Transformable privacy mask for video camera images
First Claim
1. A surveillance camera system comprising:
- a camera having an adjustable field of view;
a display screen displaying images acquired by said camera;
a processing device operably coupled to said camera and said display screen, said processing device configured to allow a user to define a privacy mask obscuring a portion of the displayed images, said processing device further configured to transform said privacy mask in accordance with changes in the field of view of said camera, wherein, in a first field of view, said privacy mask is defined by a plurality of vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), and, in a second field of view differing from said first field of view, said processing device determines transformed coordinates, (x1′
, y1′
), . . . (xn′
, yn′
), for each of said vertices based upon changes in the field of view of said camera wherein said privacy mask and said transformed privacy mask obscure substantially common subject matter in both said first field of view and said second field of view respectively; and
wherein said privacy mask in said first field of view is definable by pixel rows and said processing device is configured to identify opposing ends of a plurality of said pixel rows, each of said identified ends defining one of said vertices of said privacy mask.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system including a camera, display screen and processing device. A privacy mask obscures a portion of the displayed images. The processing device transforms the privacy mask in accordance with changes in the field of view of the camera, wherein, in a first field of view, the privacy mask is defined by a plurality of vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), and, in a second field of view, the processing device determines transformed coordinates, (x1′, y1′), . . . (xn′, yn′), for each of the vertices based upon changes in the field of view of the camera. The privacy mask is definable by pixel rows and the processing device identifies opposing ends of a plurality of the pixel rows, each of the identified ends defining one vertex of the privacy mask. The privacy mask may also include an unmasked area completely encircled by masked area.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A surveillance camera system comprising:
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a camera having an adjustable field of view;
a display screen displaying images acquired by said camera;
a processing device operably coupled to said camera and said display screen, said processing device configured to allow a user to define a privacy mask obscuring a portion of the displayed images, said processing device further configured to transform said privacy mask in accordance with changes in the field of view of said camera, wherein, in a first field of view, said privacy mask is defined by a plurality of vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), and, in a second field of view differing from said first field of view, said processing device determines transformed coordinates, (x1′
, y1′
), . . . (xn′
, yn′
), for each of said vertices based upon changes in the field of view of said camera wherein said privacy mask and said transformed privacy mask obscure substantially common subject matter in both said first field of view and said second field of view respectively; and
wherein said privacy mask in said first field of view is definable by pixel rows and said processing device is configured to identify opposing ends of a plurality of said pixel rows, each of said identified ends defining one of said vertices of said privacy mask. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A surveillance camera system comprising:
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a camera having an adjustable field of view;
a display screen displaying images acquired by said camera;
a processing device operably coupled to said camera and said display screen, said processing device configured to allow a user to define a privacy mask obscuring a portion of the displayed images, said processing device further configured to transform said privacy mask in accordance with changes in the field of view of said camera, wherein, in a first field of view, said privacy mask is defined by a plurality of vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), and, in a second field of view differing from said first field of view, said processing device determines transformed coordinates, (x1′
, y1′
), . . . (xn′
, yn′
), for each of said vertices based upon changes in the field of view of said camera wherein said privacy mask and said transformed privacy mask obscure substantially common subject matter in both said first field of view and said second field of view respectively; and
wherein said privacy mask in said first field of view is definable by a plurality of pixel blocks and said processing device is configured to identify at least one location point for each said pixel block, each of said location points defining one of said vertices of said privacy mask and wherein said privacy mask includes at least one non-perimeter pixel block entirely circumscribed by other pixel blocks forming a portion of said privacy mask. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of obscuring a selected portion of video images, said method comprising:
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acquiring images with a camera;
displaying the acquired images on a display screen;
defining a privacy mask with a plurality of mask vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), the privacy mask obscuring a selected portion of the displayed images;
adjusting the field of view of the camera from a first field of view to a second field of view;
determining transformed coordinates, (x1′
, y1′
), . . . (xn′
, yn′
), for each of the mask vertices to define a transformed privacy mask for the second field of view, the transformed coordinates being determined based upon changes in the field of view of the camera wherein the privacy mask and the transformed privacy mask obscure substantially common subject matter in both the first field of view and the second field of view respectively; and
wherein the privacy map in the first field of view is definable by pixel rows and said step of defining the privacy mask with a plurality of mask vertices includes identifying opposing ends of a plurality of the pixel rows with each of the identified ends defining one of the mask vertices. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of obscuring a selected portion of video images, said method comprising:
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acquiring images with a camera;
displaying the acquired images on a display screen;
defining a privacy mask with a plurality of mask vertices having coordinates (x1, y1), . . . (xn, yn), the privacy mask obscuring a selected portion of the displayed images;
adjusting the field of view of the camera from a first field of view to a second field of view;
determining transformed coordinates, (x1′
, y1′
), . . . (xn′
, yn′
), for each of the mask vertices to define a transformed privacy mask for the second field of view, the transformed coordinates being determined based upon changes in the field of view of the camera wherein the privacy mask and the transformed privacy mask obscure substantially common subject matter in both the first field of view and the second field of view respectively; and
wherein the privacy map in the first field of view is definable by a plurality of pixel blocks and said step of defining the privacy mask with a plurality of mask vertices includes identifying a location point for each of the pixel blocks, each of the location points defining one of the mask vertices and wherein at least one of the pixel blocks is a non-perimeter pixel block entirely circumscribed by other pixel blocks forming a portion of the privacy mask. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification