Content protection using automatically selectable display surfaces

• US 8,539,560 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Angaluri, Srihari V., Cudak, Gary D., Hardee, Christopher J., Humes, Randall C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/822,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110321143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/6, 726/21, 726/27, 726/28, 715/781, 715/803, 434/314
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for protecting content by automatically identifying a display surface viewable only to authorized users and displaying protected content on the identified display surface. In one example embodiment, content is displayed on a first display surface in viewable range of a first user authorized to view the content. The entrance of a second user into viewable range of the first display surface is detected, and automatically determined to be unauthorized to view the content. A second display surface in viewable range of the first user but not viewable by the second user is automatically identified in response to detecting the entrance of the second, unauthorized user into viewable range of the first display surface. The display of the content is automatically moved from the first display surface to the second display surface to prevent the content from being viewed by the unauthorized user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a sensor detecting an eye position and a head position for each of a first user and a second user;

displaying content on a first display surface in line of sight of the first user authorized to view the content;

determining, using the detected eye position and head position of the second user, whether the second user is in line of sight of the first display surface and automatically determining whether the second user is authorized to view the content;

identifying, using the detected eye position and head position for each of the first user and the second user, a second display surface in line of sight of the first user but not in line of sight of the second user; and

automatically moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface in response to determining the second user is in line of sight of the first display surface and is unauthorized to view the displayed content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

remotely sensing user biometric data and user location data of the second user in response to detecting the entrance of the second user into line of sight of the first display surface; and

analyzing the biometric data from the second user to determine whether the second user is unauthorized to view the content; and

analyzing the user location data from the second user to determine whether the second user is within line of sight of the second display surface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a biometric template specific to one or more users, the biometric template containing biometric data uniquely identifying the user; and

subsequently comparing the sensed user biometric data to the biometric template to determine if the second user is authorized to view the content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a second display surface in line of sight of the first user but not in line of sight of the second user further comprises:

scanning a room to identify one or more candidate display surface that is not predefined, and which is in line of sight of the first user but not in line of sight of the second user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating an electromagnetic beam to generate reflections off each of the one or more candidate display surface;

analyzing the reflections of the electromagnetic beam to obtain surface data of each of the one or more candidate display surface; and

selecting the second display surface from the one or more candidate display surface according to the surface data obtained.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of analyzing the reflections of the electromagnetic beam to obtain surface data further comprises:

electronically evaluating a surface roughness, color, reflectivity, or combination thereof, to determine the suitability of the candidate display surface for displaying a projected image of the content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a size of an image of the content to be projected, without first projecting the image onto the candidate display surface, to determine a candidate display surface that is large enough for displaying an entire projected image of the content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content on a first display surface comprises projecting an image of the content onto the first display surface, and moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises projecting the image of the content away from the first display surface and onto the second display surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein projecting the image of the content away from the first display surface and onto the second display surface comprises moving a moveable projector lens from a first position directed at the first display surface to a second position directed at the second display surface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein projecting an image of the content onto the first display surface comprises projecting the image of the content using a first projector lens aimed at the first display surface, and moving the display of the content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises projecting the image of the content using a second projector lens aimed at the second display surface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying content on a first display surface comprises displaying the content on a first fixed-position video display defining the first display surface and wherein the step of moving the displayed content from the first display surface to the second display surface comprises displaying the content on a second fixed-position video display defining the second display surface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a second display surface in line of sight of the first user but not in line of sight of the second user comprises remotely sensing a candidate second display surface spaced from the first display surface and analyzing the position of the candidate second display surface and the location of the second user to determine if the second user is in line of sight of the candidate second display surface.

13. A protected content display system, comprising:

a plurality of different display surfaces at different positions within a defined area;

a display device configured for selectively displaying content on any of the different display surfaces; and

a controller configured for detecting the entrance of a user into the defined area, detecting an eve position and a head position of the user, determining the authorization of the user to view the content, and controlling the display device to move the display of the content from a first display surface in line of sight of the user to a second display surface not in line of sight of the user in response to determining the user is unauthorized to view the content.

14. The protected content display system of claim 13, wherein the display device comprises:

a projector configured for selectively aiming and focusing at any of the different display surfaces.

15. The protected content display system of claim 13, wherein the display device comprises:

a plurality of fixed-position video display, each video display having a self-contained image generator for internally generating the image to be displayed.

16. The protected content display system of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises:

a biometric database containing one or more biometric templates, each biometric template containing biometric data specific to a different user;

a biometric sensor configured for remotely sensing one or more biometric parameters of the user; and

an authenticator for comparing the remotely sensed biometric parameters of the user to the biometric templates to determine if the user is authorized to view the displayed content.

17. The protected content display system of claim 13, further comprising:

a surface data sensor in communication, with the controller and configure for generating an electromagnetic beam to generate reflections off each of the one or more candidate display surface, analyzing the reflections of the electromagnetic beam to obtain surface data of each of the one or more candidate display surface, and control logic on the controller to determine the suitability of each candidate display surface for displaying a projected image of the content.