DIGITAL MEDIA PRIVACY PROTECTION

• US 20140196152A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Ur, Shmuel, Margalit, Mordehai
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification

Abstract

In one example of digital media privacy protection, a computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute operations including capturing at least one image file, obfuscating at least all facial images included in the captured image file, comparing all facial images included in the captured image file against a locally stored privacy policy, unobfuscating those of the facial images included in the captured image file for which the comparison against the locally stored privacy policy results in a positive match, and rendering the captured image file.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute operations comprising:

capturing at least one image file;

obfuscating at least all facial images included in the captured image file;

comparing all facial images included in the captured image file against a locally stored privacy policy that includes one or more of names, permissions, or one or more distinguishing characteristics for at least one person who has provided conditions upon which a captured image therefore may be rendered;

unobfuscating those of the facial images included in the captured image file for which the comparison against the locally stored privacy policy results in a positive match; and

rendering the captured image file.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium is hosted on an image capturing device.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the image file includes a digital photograph.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the image file includes a digital video file.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the locally stored privacy policy is stored on a same image capturing device on which the computer-readable medium is hosted.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the locally stored privacy policy includes one or more of names, permissions, or one or more distinguishing characteristics for at least one person for whom at least a facial image is recognizable by an image capturing device on which the computer-readable medium is hosted.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the locally stored privacy policy is dynamic.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the locally stored privacy policy is updated by a remote server.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the permissions included in the locally stored privacy policy include conditions under which an image for a particular person may be rendered by an image capturing device on which the computer-readable medium is hosted.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the conditions include a geographical location.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the conditions include a time setting.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the operation to render the captured image file includes removing a restriction configured to prevent the captured image file from being stored.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the operation to render the captured image file includes removing a restriction configured to prevent the captured image file from being transmitted to another device or storage medium.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the operation to render the captured image file includes removing a restriction configured to prevent the captured image file from being uploaded to a cloud-based networking entity.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the operation to obfuscate includes obfuscating predetermined objects.

6. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. An image capturing device, comprising:

an image capturing component configured to capture at least one image file;

a policy component configured to at least host an instance of a dynamic privacy policy that identifies at least one of a facial image for one or more individuals who have consented to being identifiable in captured media or permissions for one or more individuals who have consented to being identifiable in captured media, and that includes one or more of names, permissions, or one or more distinguishing characteristics for the one or more individuals who have consented to being identifiable in captured media;

a facial recognition component configured to compare each facial image included in the captured image file against the privacy policy; and

an image rendering component configured to render the captured image file with all facial images included therein obfuscated but for those of the individuals whose consent is included in the privacy policy.

24. The image-capturing device according to claim 23, wherein the image capturing device is capable of capturing digital photographs and digital video files.

25. The image-capturing device according to claim 23, wherein the dynamic privacy policy is hosted locally.

26. The image-capturing device according to claim 23, wherein the dynamic privacy policy is hosted on a remote server.

28. The image-capturing device according to claim 23, wherein the dynamic privacy policy further includes conditions under which an image for the one or more consenting individuals may be rendered by the image capturing device.

29. The image-capturing device according to claim 28, wherein the conditions include at least one of location or time.

27. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. A method, comprising:

capturing a digital image;

blurring facial images included in the digital image for those subjects for whom permission to publish a corresponding facial image is not included in a locally accessible privacy policy that includes one or more of names, permissions, or one or more distinguishing characteristics for one or more potential subjects for whom an image may be captured in a present context; and

rendering the captured image file.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the rendering the captured image file includes storing the captured image file.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the rendering the captured image file includes publishing the captured image file.

35. (canceled)