Security camera employing privacy protection method

• US 20060206911A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jin Weon, Kim, Hak Je
• Application Number:
  US11/325,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02

Abstract

A security camera employing a privacy protection method is disclosed. The security camera comprises a lens unit, a pan/tilt/zoom drive for operating the lens unit, an image processor for generating an original image captured by the lens unit, a privacy area processor for reducing resolution of a privacy area when a predetermined area of the original image is a privacy area, and generating a resultant image including the privacy area displayed at low resolution, and an output unit for transmitting a variety of images to a display.

Claims

1. A security camera comprising:

a lens unit;

a pan/tilt/zoom drive for operating the lens unit;

an image processor for generating an original image captured by the lens unit;

a privacy area processor for reducing resolution of a privacy area, which is defined by a predetermined area of the original image, and generating a resultant image including the privacy area of low resolution; and

an output unit for transmitting images to a display.

2. The security camera according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the privacy area is reduced by distorting the privacy area with a mosaic.

3. The security camera according to claim 2, wherein the mosaic changes size according to a zoom ratio of the security camera.

4. The security camera according to claim 2, wherein the mosaic changes size according to the degree of privacy protection desired.

5. The security camera according to claim 1, wherein the privacy area processor comprises:

a privacy area calculator for calculating the privacy area contained in the original image in consideration of privacy position information stored in a privacy area storage unit and a pan/tilt/zoom degree of the lens unit.

6. The security camera according to claim 5, wherein the privacy area processor further comprises:

a bitmap generator for constructing a bitmap of the original image including the privacy area.

7. The security camera according to claim 6, wherein the privacy area processor further comprises:

a resampling unit for dividing the original image into a plurality of blocks according to bitmap resolution, and generating a resampling image in which a mean value of brightness of all pixels contained in each divided block is set to a brightness value of the block and a mean value of chrominance of all pixels contained in the block is set to a chrominance value of the block.

8. The security camera according to claim 7, wherein the privacy area processor further comprises:

a mosaic synthesizer for selecting the resampling image in the privacy area from among the overall bitmaps, and selecting the original image in the remaining non-privacy area, such that the privacy area is distorted by a mosaic by the resampling image.

9. The security camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

an upper/lower inverting unit for vertically inverting the images if a tilt angle of the lens unit is in a predetermined range, and transmitting the inverted images to the output unit.

10. A security camera comprising:

a lens unit;

a pan/tilt/zoom drive for operating the lens unit;

an image processor for generating an original image captured by the lens unit;

a bitmap generator for constructing a bitmap of the original image;

a resampling unit for generating a resampling image formed when the original image is divided into a plurality of blocks according to bitmap resolution;

a mosaic synthesizer for converting only a privacy area of the original image into a resampling image indicative of an image distorted by a mosaic according to the bitmap; and

an output unit for transmitting images to a display.

11. A method for privacy protection for use in a security camera, the method comprising:

determining whether an original image includes a privacy area, the original image being generated by an image processor in the security camera; and

generating a new image in which resolution of the privacy area is reduced when the original image contains a privacy area.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the resolution of the privacy area is reduced by distorting the privacy area with a mosaic.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mosaic changes size according to a zoom ratio of the security camera and degree of privacy protection desired.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein generating the new image comprise:

generating a bitmap of the original image;

generating a resampling image formed when the original image is divided into a plurality of blocks according to bitmap resolution; and

combining the original image and the resampling image on the basis of the bitmap,

whereby the new image is constructed.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the mosaic size is determined according to block size.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the privacy area contained in the original image is replaced with the resampling image.

17. A computer readable medium for controlling privacy protection in a security camera, comprising:

a first set of instructions for determining whether an original image includes a privacy area, the original image being generated by an image processor in the security camera; and

a second set of instructions for generating a new image in which resolution of the privacy area is reduced when the original image contains a privacy area.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second set of instructions comprise:

instructions for generating a bitmap of the original image;

instructions for generating a resampling image formed when the original image is divided into a plurality of blocks according to bitmap resolution; and

instructions for combining the original image and the resampling image on the basis of the bitmap,

whereby the new image is constructed.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the resolution of the privacy area is reduced by distorting the privacy area with a mosaic.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the mosaic changes size according to a zoom ratio of the security camera and degree of privacy protection desired.