PRIVACY AWARE CAMERA AND DEVICE STATUS INDICATOR SYSTEM

• US 20140123208A1
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Plagemann, Christian, Murray, Abraham, Dahlkamp, Hendrik, Kauffmann, Alejandro, Ganapathi, Varun
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A privacy indicator is provided that shows whether sensor data are being processed in a private or non-private mode. When sensor data are used only for controlling a device locally, it may be in a private mode, which may be shown by setting the privacy indicator to a first color. When sensor data are being sent to a remote site, it may be in a non-private mode, which may be shown by setting the privacy indicator to a second color. The privacy mode may be determined by processing a command in accordance with a privacy policy of determining if the command is on a privacy whitelist, blacklist, greylist or is not present in a privacy command library. A non-private command may be blocked.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a command to access data generated by a sensor;

determining that the command is not permitted by a privacy policy; and

based on the determining that the command is not permitted by a privacy policy, changing the state of a privacy indicator.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving a command to access data generated by a sensor;

comparing the command to a library of known commands;

determining that the command does not match the library of known commands; and

based on the determination that the command does not match the library of known commands, changing the state of a privacy indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing of the command to a library of known commands comprises verifying a digital signature associated with the command.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining that the command does not match the library of known commands comprises determining that the digital signature associated with the command is invalid.

5. The method of claim 2, where the library of known commands comprises a database of commands based on the data generated by the sensor.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a sensor is selected from the group consisting of a microphone, a camera, or a GPS device.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising activating the sensor.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the privacy indicator to an initial state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the initial state indicates that the data generated by the sensor is not being stored in persistent storage or being transmitted to a remote entity.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein a privacy indicator is selected from the group consisting of:

a light, a LED, a system tray notice, an audible sound, and a tactile feedback.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of changing the state of the privacy indicator comprises modulating the power to a LED, causing it to blink.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein a command includes a sequence of known commands.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising blocking the command.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein blocking comprises preventing an application from storing or transmitting sensor data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing the state of the privacy indicator upon successfully blocking the command.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination that the command does not match the library of known commands comprises determining that the digital signature associated with the command is invalid.

27. The system of claim 14, further comprising blocking the command.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein blocking comprises preventing an application from storing or transmitting sensor data.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising changing the state of the privacy indicator upon successfully blocking the command.

16. A system, comprising:

a sensor;

a computer readable storage for storing a library of known commands;

a processor, where the processor is connected to the computer readable storage and configured to;

receive a command to access data generated by the sensor;

compare the command to the library of known commands;

determine that the command does not match the library of known commands; and

based on the determination that the command, does not match the library of known commands, change the state of a privacy indicator.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the comparison of the command to a library of known commands comprises verifying a digital signature associated with the command.

19. The system of claim 16, where the library of known commands comprises a database of commands based on the data generated by the sensor.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a sensor is selected from the group consisting of a microphone, a camera, or a GPS device.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising activating the sensor.

22. The system of claim 16, further comprising setting the privacy indicator to an initial state.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the initial state indicates that the data generated by the sensor is not being stored in persistent storage or being transmitted to a remote entity.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein a privacy indicator is selected from the group consisting of:

a light, a LED, a system tray notice, an audible sound, and a tactile feedback.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of changing the state of the privacy indicator comprises modulating the power to a LED, causing it to blink.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein a command includes a sequence of known commands.

30. A method, comprising:

receiving a privacy mode;

receiving a command to access data generated by a sensor;

comparing the command to a library of known commands;

determining that the command does not match the library of known commands; and

based on the determination that the command does not match the library of known commands, preventing the command from accessing the sensor data.

31. A method comprising:

receiving a command to access data generated by a user;

determining that the command is associated with an application;

verifying a digital signature associated with the application;

determining that the digital signature is invalid based on the verifying the digital signature associated with the application;

determining that the command is not compatible with a privacy policy; and

based on the determination that the digital signature is invalid and that the command is not compatible with a privacy policy, changing the state of a privacy indicator.