CONTENT PROTECTION USING AUTOMATICALLY SELECTABLE DISPLAY SURFACES

• US 20110321143A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hardee, Christopher J., Angaluri, Srihari V., Cudak, Gary D., Humes, Randall C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for protecting content by automatically identifying a display surface viewable only to authorized users and displaying protected content on the identified display surface. In one example embodiment, content is displayed on a first display surface in viewable range of a first user authorized to view the content. The entrance of a second user into viewable range of the first display surface is detected, and automatically determined to be unauthorized to view the content. A second display surface in viewable range of the first user but not viewable by the second user is automatically identified in response to detecting the entrance of the second, unauthorized user into viewable range of the first display surface. The display of the content is automatically moved from the first display surface to the second display surface to prevent the content from being viewed by the unauthorized user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying content on a first display surface in viewable range of a first user authorized to view the content;

detecting the entrance of a second user into viewable range of the first display surface and automatically determining whether the second user is authorized to view the content;

automatically identifying a second display surface in viewable range of the first user but not in viewable range of the second user in response to determining the second user is unauthorized to view the displayed content; and

automatically moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

remotely sensing user biometric data and user location data of the second user in response to detecting the entrance of the second user into viewable range of the first display surface; and

analyzing the biometric data from the second user to determine the second user is unauthorized to view the content; and

analyzing the user location data from the second user to determine the second user is within viewable range of the second display surface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a biometric template specific to one or more users, the biometric template containing biometric data uniquely identifying the user; and

subsequently analyzing the sensed user biometric data to the biometric template to determine if the second user is authorized to view the content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of obtaining biometric data includes one or more of the group consisting of iris recognition, facial recognition, and voice recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining user biometric data from the first user in response to detecting the first user being in viewable range of the first display surface; and

analyzing the biometric data from the first user to determine the first user is authorized to view the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the second user as being unauthorized to view the content if biometric data for the second user cannot be obtained.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

temporarily blocking the display of the content in response to detecting the presence of the second user but prior to determining whether the second user is authorized or unauthorized.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving login credentials from the first user to determine the first user is authorized to view the content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content on a first display surface comprises projecting an image of the content onto the first display surface, and moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises projecting the image of the content away from the first display surface and onto the second display surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein projecting the image of the content away from the first display surface and onto the second display surface comprises moving a moveable projector lens from a first position directed at the first display surface to a second position directed at the second display surface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein projecting an image of the content onto the first display surface comprises projecting the image of the content using a first projector lens aimed at the first display surface, and moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises projecting the image of the content using a second projector lens aimed at the second display surface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying content on a first display surface comprises displaying the content on a first fixed-position video display defining the first display surface and wherein the step of moving the displayed content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises displaying the content on a second fixed-position video display defining the second display surface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a second display surface in viewable range of the first user but not in viewable range of the second user comprises remotely sensing a candidate second display surface spaced from the first display surface and analyzing the position of the candidate second display surface and the location of the second user to determine if the second user is in viewable range of the candidate second display surface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing one or both of an eye position and a head position of the second user to determine whether the second user is in viewable range of the first display surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein analyzing an eye position of the second user comprises:

detecting an eye of the unauthorized user;

determining if the eye is within a line of sight of the first display surface; and

identifying the second display surface as a surface that is not within the line of sight of the eye.

16. A protected content display system, comprising:

a plurality of different display surfaces at different positions within a defined area;

a display device configured for selectively displaying content on any of the different display surfaces; and

a controller configured for detecting the entrance of a user into the defined area, determining the authorization of the user to view the content, and controlling the display device to move the display of the content from a first display surface viewable by the user to a second display surface not viewable by the user in response to determining the user is unauthorized to view the content.

17. The protected content display system of claim 16, wherein the display device comprises:

a projector configured for selectively aiming and focusing at any of the different display surfaces.

18. The protected content display system of claim 16, wherein the display device comprises:

a plurality of fixed-position video display, each video display having a self-contained image generator for internally generating the image to be displayed.

19. The protected content display system of claim 16, wherein the controller comprises:

a biometric database containing one or more biometric templates, each biometric template containing biometric data specific to a different user;

a biometric sensor configured for remotely sensing one or more biometric parameters of the user; and

an authenticator for comparing the remotely sensed biometric parameters of the user to the biometric templates to determine if the user is authorized to view the displayed content.

20. The protected content display system of claim 19, wherein the biometric sensor comprises:

an infrared illuminator for illuminating facial features of the user;

an infrared camera for capturing an image reflected from the user; and

an image processor for analyzing the eye position of the user according to the image to determine if a candidate display surface is viewable by the user.