ENHANCED PRIVACY FOR PROVISION OF COMPUTER VISION

• US 20140090074A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bar-On, David, Strongin, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and storage medium associated with providing enhanced privacy during usage of computer vision are disclosed. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more privacy indicators to indicate one or more privacy conditions of the apparatus in association with provision of computer vision on the apparatus. The apparatus may further include a privacy engine coupled with the one or more privacy indicators, and configured to pre-process images from an image source of the apparatus associated with the provision of computer vision to the apparatus, to increase privacy for a user of the apparatus, and to control the one or more privacy indicators. In embodiments, the apparatus may include means for blanking out one or more pixels with depth values identified as greater than a threshold. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus, comprising:

one or more privacy indicators to visually indicate one or more privacy conditions of the computing apparatus in association with employment of computer vision by the computing apparatus; and

a privacy engine coupled with the one or more privacy indicators, and configured to pre-process images from an image source of the computing apparatus associated with provision of computer vision to the computing apparatus, to increase privacy for a user of the computing apparatus in association with the employment of computer vision by the computing apparatus, and to control the one or more privacy indicators.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the privacy engine comprises:

a depth value calculation block to receive the image from the image source, the image having a plurality of pixels, calculate depth values for the pixels, and output the depth values as a depth value map of the image; and

a depth value analysis block coupled with the depth value calculation block to receive the depth value map, process the depth value map to identify depth values that are greater than a threshold, and on determination that one or more depth values are greater that the threshold, output in response one or more disable signals for use to blank out one or more pixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater than the threshold, to effectuate the increase in privacy.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a filter coupled with the depth value analysis block to receive the one or more disable signals, and apply the one or more disable signals to the image to blank out the pixels with depth values greater than the threshold, wherein the filter is to further receive the image.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the apparatus further comprises a filter coupled with the depth value analysis block to receive the one or more disable signals, and apply the one or more disable signals to the depth value map to blank out the depth values that are greater than the threshold, wherein the filter is further coupled with the depth value calculation block to receive the depth value map.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the image source, wherein the image source includes one or more cameras.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more privacy indicators include a visual indicator, and the privacy engine is configured to enable the visual indicator when images are being captured and used for provision of computer vision.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more privacy indicators include a visual indicator, and the privacy engine is configured to enable the visual indicator when images being captured and used for provision of computer vision are blank.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the privacy engine comprises a one shot circuit coupled with the visual indicator to drive the visual indicator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the privacy engine further comprises a storage medium coupled with the depth value analysis block to store the threshold and provide the threshold to the depth value analysis block, and the apparatus further comprises a configuration mechanism coupled with the storage medium to facilitate configuration of the threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a smartphone, a computing tablet, an ultrabook, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box, a smart TV or a game console.

11. A method, comprising:

calculating, digitally, a plurality of depth values for a plurality of corresponding pixels of an image from an image source associated with providing computer vision on a computing device;

determining, digitally, whether the depth values are greater than a threshold; and

on determination that one or more depth values are greater that the threshold, outputting in response one or more disable indicators for use to blank out one or more pixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater than the threshold, to provide enhanced privacy for the computer vision.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying, digitally, the one or more disable indicators to the image to blank out the one or more corresponding pixels.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the disable indicators comprise disable bits, and wherein the method further comprises applying, digitally, the one or more disable bits to the depth value map to blank out the one or more depth values that are greater than the threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the method further comprises applying, digitally, the one or more disable indicators to the image map to blank out the one or more depth values that are greater than the threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling a visual indicator, electronically, when no disable indicator is being outputted as a result of no depth value having been identified as greater than the threshold, and no object is detected among pixels with depth values that do not exceed the threshold.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing, digitally, the threshold and providing the threshold for said determining.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising accepting, digitally, a setting for the threshold.

18. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by a computing apparatus, enable the computing apparatus to calculate a plurality of depth values for a plurality of corresponding pixels of an image from an image source associated with provision of computer vision on the computing apparatus, determine whether the depth values are greater than a threshold, and on determination that one or more depth values are greater that the threshold, output in response one or more disable indicators for use to blank out one or more pixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater than the threshold, to provide enhanced privacy for the computer vision.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to apply the one or more disable indicators to the image to blank out the one or more corresponding pixels.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the disable indicators comprise disable bits, and wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to apply the one or more disable bits to the depth value map to blank out the one or more depth values that are greater than the threshold.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to apply the one or more disable indicators to the depth value map to blank out the one or more depth values that are greater than the threshold.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to enable a visual indicator, when no disable indicator is being outputted as a result of no depth value having been identified as greater than the threshold, and no object is detected among pixels with depth values that are less than the threshold.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to store the threshold and provide the threshold for said determine.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by the computing apparatus, further enable the computing apparatus to accept a setting for the threshold.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an image from an image source associated with provision of computer vision on the apparatus, the image having a plurality of pixels, calculating depth values for the pixels, and outputting the depth values as a depth value map of the image;

means for receiving the depth value map, processing the depth value map to identify depth values that are greater than a threshold, and on determination that one or more depth values are greater that the threshold, outputting in response one or more disable indicators for use to blank out one or more pixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater than the threshold;

means for receiving the image and the one or more disable indicators, and applying the one or more disable indicators to the image to blank out the pixels with depth values greater than the threshold, to provide enhanced privacy for the computer vision;

means for receiving the depth value map and the one or more disable indicators, and applying the one or more disable indicators to the depth value map to blank out the depth values that are greater than the threshold; and

means for visually indicating to a user of the apparatus a privacy condition of the apparatus in association with the provision of computer vision.