Targeted obstrufication of an image

• US 8,126,190 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Mangione-Smith, William Henry, Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARIAM, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US11/701,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/118, 382/283, 348/208.14
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

Embodiments include a system, a device, an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product. An embodiment provides a device that includes an anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image. The device also includes a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an anonymization module disposed in the device operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received digital and/or analog image; and

a communications module disposed in the device operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy; and

a display module coupled to the anonymization module, the display module operable to display an indication of anonymization policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and prior to a capture of the received image.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image further includes:

an anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of at least one of a distinguishing part, aspect, and/or characteristic of a subject depicted in a received image.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image further includes:

an anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of at least one of a person, face, article, license plate, and/or label associated with a subject depicted in a received image.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image further includes:

an anonymization module operable to produce in response to an anonymization policy an anonymized image by causing a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject represented in a received digital signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module operable to produce an anonymized image by causing in response to an anonymization policy a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image further includes:

an anonymization module operable to produce an anonymized image by at least one of initiating, triggering, instigating, bringing about, and/or affecting a reduction in fidelity of a feature of a subject depicted in a received image in response to an anonymization policy.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy further includes:

a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy and receivable by a local image capture device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy further includes:

a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy and receivable by a remotely located image capture device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy further includes:

a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy and receivable by an anonymization indicator located at a location physically removed from the anonymization module.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy further includes:

a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy and receivable by a remotely located anonymization indicator that is coupled with an image capture system operable to capture and transmit the image.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy further includes:

a communications module operable to send a signal indicative of the anonymization policy and to receive the image depicting a subject.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a selector module operable to designate the anonymization policy.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies further includes:

a selector module operable to implement the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies further includes:

a selector module operable to designate the anonymization policy in response to at least one of a received human input, a selection received from an anonymization controller, and/or a selection algorithm.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies further includes:

a selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from a library of at least two anonymization policies.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies further includes:

a selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies, the selected policy persisting as the selected policy for a time.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module further includes a selector module operable to designate the anonymization policy.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the anonymization module further includes a selector module operable to choose the anonymization policy from at least two anonymization policies.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a digital storage media configurable by the anonymized image.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing device.

21. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing device that includes the anonymization module.

22. A method comprising:

obscuring a property of a subject depicted in a received image in response to a privacy policy;

and

displaying an indication of the privacy policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and prior to a capture of the received image; and

sending a signal indicative of the privacy policy to at least a human-perceivable display.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the obscuring a property of a subject depicted in a received image in response to a privacy policy further includes:

obscuring a person, article, object, face, license plate, and/or label of a subject depicted in a received image in response to a privacy policy.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the obscuring a property of a subject depicted in a received image in response to a privacy policy further includes:

obscuring a property of a subject depicted in a received digital, and/or analog image in response to a privacy policy.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the sending a signal indicative of the privacy policy further includes:

sending a signal indicative of the privacy policy and receivable by at least one of a remotely located image capture device, a privacy policy indicator at a location physically distant from the device, and/or a local privacy policy indicator.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying an indication of the privacy policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and prior to a capture of the received image.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving the image depicting the subject.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

saving digital data representative of the subject depicted in the received image with the property obscured in response to the privacy policy.

29. A device comprising:

means for obscuring in response to a privacy policy a property of a subject depicted in a received image;

means for displaying an indication of the privacy policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and near in time to a capture of the received image; and

means for sending a signal indicative of the privacy policy receivable by a human-perceivable display and means for displaying an indication of the privacy policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and prior to a capture of the received image.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the means for sending a signal indicative of the privacy policy receivable by a human-perceivable display include:

means for broadcasting the privacy policy.

31. The device of claim 29, further comprising:

means for saving digital data representative of the subject depicted in the received image with the property obscured in response to the privacy policy.

32. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium:

a) program instructions operable to perform a process via a computing device, the process comprising;

sending a signal indicative of a privacy policy receivable by at least a human-perceivable display;

obscuring a property of a subject depicted in a received image in response to the privacy policy; and

causing a displayed indication of the privacy policy perceivable by a human proximate to the subject and prior to a capture of the received image; and

b) a computer-readable signal bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the process further includes:

receiving the image depicting the subject.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the process further includes:

saving digital data representative of the subject depicted in the received image with the property obscured in response to the privacy policy.

35. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable signal bearing medium further includes:

a computer storage medium.