METHOD FOR SHARING DIGITAL PHOTOS SECURELY

• US 20150035999A1
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Shehane, Patrick, Zhang, Guanghua
• Application Number:
  US13/959,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20150035999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A method for sharing digital photos securely is presented. The method includes capturing image data using a digital camera system. It also includes encrypting the image data using an encryption key to produce encrypted image data. Further, it comprises storing metadata associated with the encrypting in at least one field within a file format, wherein the file format defines a structure for storing the encrypted image data, and wherein the at least one field is located within an extensible segment of the file format. Finally, it comprises transmitting the encrypted image data to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method for sharing digital images, said method comprising:

capturing image data using a digital camera system;

encrypting said image data using an encryption key to produce encrypted image data;

storing metadata associated with said encrypting in at least one field within a file format, wherein said file format defines a structure for storing said encrypted image data, and wherein said at least one field is located within an extensible segment of said file format; and

transmitting said encrypted image data to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said metadata is selected from a group consisting of:

an encryption key and said encryption flag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said file format is a modification to a file format selected from a group consisting of:

JFIF, EXIF, TIFF, PNG, and GIF.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an image represented by said encrypted image data within a user interface, wherein said user interface comprises an option to display a status of encryption based on said metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one type of metadata is an encryption flag, and wherein said encryption flag is set based on a user specified criterion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said encrypting may be performed in accordance with a public key cryptographic procedure, wherein said public key cryptographic procedure may be selected from a group comprising:

public key distribution system;

shared secrets;

digital signature system and public key cryptosystem.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said encrypting may be performed in accordance with a cryptographic certificate system, wherein said cryptographic certificate system uses a secure certificate system selected from a group consisting of:

X.509;

RSA;

ECC and Diffie-Helman.

8. A method for decoding an image, said method comprising:

receiving image data representing an image, said image data received from a transmitter, wherein said image data comprises a file format with an extensible segment, and wherein said extensible segment comprises at least one field for storing metadata associated with an encryption of said image data; and

determining if said image data is encrypted;

responsive to a determination that said image data is encrypted, decrypting said image data using a decryption key.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying said image using a protected mode, wherein said protected mode protects the memory addresses in which said image data is stored to prevent a user from accessing said memory addresses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said protected mode precludes users from accessing a plurality of functions on a receiving device, wherein said functions are selected from a group consisting of:

saving image;

capturing a screen shot of said image;

sharing said image through email;

sharing said image through text;

sharing said image through a social networking site; and

printing said image.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said metadata is selected from a group consisting of:

an encryption key and said encryption flag.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said file format is a modification to a file format selected from a group consisting of:

JFIF, EXIF, TIFF, PNG, and GIF.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one type of metadata is an encryption flag, and wherein said encryption flag is set based on a user specified criterion.

14. An apparatus for sharing digital images, said apparatus comprising:

a display screen configured to display an image;

a memory;

a transmitter module;

a digital camera system;

a processor configured to;

capture image data representing said image using said digital camera system;

encrypt said image data using an encryption key to produce encrypted image data;

store metadata associated with said encrypt operation in at least one field within a file format, wherein said file format defines a structure for storing said encrypted image data, and wherein said at least one field is located within an extensible segment of said file format; and

transmit said encrypted image data to a recipient.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said metadata is selected from a group consisting of:

an encryption key and said encryption flag.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said file format is a modification to a file format selected from a group consisting of:

JFIF, EXIF, TIFF, PNG, and GIF.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one type of metadata is an encryption flag, and wherein said encryption flag is set based on a user specified criterion.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said encrypting may be performed in accordance with a public key cryptographic procedure, wherein said public key cryptographic procedure may be selected from a group comprising:

public key distribution system;

shared secrets;

digital signature system and public key cryptosystem.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said encrypting may be performed in accordance with a cryptographic certificate system, wherein said cryptographic certificate system uses a secure certificate system selected from a group consisting of:

X.509;

RSA;

ECC and Diffie-Helman.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to display said image within a user interface on said display screen, wherein said user interface comprises an option to display a status of encrypt operation based on said metadata.