Video blurring in a secure environment

• US 9,083,850 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Higgs, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/931,857
• Time in Patent Office: 745 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 348/51, 348/217.1, 348/241, 348/586, 348/625, 348/14.07, 370/240, 382/103, 382/254, 382/255, 382/118, 382/181, 396/133, 600/175, 600/587, 713/176, 726/33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Methods and systems for video blurring in a secure environment are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving video at a video visitation device in a secure environment, adjusting a depth of field parameter for the video, such that an image of a first object at a first distance from the video visitation device is in focus and an image of a second object at a second distance from the video visitation device is blurred, and providing the video to a viewing device located outside of the secure environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving video at a video visitation device in a secure environment;

adjusting a depth of field parameter for the video, such that an image of a first object at a first distance from the video visitation device is in focus and an image of a second object at a second distance from the video visitation device is blurred; and

providing the video to a viewing device located outside of the secure environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the depth of field parameter further comprises adjusting an f-stop setting of a camera associated with the video visitation device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the f-stop setting further comprises adjusting a focal length of a lens coupled to the video visitation device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the f-stop setting further comprises adjusting an aperture setting of the camera associated with the video visitation device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the depth of field parameter further comprises processing the video received from the video visitation device in a video processing device to blur one or more objects at the second distance from the video visitation device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the depth of field parameter is remotely controllable by a third party.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the video to a second viewing device for security monitoring, the second viewing device being associated with a remote control device configured to allow a third party monitor to remotely control the depth of field parameter.

8. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer executable code that, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving video from a video visitation device in a secure environment;

storing the video received from the video visitation device in a data storage device;

adjusting a depth of field parameter for the video, such that an image of a first object at a first distance from the video visitation device is in focus and an image of a second object at a second distance from the video visitation device is blurred; and

providing the adjusted video to a viewing device located outside of the secure environment.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the depth of field parameter further comprises processing the video received from the video visitation device in a video processing device to blur one or more objects at the second distance from the video visitation device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the depth of field parameter is remotely controllable by a third-party monitor.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising providing the video to a second viewing device for security monitoring, the second viewing device being associated with a remote control device configured to allow the third-party monitor to remotely control the depth of field parameter.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing the video stored in the data storage device to an investigator in response to indicia from the third-party monitor.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising providing the video stored in the data storage device to an investigator in response to a request from the investigator.

14. A system, comprising:

a data communication device configured to receive video from a video visitation device in a secure environment;

a data storage device coupled to the data communication device and configured to store the video received from the video visitation device;

a data processor configured to adjust a depth of field parameter for the video, such that an image of a first object at a first distance from the video visitation device is in focus and an image of a second object at a second distance from the video visitation device is blurred; and

wherein the data communication device is configured to provide the video to a viewing device located outside of the secure environment.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a camera controller configured to adjust an f-stop setting of a camera associated with the video visitation device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the camera controller is controllable by a third-party to remotely adjust the f-stop setting.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the camera controller is further configured to adjust a focal length of a lens coupled to the video visitation device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the camera controller is further configured to adjust an aperture setting of the camera associated with the video visitation device.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second viewing device for security monitoring, the second viewing device being associated with a remote control device configured to allow a third-party to remotely control the depth of field parameter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the data communication device is further configured to provide the video stored in the data storage device to an investigator in response to indicia from the third-party.

21. The system of claim 14, further configured to provide the video stored in the data storage device to an investigator in response to a request from the investigator.