SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FINE-GRAINED CONTROL OF PRIVACY FROM IMAGE AND VIDEO RECORDING DEVICES

• US 20150296170A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: KOZLOSKI, JAMES R, PICKOVER, CLIFFORD A, FARRELL, ROBERT G
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91357 by modifying the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A system and method for fine-grained privacy control of image and video recordings uses a model-based approach to solve privacy issues. The method includes steps of: receiving a digital capture of a subject bound by privacy constraints; receiving information regarding the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints; using the information to generate a model image of the subject within the environment; associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image; and comparing the model image with the digital capture to determine coordinates in the recording where a privacy control action, such as a blocking action, should be applied.

Claims

1. A method for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording, said method comprising:

using a processor device, performing;

receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints;

receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints;

generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints;

associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject'"'"'s privacy constraints;

comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and

determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the coordinates to the recorder.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information comprises receiving data needed to predict an appearance of the subject from multiple angles.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy restriction varies according to pre-determined disposition parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of:

no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising performing a real-time comparison between the data needed to predict the appearance of the subject and the recording.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of:

sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the confidence level controls the privacy control action applied to the image.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the confidence level triggers a signal sent to a crowd-sourcing component.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy control action is selected from a group consisting of:

jamming, applying a low resolution, overlaying the image, encryption, introduction of noise, masking for partial transparency of information, and replacement of image.

11. An information processing system for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording, comprising:

a processor device; and

a memory operably coupled with the processor device, said memory comprising computer-executable instructions causing a computer to perform;

receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints;

receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints;

generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints;

associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject'"'"'s privacy constraints;

comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and

determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied.

12. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the recording is an audio recording.

13. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to perform:

applying the privacy control action to the recording.

14. The information processing system of claim 13 wherein applying the privacy control action comprises applying a data overlay to at least a portion of the subject in the recording.

15. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of:

no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit.

16. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause a computer to perform:

increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of;

sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data.

17. The information processing system of claim 16 wherein the confidence level controls the privacy control action applied to the recording.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with computer-executable instructions for providing privacy control for digital capture of a recording stored thereon, said computer-executable instructions comprising:

receiving the digital capture from a recorder, said digital capture comprising the recording of a subject within an environment, wherein said subject is bound by privacy constraints;

receiving information regarding the environment, the subject, and the privacy constraints;

generating a model image of the environment including the subject by applying the information about the subject, the environment, and the privacy constraints;

associating a disposition tag with an appearance of the subject in the model image, wherein said disposition tag references a privacy control action to take according to the subject'"'"'s privacy constraints;

comparing the model image with the digital capture of the recording; and

determining coordinates in the recording where the privacy control action is to be applied.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the privacy restriction comprises a restriction selected from a group consisting of:

no recording allowed, recording allowed but with payment, allowed resolution only, recording allowed at certain time of day, recording allowed with restrictions, and recording allowed only with credit

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause a computer to perform:

increasing a confidence level of the comparison through at least one action selected from a group consisting of;

sampling, smoothing the tagged area, increasing the tagged area, decreasing the tagged area, analysis of digital positioning data, and analysis of calendar data.