System and method of detecting communication device having built-in camera

• US 20050030384A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hyung-geun, Lee, Yong-hee
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

Provided are a communication device having a built-in camera and a system and method of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera. In the system, a communication device can transmit camera existence data or particular identification data thereof, and in response thereto, a detection device can suspend a camera function of the communication device when a user with the communication device enters a security zone. In addition, the detection device can recover the camera function when the user with the communication device exits the security zone.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a camera;

a camera function processing module that controls the camera;

a mobile communication function processing module that performs a mobile communication function with an another communication device;

a register that stores camera existence data indicating that the communication device includes a built-in camera; and

a local area communication interface unit that transmits the camera existence data by wireless in response to an external detection request signal received by wireless.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power control unit that intercepts power supply to the camera function processing module in response to a power interception signal,

wherein the local area communication interface unit generates the power interception signal in response to a camera power-interception request signal received by wireless from an external system.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the local area communication interface unit performs interactive local area communication by using a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID IC) tag.

4. A communication device comprising:

a camera;

a camera function processing module that controls the camera;

a mobile communication function processing module that performs a mobile communication function with an another communication device;

a power control unit that intercepts power supply to the camera function processing module in response to a power interception signal; and

a local area communication interface unit that transmits at least one of a particular device identification data and camera existence data of the communication device by wireless through a local area communication network in response to an external authentication request signal received by wireless and generates the power interception signal in response to an external camera power-interception request signal received by wireless.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the local area communication interface unit generates a power-interception release signal in response to an external camera power-interception release signal received by wireless when a user possessing the communication device exits a predetermined security zone, a predetermined memory unit stores the power-interception release signal, and in response to the power-interception release signal, the power control unit releases the interception of power supply to the camera function processing module.

6. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the power interception signal is stored in a predetermined memory unit and is then outputted to the power control unit when power is supplied to the communication device.

7. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the local area communication interface unit performs interactive local area communication by using a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID IC) tag.

8. A communication device comprising:

a camera;

a camera function processing module that selectively activates or deactivates a camera function of the camera in accordance with a logic state of an enable signal in response to a key input signal indicating conversion to a camera mode;

a mobile communication function processing module that performs a mobile communication function with an another communication device in response to a key input signal indicating conversion to a communication mode;

a key input unit that generates the key input signal indicating the conversion to at least one of the camera mode and the communication mode;

a local area communication interface unit that transmits at least one of a particular device identification data and camera existence data of the communication device by wireless through a local area communication network in response to an external authentication request signal received by wireless and generates a disable setting signal in response to an external disable-setting request signal received at the communication device by wireless; and

an enable setting unit that generates the enable signal having a logic state corresponding to the disable setting signal.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the local area communication interface unit generates an enable setting signal in response to an external enable-setting request signal received by wireless when a user with the communication device exits a security zone, the enable setting unit generates the enable signal having a logic state corresponding to the enable setting signal, and in response to the enable signal, the camera function processing module recovers the camera function.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the camera function processing module disables the camera function when the enable signal has a first logic state, and the camera function processing module activates the camera function when the enable signal has a second logic state.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein the camera outputs image signals for displaying a specific image pattern when the enable signal has the first logic state.

12. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the camera includes a digital watermark, the digital watermark being obtained by processing the particular identification data of the communication device, to image signals when the camera function is enabled.

13. The communication device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display unit that processes and displays a plurality of display signals,

wherein the camera function processing module processes image signals output from the camera and generates the display signals to be displayed on the display unit.

14. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the key input signal indicating the conversion to the camera mode is generated when a user selects one choice from a selection menu for modes is displayed in the display unit.

15. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the key input signal indicating the conversion to the camera mode is generated when a user selects a predetermined hotkey provided in the communication device.

16. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the local area communication interface unit performs interactive local area communication by using a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID IC) tag.

17. A system of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the system comprising:

a communication device that transmits camera existence data by wireless through a local area communication network in response to an external detection request signal received by wireless; and

a detection device that transmits the external detection request signal by wireless to the communication device.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a display device that receives and displays camera existence-display data,

wherein the detection device generates the camera existence-display data corresponding to the camera existence data received by wireless.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the detection device comprises:

a memory that stores detection request data in accordance with a predetermined protocol;

a control unit that controls output of the detection request data; and

a local area communication function processing module that processes the detection request data and transmits the external detection request signal by wireless to the communication device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the control unit controls to transmit a camera power-interception request signal to the communication device by wireless through the local area communication function processing module in response to the camera existence data received by wireless.

21. A system of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the system comprising:

a detection device that transmits an authentication request signal to a communication device by wireless through a local area communication network, receives particular identification data or camera existence data of the communication device by wireless, and generates and transmits a camera power-interception request signal by wireless to the communication device when it is determined that the communication device has a built-in camera; and

a display device that displays the camera existence data when it is determined that the communication device has the built-in camera.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the detection device comprises:

an identification memory unit that stores identifications of communication devices having a built-in camera;

a control unit that generates the camera power-interception request signal, when it is determined that the particular identification data are at least one of the identifications stored in the identification memory unit and the camera existence data as received through wireless; and

a tag recognition module that transmits the authentication request signal and the camera power-interception request signal by wireless to the communication device.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the control unit controls to transmit a camera power-interception release signal to the communication device by wireless through the tag recognition module, when a user with the communication device exits a security zone.

24. A system of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the system comprising:

a detection device that transmits an authentication request signal to a communication device by wireless through a local area communication network, receives particular identification data or camera existence data of the communication device by wireless, and generates and transmits a camera function-disable setting request signal to the communication device by wireless, when it is determined that the communication device has a built-in camera; and

a display device that displays the camera existence data, when it is determined that the communication device has a built-in camera.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the detection device generates and transmits a camera function-enable setting request signal to the communication device by wireless, when a user possessing the communication device exits a security zone.

26. A system of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the system comprising:

a public network;

detection devices, which are provided in several areas within the public network, that transmits an authentication request signal to a communication device by wireless through a local area communication network, receives particular identification data or camera existence data of the communication device by wireless in response to the authentication request signal, suspends a camera function of the communication device when it is determined that the communication device has a built-in camera, and outputs camera existence-display data corresponding to a camera power-interception request signal; and

a computer that stores and manages the camera existence-display data.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the detection devices generate the camera power-interception request signal or a camera function-disable setting request signal and suspend the camera function of the communication device when it is determined that the communication device has the built-in camera.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the detection devices generate at least one of a camera power-interception release signal and a camera function-enable setting request signal and recover the camera function of the communication device.

29. A method of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the method comprising:

transmitting a detection request signal by wireless from a detection device, which performs local area communication with a communication device; and

transmitting camera existence data by wireless from the communication device in response to the detection request signal.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:

outputting camera existence-display data corresponding to the camera existence data from the detection device; and

allowing a predetermined display device to receive and display the camera existence-display data.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the camera existence data are generated by processing the camera existence data stored in a predetermined memory unit.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the detection request signal is generated by processing detection request data stored in a predetermined memory.

33. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

generating and transmitting a camera power-interception request signal by wireless from the detection device in response to the camera existence data; and

intercepting power supply to a camera function processing module of the communication device in response to the camera power-interception request signal.

34. A method of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the method comprising:

transmitting an authentication request signal by wireless from a detection device which performs local area communication with a communication device;

transmitting at least one of particular device identification data and camera existence data of the communication device by wireless in response to the authentication request signal;

allowing the detection device to receive the particular identification data or the camera existence data and to generate and transmit a camera power-interception request signal by wireless when it is determined that the communication device has a built-in camera; and

intercepting power supply to a camera function processing module of the communication device in response to the camera power-interception request signal received by wireless.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

allowing a predetermined display device to receive and display camera existence-display data corresponding to the camera power-interception request signal.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the camera power-interception request signal is received through a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID IC) tag provided in the communication device.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the power supply to the camera function processing module is intercepted using a power interception signal stored in a predetermined memory unit in response to the camera power-interception request signal.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the detection device recognizes that a user with the communication device exits a security zone and thus the detection device transmits a camera power-interception release signal to the communication device by wireless,

the interception of power supply to the camera function processing module of the communication device is realized by storing a power-interception release signal in the predetermined memory unit.

39. A method of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the method comprising:

transmitting an authentication request signal by wireless from a detection device, which is provided in a security zone and performs interactive local area communication with a communication device;

transmitting particular identification data or camera existence data of the communication device by wireless from the communication device in response to the authentication request signal;

transmitting a disable setting request signal by wireless from the detection device to the communication device when a user with the communication device comes in the security zone, in a case where the detection device receives the particular identification data or the camera existence data of the communication device and determines that the communication device has a built-in camera; and

allowing the communication device to set an enable signal to a first logic state in response to the disable setting request signal received by wireless.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising:

transmitting an enable setting request signal by wireless from the detection device to the communication device when the user with the communication device exits the security zone; and

enabling the communication device to set the enable signal to a second logic state in response to the enable setting request signal received by wireless.

41. A method of detecting a communication device having a built-in camera, the method comprising:

transmitting an authentication request signal by wireless to a communication device from a detection device, which performs local area communication with the communication device through a local area network;

transmitting particular identification data or camera existence data of the communication device by wireless from the communication device to the detection device in response to the authentication request signal;

suspending a camera function of the communication device, when the detection device receives the particular identification data or the camera existence data of the communication device and determines that the communication device has a built-in camera;

outputting camera existence-display data from the detection device, when the detection device determines that the communication device has the built-in camera; and

storing and managing the camera existence-display data with a computer.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein when the detection device determines that the communication device has the built-in camera, the camera function of the communication device is suspended by generating at least one of a camera power-interception request signal and a camera function-disable setting request signal.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the camera function of the communication device is recovered by generating at least one of a camera power-interception release signal and a camera function-enable setting request signal.