Disclosed is a spatial image information method and system for rapid and
efficient storage in a relation type database and retrieval and
management of spatial images acquired by a combined system of a global
positioning system (GPS), an inertial navigation system (INS), and an
image acquisition device (i.e., CCD camera). The spatial image acquired
by the GPS/INS/CCD camera combined system is combined with an exterior
orientation composed of a camera position (x,y,z), accelerated velocity,
slope and direction at the moment the image is acquired and an interior
orientation acquired by a camera calibration, so that calculation of a
specified spatial coordinate information becomes possible. The spatial
image information system includes a section for efficiently storing a
chain of still spatial image sequences acquired by the GPS/INS/CCD camera
combined system, the exterior orientation, and the interior orientation
in the relation type database, a section for storing spatial information
recognized as the same object by a user as maintaining the relationship
with the stored still spatial image sequences, a section for efficiently
retrieving images that satisfy a certain spatial information operation
from the still spatial image sequences, and an interface section for
external systems.