional information that has been input, retrieving the corresponding image data from said storage unit; and
outputting image data that has been found by retrieval.
15. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for registering image data in an image database, said program controlling a computer of the image database so as to:
input an image file which includes an additional-information recording area in which additional information has been recorded and an image-data recording area in which image data representing an image has been recorded;
read the additional information that has been recorded in the additional-information recording area included in the image file that has been input;
read the image data that has been recorded in the image-data recording area included in the image file that has been input; and
store the additional information that has been read and the image data that has been read in a storage unit in association with each other.
16. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for searching image data that has been registered in an image database, said program controlling a computer of the image database so as to:
input additional information;
on the basis of the additional information that has been input, retrieve the corresponding image data from a storage unit in which additional information, which has been recorded in an additional-information recording area of an image file, and image data, which has been recorded in an image-data recording area of the image file, have been stored in association with each other; and
output image data that has been found by retrieval.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for monitoring a container for transporting cargo, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device;
2. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
3. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
4. a connection to a power source;
5. a cellular telephone modem for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications and the antenna unit further comprises a cellular telephone antenna; and
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising a satellite antenna connected to the satellite modem;
b. a central computer system in communication with the onboard device for processing alerts received from the onboard device; and
c. a fixed communications device for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system.
2. A system for monitoring a container for transporting cargo, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device;
2. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
3. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
4. a connection to a power source;
5. a cellular telephone modem for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications and the antenna unit further comprises a cellular telephone antenna; and
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising a satellite antenna connected to the satellite modem;
b. a central computer system in communication with the onboard device for processing alerts received from the onboard device; and
c. a fixed communications device for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system; wherein the fixed communications device comprises:
i. a processor for controlling the device,
\u2003ii. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device,
\u2003iii. a cellular telephone modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device the central computer system via a computer network.
3. A system for monitoring a container for transporting cargo, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device;
2. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
3. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
4. a connection to a power source;
5. a cellular telephone modem for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications and the antenna unit further comprises a cellular telephone antenna; and
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising a satellite antenna connected to the satellite modem;
b. a central computer system in communication with the onboard device for processing alerts received from the onboard device; and
c. a fixed communications device for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system; wherein the fixed communications device comprises:
i. a processor for controlling the device,
ii. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device,
iii. a cellular telephone modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device the central computer system via a computer network;
iv. a handheld computing device in communication with the onboard device and central computer system, the handheld computing device controlling the mode of operation andor updating the onboard device; wherein the cargo comprises a computer readable tag containing cargo information, and the handheld computing device further comprises a computer readable tag reader for reading the cargo information.
4. A system for monitoring a container for transporting cargo, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device;
2. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
3. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
4. a connection to a power source;
5. a cellular telephone modem for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications and the antenna unit further comprises a cellular telephone antenna; and
6. a memory for storing data relating to container conditions or position;
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising a satellite antenna connected to the satellite modem;
b. a central computer system in communication with the onboard device for processing alerts received from the onboard device; and
c. a fixed communications device for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system; wherein the fixed communications device comprises:
i. a processor for controlling the device,
ii. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device,
iii. a cellular telephone modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device the central computer system via a computer network;
iv. a handheld computing device in communication with the onboard device and central computer system, the handheld computing device controlling the mode of operation andor updating the onboard device; wherein the container has an identification number, and wherein the handheld computing device receives and correlates the container identification number and cargo information and transmits the correlated container identification number and cargo information to the central computer system.
5. A system for monitoring a container for transporting cargo, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device;
2. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
3. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
4. a connection to a power source;
5. a cellular telephone modem for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications and the antenna unit further comprises a cellular telephone antenna; and
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising a satellite antenna connected to the satellite modem;
b; a central computer system in communication with the onboard device for processing alerts received from the onboard device; and
c. a fixed communications device for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system; wherein the fixed communications device comprises:
i. a processor for controlling the device,
ii. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device,
iii. a cellular telephone modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device the central computer system via a computer network; and
iv. a handheld computing device in communication with the onboard device and central computer system, the handheld computing device controlling the mode of operation andor updating the onboard device; wherein the handheld device receives software updates from the central computer system and communicates the updates to the onboard device.
6. A system for monitoring and tracking a container for transporting cargo, the container having a container identification number and the cargo having a computer-readable tag containing cargo information, the system comprising:
a. an onboard device attached to the container comprising:
i. a processorsensor component comprising:
1. a processor for controlling the device, wherein the processor is programmed to select a mode of communications from multiple modes of wireless communications comprising satellite communications, cellular telephone communications, and short-range wireless communications based upon one or more rules;
2. a memory in communication with the processor;
3. one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions;
4. a satellite modem in communication with the processor for transmitting satellite communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions;
5. a global positioning system (GPS) receiver in communication with the processor for determining the position of the device;
6. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving short-range radio-frequency (RF) communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions;
7. cellular telephone modem in communication with the processor for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions; and
8. a power connection for connecting to a rechargeable battery;
ii. an antenna component connected to the processsensor component, the antenna component comprising:
1. a satellite antenna in communication with the satellite modem;
2. a GPS antenna in communication with the GPS receiver;
3. a short-range RF antenna in communication with the short-range wireless communications module;
4. a cellular telephone antenna in communication with the cellular telephone modem;
iii. a clamping component for attaching the device to the container; and
iv. a solar panel for recharging the battery; and
b. a central computer system in communication with the onboard device via a computer network, wherein the central computer system processes alerts received from the onboard device and tracks the position of the onboard device;
c. one or more fixed communications devices for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system, each fixed communications devices comprising:
i. a processor for controlling the fixed communication device;
ii. a short-range wireless communications module for transmitting and receiving short-range RF communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device; and
iii. cellular modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and one or more external computing device via a computer network; and
d. one or more handheld computing devices in communication with the onboard device via short-range RF signals and the central computer system via a wired or wireless connection to a computer network, the one or more handheld computing devices controlling the mode of operation and updating the onboard device, wherein at least one of the handheld computing devices comprises a computer readable tag reader for reading the cargo information, and wherein the handheld computing device receives and correlates the container identification number and cargo information and transmits the correlated container identification number and cargo information to the central computer system.