OBFUSCATING THE DISPLAY OF INFORMATION AND REMOVING THE OBFUSCATION USING A FILTER

• US 20110206285A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Rottler, Benjamin, Hodge, Andrew, Mincey, Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3651 using multistable liquid crystals, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

This is directed to obfuscating a display to secure the display of information provided to a user. An electronic device can modulate the display of information using different approaches, including for example by adding artifacts or changing the color, frequency or polarity of displayed information, thus obfuscating the display. To view the displayed information, a user can place a filter between the user and the display (e.g., as part of glasses) such that the filter can remove or undo the obfuscation. In some embodiments, the device can display different confidential information for several users simultaneously, where different obfuscation approaches are used for each user. This can allow several users to interact with the device simultaneously while ensuring that each user'"'"'s information remains confidential.

Claims

1. A method for securing the display of information provided by an electronic device, comprising:

identifying private information to display;

retrieving an obfuscation process associated with the identified private information, wherein the effect of the obfuscation process can be removed by a filter associated with the private information;

applying the obfuscation process to the identified private information to generate an obfuscated display, wherein the private information is not discernable in the obfuscated display; and

providing the obfuscated display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information describing the obfuscation process to the filter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information identifying at least one of a plurality of filters corresponding to the obfuscation process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying the obfuscation process further comprises overlaying at least one artifact on the private information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the obfuscation further comprises modulating at least one of:

the color of the display;

the polarity of the display; and

the time at which information is provided on the display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least two sets of private information to display, wherein each of the at least two sets of private information is associated with an obfuscation processes;

obfuscating the at least two sets of information using the respective associated obfuscation processes; and

displaying the at least two sets of information in at least two regions of the display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

at least a portion of the two regions of the display overlap.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

the obfuscation processes associated with each of the at least two sets of private information are different.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying one of the at least two sets of data in each image frame provided by the electronic device.

10. An electronic device for displaying obfuscated content, comprising a display and control circuitry, the control circuitry operative to:

detect a filter, wherein the filter is operative to reveal obfuscated content;

determine attributes of the filter, wherein the attributes define a manner in which the filter reveals obfuscated content;

identify an obfuscation process, wherein the detected filter is operative to reveal content obfuscated using the identified obfuscating process; and

direct the display to display content obfuscated using the identified obfuscation process.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a camera; and

the control circuitry is operative to;

direct the camera to capture an image of the device environment;

analyze the captured image to locate a filter; and

identify attributes of the located filter.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises communications circuitry; and

the control circuitry is further operative to;

receive a communication from the filter; and

identify attributes of the filter from the received communication.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

direct the communications circuitry to receive a communication specifying the attributes of the filter.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

direct the communications circuitry to receive a communication identifying the filter; and

determine, from associations of filters and filter attributes, attributes of the identified filter.

15. A method for simultaneously displaying information for two users, comprising:

selecting first and second sets of information, wherein the first set of information is associated with a first user and the second set of information is associated with a second user;

obfuscating each of the first and second sets of information using different processes, wherein the obfuscated sets of information are unintelligible without an appropriate filter; and

displaying the obfuscated first and second sets of information in two regions of a display, wherein the first user has a first filter that cannot reveal the second obfuscated set of information, and the second user has a second filter that cannot reveal the first obfuscated set of information.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a first obfuscating process associated with the first user;

identifying a second obfuscating process associated with the second user;

obfuscating the first set of information using the first obfuscating process; and

obfuscating the second set of information using the second obfuscating process.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the obfuscation process comprises at least one of:

adjusting polarity;

adjusting color;

adjusting the frequency at which the information is displayed; and

applying a transformation.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the first and second sets of obfuscated information in distinct regions of the display.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of the first obfuscated set of information and a portion of the second set of obfuscated information in an single region of the display.

20. Computer readable media for securing the display of information provided by an electronic device, comprising a computer-readable instructions for:

identifying private information to display;

retrieving an obfuscation process associated with the identified private information, wherein the effect of the obfuscation process can be removed by a filter associated with the private information;

applying the obfuscation process to the identified private information to generate an obfuscated display, wherein the private information is not discernable in the obfuscated display; and

providing the obfuscated display.