METHOD OF SECURING IMAGE DATA AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE ADAPTED TO THE SAME

• US 20160140350A1
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWON, Jaehwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,216,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

An electronic device and method is disclosed herein. The electronic device may include a memory configured to store image data including at least one object, user identification information, and a specific object mapped to the user identification information, and a processor. The processor may execute the method, including extracting an object from the image data, determining whether the extracted object matches the specific object, if the extracted object matches the specific object, encrypting the image data using the user identification information mapped to the specific object as an encryption key, and storing the encrypted image data in the memory.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a memory configured to store image data including at least one object, user identification information, and a specific object mapped to the user identification information; and

at least one processor configured to;

extract an object from the image data,

determine whether the extracted object matches the specific object,

if the extracted object matches the specific object, encrypt the image data using the user identification information mapped to the specific object as an encryption key, and

store the encrypted image data in the memory.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the specific object comprises a facial image stored in the memory and the user identification information comprises a phone number, and

the phone number is mapped to the facial image and stored in the memory.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to encrypt the image data with a mosaic effect or to cause a message window to be displayed indicating that the image data is not displayable.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to when two or more user identification information items are mapped to the specific object, control the display to display a request for an input selecting one of the two or more user identification information items.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display a request for an input of user identification information matching the user identification information mapped to the specific object.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera module,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to capture the image data via the camera module, and store the captured image data in the memory.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the image data from an external electronic device or a server through the communication interface.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user identification information is tagged to Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) information for the stored image data, or stored as metadata of the stored image data.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user identification information is processed with security.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory configured to store encrypted image data,

a display; and

at least one processor configured to;

compare an encryption key retrieved from the encrypted image data with user identification information of the electronic device,

decrypt the encrypted image data when the encryption matches the user identification information, and

controlling the display to display the decrypted image data.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display the encrypted image data when he encryption key does not match the user identification information.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card,

wherein the encryption key retrieved from the encrypted image data is a phone number of the electronic device; and

the user identification information is a phone number retrieved from the SIM card.

13. A method in an electronic device, comprising:

retrieving image data and extracting via a processor an object from the image data;

determining whether the extracted object matches a specific object mapped to a user identification information and stored in the electronic device;

when the extracted object matches the specific object, encrypting the image data using the user identification information as an encryption key; and

storing the encrypted image data in a memory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the specific object comprises a facial image stored in the memory and the user identification information comprises a phone number, and the phone number is mapped to the facial image and stored in the memory.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein encrypting the image data comprises:

encrypting the image data with a mosaic effect or to cause a message window to be displayed indicating that the image data is not displayable.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein encrypting the image data comprises:

when two or more user identification information items are mapped to the specific object, displaying a request for an input selecting one of the two or more user identification information items.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of the following:

processing the user identification information with security and tagging the processed user identification information to Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) information of the image data; and

processing the user identification information with security and storing the processed user identification information in the image data as metadata.

18. A method in an electronic device, comprising:

retrieving encrypted image data;

comparing an encryption key retrieved from the encrypted image data with user identification information of the electronic device; and

decrypting the encrypted image data when the encryption key retrieved from the encrypted image data matches the user identification information, and

displaying the decrypted image data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying the encrypted image data on a display when the encryption does not match the user identification information.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the encryption key retrieved from the encrypted image data is a phone number of the electronic device; and

the user identification information is a phone number retrieved from a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card of the electronic device.