Limiting storage or transmission of visual information using optical character recognition

• US 7,092,568 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eaton, Eric T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US10/292,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/173, 382/176, 382/177, 382/276, 382/282, 382/299, 382/306, 382/135, 382/309, 399/366, 358/1.14
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00864 Modifying the reproduction, e.g. outputting a modified copy of a scanned original details of composing or otherwise geometrically modifying originals H04N1/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00872 by image quality reduction, e.g. distortion or blacking out

Abstract

A method carried out at a device (700), of limiting visual information that can be stored or transmitted captures a visual image (408). Whenever a control signal is detected (412) at the device (700), an optical symbol recognition of the image is performed. The method further includes comparing symbols generated by the optical symbol recognition routine to one or more predetermined symbols. When a symbol match to one or more predetermined symbols is generated, at least a portion of the visual image (408) is obscured.

Claims

1. A method carried out at a user device, of limiting visual information that can be stored or transmitted using a transmitter, comprising:

capturing a visual image;

detecting a control signal at the user device, the control signal being indicative that the user device is at a location ib which imaging is restricted;

responsive to receiving the control signal performing an optical symbol recognition routine on the image,

comparing symbols generated by the optical symbol recognition routine to a predetermined set of symbols, and

responsive to a symbol match generated by the optical symbol recognition in the image to one or more predetermined symbols, obscuring at least a portion of the visual image to produce an obscured visual image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a manual code entry.

3. The method according to claim 1, where the control signal comprises a preprogrammed setting.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the obscured visual image.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the obscured visual image.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the visual image comprises a still image.

7. The method in according to claim 1, wherein the visual image comprises a moving video image.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obscuring comprises reducing resolution of at least a portion of the visual image to produce the obscured visual image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obscuring comprises one of blurring and distorting a portion of the image.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obscuring comprises:

detecting confidential symbols; and

reducing resolution of at least a portion of the visual image to produce the obscured visual image.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obscuring comprises replacing at least a portion of the visual image with a substitute image to produce the obscured visual image.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the substitute image includes a warning message of confidentiality of the document.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical symbol recognition is Matrix Matching.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical symbol recognition is Feature Extraction.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a user parameter, and wherein the obscuring is carried out if required by the user parameter.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user parameter comprises at least one of a user location, user connectivity to particular network or network node, assigned rights, user ID and a user profile.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal controls the image coding of images for all wireless protocols and image storage formats supported by the transmitter.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the visual image to a network service provider, and wherein the obscuring is carried out by the network service provider.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a wireless signal received at the transmitter.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a manual code entry.

21. The method according to claim 1, where the control signal comprises a preprogrammed setting in the device.

23. The method according to claim 1, farther comprising sending a notification message that a confidential message has been wrongfully copied and attempted to be transmitted.

24. The method according to claim 23, where the notification message contains sender ID, level of security, location, and document ID.

22. A method carried out at a device having a transmitter, of limiting visual information that can be stored or transmitted using the transmitter, comprising:

capturing a visual image;

detecting a control signal at the user device, the control signal being indicative that the user device is at a location in which imaging is restricted;

responsive to receiving the control signal performing an optical symbol recognition routine on the image,

comparing symbols generated by the optical symbol recognition routine to a one or more predetermined symbols,

responsive to a symbol match generated by the optical symbol recognition in the image to one or more predetermined symbols, obscuring at least a portion of the visual image to produce an obscured visual image, and

transmitting the obscured visual image.

25. An apparatus for capture and storage or transmission of a visual image, comprising:

an image capture transducer that captures a visual image;

a means for Optical Character Recognition;

an encoder receiving an output of the image capture transducer;

means for receiving a control signal indicative that the user device is at a location in which imaging is restricted

means for receiving a control signal that determines how a captured image is to be encoded; and

an image coding control that controls the encoding of the visual image at the encoder based upon the control signal such that at least a portion of the image can be selectively obscured under control of the control signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a memory for storing the image that is selectively obscured.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the image that is selectively obscured.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for receiving comprises a receiver that receives a wireless transmission of the control signal.