Method for deactivating an image capturing device when present in a restricted or prohibited zone

• US 8,018,496 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rajesh Patel, Sanjeev Nath
• Original Assignee: Rajesh Patel, Sanjeev Nath
• Inventors: Patel, Rajesh, Nath, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pasiewicz; Daniel M
• Application Number:
  US12/505,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 34820799-2071, 348/207.11, 34821199-2112, 348/211.4, 348/211.6, 348/211.11, 455/456.4, 396/56
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• 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 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

The invention described is a method and system for preventing image capture and transmission in a restricted or prohibited zone.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring and detecting a presence of one or more image capturing devices having a wireless communication capability in an image-capturing restricted or prohibited zone;

scanning each of said one or more image capturing devices for a presence of;

an active profile, a silent profile, and an active image capturing application if the silent profile is activated; and

providing wirelessly a corresponding command signal generated based on results of said scanning to said each of said one or more image capturing devices having said wireless communication capability for deactivating image-capturing capabilities of said each of one or more image capturing devices by performing one or more of the following actions;

deactivating said active profile if found,

changing said active profile, if found, to a silent mode,

activating said silent profile if found, and

deactivating said active image capturing application if found.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering said each of said one or more image capturing devices detected during said monitoring and logging information related to said scanning and said deactivating in a database for said each of said one or more image capturing devices; and

restoring a status of said each of said one or more image capturing devices existed before said deactivating if said each of said one or more image capturing devices is no longer present within said restricted or prohibited zone using said information related to said scanning and said deactivating stored in the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of said one or more image capturing devices is a wireless communication device, a handheld wireless communication device, a cellular phone, a miniature camera phone, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a mobile computing device with a camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring, scanning and deactivating is provided using one or more of:

a wireless local area network protocol, a BLUETOOTH protocol, a radio frequency technology or an infrared technology.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring, detecting and scanning of said one or more image capturing devices is performed continuously over a pre-selected period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said restricted or prohibited zone is a zone wherein image capturing is prohibited.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said each of said one or more image capturing devices comprises a device employing a photography, a continuous mode of image capturing, video filming, or a video transmission.

8. An image capture detection system, comprising:

a controller, configured to provide corresponding signals with instructions or commands for;

monitoring and detecting a presence of one or more image capturing devices having a wireless communication capability in an image-capturing restricted or prohibited zone,

scanning each of said one or more image capturing devices for a presence of;

an active profile, a silent profile, and an active image capturing application if the silent profile is activated; and

deactivating image-capturing capabilities of said each of one or more image capturing devices by performing one or more of the following actions;

deactivating said active profile if found,

changing said active profile, if found, to a silent mode,

activating said silent profile if found, and

deactivating said active image capturing application if found; and

a communication unit, responsive to said corresponding signals with instructions or commands, configured to transmit and receive corresponding signals to implement said instructions and commands provided by said controller.

9. The image capture detection system of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory, configured to register said each of said one or more image capturing devices detected using said monitoring and to log information related to said scanning and said deactivating said image-capturing capabilities in a database for said each of said one or more image capturing devices; and

wherein said controller is configured to provide further instructions based on said information related to said scanning and said deactivating stored in the database for restoring a status of at least one image capturing device of said one or more image capturing devices existed before said deactivating if said at least one image capturing device of said one or more image capturing devices is no longer present within said restricted or prohibited zone,

and wherein said communication unit is configured to transmit wirelessly a further signal comprising said further instructions for implementing said restoring of said at least one image capturing device of said one or more image capturing devices.

10. The image capture detection system of claim 8, wherein said each of said one or more image capturing devices is a wireless communication device, a handheld wireless communication device, a cellular phone, a miniature camera phone, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a mobile computing device with a camera.

11. The image capture detection system of claim 8, wherein said monitoring, scanning and deactivating is provided using one or more of:

a wireless local area network protocol, a BLUETOOTH protocol, a radio frequency technology or an infrared technology.

12. The image capture detection system of claim 8, wherein said monitoring, detecting and scanning of said one or more image capturing devices is performed continuously over a pre-selected period of time.

13. The image capture detection system of claim 8, wherein said restricted or prohibited zone is a zone wherein image capturing is prohibited.

14. The image capture detection system of claim 8, wherein said each of said one or more image capturing devices comprises a device employing a photography, a continuous mode of image capturing, video filming, or a video transmission.

15. An image capturing device, comprising:

a camera configured to provide image-capturing capabilities;

a communication unit with a transceiver, configured, when said image capturing device is located in an image-capturing restricted or prohibited zone, to receive wirelessly a command signal for deactivating said image-capturing capabilities, wherein said command signal is provided by an image capture detection system as a result of performing;

monitoring and detecting a presence of said image capturing device in an image-capturing restricted or prohibited zone, and

scanning said image capturing device for a presence of;

an active profile, a silent profile, and an active image capturing application if the silent profile is activated; and

a controller, configured to perform said deactivating of said image-capturing capabilities of said image capturing device by performing, based on said command signal, one or more of the following actions;

deactivating said active profile if found,

changing said active profile, if found, to a silent mode,

activating said silent profile if found, and

deactivating said active image capturing application if found,

wherein said command signal is generated by said image capture detection system based on results of said scanning.

16. The image capturing device of claim 15, wherein said communication unit with a transceiver is further configured, when said image capturing device is no longer located in said image-capturing restricted or prohibited zone, to receive wirelessly a further command signal from said image capture detection system to restore a status of said image capturing device existed before said deactivating, and wherein said controller is further configured to restore said of said image capturing device existed before said deactivating.

17. The image capturing device of claim 15, wherein said monitoring, scanning and deactivating is provided using one or more of:

a wireless local area network protocol, a BLUETOOTH protocol, a radio frequency technology or an infrared technology.

18. The image capturing device of claim 15, wherein said monitoring, detecting and scanning of said one image capturing device is performed continuously over a pre-selected period of time.

19. The image capturing device of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to perform restoring a status of said image capturing device existed before said deactivating of said image-capturing capabilities when said image capturing device is no longer present within said restricted or prohibited zone upon receiving further instructions for said restoring by said communication unit.

20. The image capturing device of claim 15, wherein said camera is configured to employ a photography, a continuous mode of image capturing, video filming, or a video transmission.