Apparatus, system, and method of preventing leakage of information

• US 8,614,733 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Yoshinaga
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/034,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.05, 348/14.08, 381/56, 381/92, 381/119, 381/306, 455/416, 600/559, 707/770, 370/216, 370/352, 379/202.01, 379/220.01, 705/7.38, 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

When a communication terminal determines that restriction processing is to be applied based on a sound input through the communication terminal or a user instruction, the communication terminal restricts output of conference information received from a counterpart terminal.

Claims

1. A communication terminal, comprising:

a data receiver to receive conference information for a communication conference from a counterpart terminal through a network;

an analyzer to analyze a sound input through the communication terminal to generate an analysis result;

a determiner to determine whether a restriction on the communication conference is to be applied at the communication terminal based on whether the analysis result indicates whether there is a person present who is not a participant in the communication conference; and

a restrictor to restrict output of the conference information through the communication terminal when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a state manger to generate a message indicating that the restriction is applied at the communication terminal when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied, and send the message to the counterpart terminal through the network.

3. The communication terminal of claim 2, further comprising:

an operation input to receive a user instruction from a user at the communication terminal, wherein

the determiner further determines that the restriction is to be stopped at the communication terminal when the user instruction instructs that the restriction is to be stopped, and

the state manager further generates a message indicating that the restriction is stopped at the communication terminal when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be stopped, and sends the message to the counterpart terminal through the network.

4. The communication terminal of claim 3, further comprising:

a display control to cause a display device to display the conference information received from the counterpart terminal, wherein

the restrictor causes the display control to change the display of at least a portion of the conference information being displayed by the display device when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied.

5. The communication terminal of claim 4, further comprising:

a sound controller to cause a speaker to output the conference information received from the counterpart terminal, wherein

the restrictor causes the sound control to change the output level of the conference information when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied.

6. The communication terminal of claim 5, wherein:

the analyzer compares the input sound with a voice of the user at the communication terminal to generate the analysis result, and

the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied at the communication terminal when the analysis result indicates that the input sound does not match the voice of the user at the communication terminal.

7. The communication terminal of claim 6, wherein:

the analyzer further compares the input sound with a specific sound that is expected to be generated when a third person is present at the place where the communication terminal is located, and

the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied at the communication terminal when the analysis result indicates that the input sound matches the specific sound that is expected.

8. A communication system, comprising:

a communication terminal; and

a counterpart terminal configured to connect to the communication terminal through a network, wherein

the communication terminal includes;

a data receiver to receive conference information from the counterpart terminal through the network;

an analyzer to analyze a sound input through the communication terminal to generate an analysis result;

a determiner to determine whether a restriction on the communication conference is to be applied at the communication terminal based on whether the analysis result indicates whether there is a person present who is not a participant in the communication conference;

a restrictor to restrict output of the conference information through the communication terminal when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied; and

a processor to generate a message indicating that restriction processing is applied at the communication terminal when the determiner determines that the restriction is to be applied, and send the message to the counterpart terminal through the network, and

the counterpart terminal includes;

a processor to cause an output device to output information indicating that the restriction is applied at the communication terminal based on the message received from the communication terminal.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein:

the communication terminal further includes an operation input to receive a user instruction from a user at the communication terminal,

the determiner of the communication terminal further determines that the restriction is to be stopped at the communication terminal when the user instruction instructs that the restriction is to be stopped,

the processor of the communication terminal further generates a message indicating that restriction processing is stopped at the communication terminal when the determiner determines that restriction processing is to be stopped, and sends the message to the counterpart terminal through the network, and

the processor of the counterpart terminal further causes the output device to stop output of the information indicating that the restriction is applied at the communication terminal based on the message received from the communication terminal.

10. The communication system of claim 9, further comprising:

a communication management system to manage information regarding the communication terminal and the counterpart terminal, wherein

the communication terminal sends the message to the counterpart terminal via the communication management system.

11. A method of controlling conference information received from a counterpart terminal, performed by a communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving conference information for a communication conference from the counterpart terminal through a network;

analyzing a sound input through the communication terminal to generate an analysis result;

determining whether a restriction is to be applied at the communication terminal based on whether the analysis result indicates whether there is a person present who is not a participant in the communication conference; and

restricting output of the conference information through the communication terminal when the determining determines that the restriction is to be applied.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a message indicating that the restriction is applied at the communication terminal when the determining determines that the restriction is to be applied; and

sending the message indicating that the restriction is applied to the counterpart terminal through the network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a user instruction from a user at the communication terminal;

determining the restriction is to be stopped at the communication terminal when the user instruction instructs that the restriction is to be stopped;

generating a message indicating that the restriction is stopped at the communication terminal when the determining of whether the restriction is to be stopped determines that the restriction is to be stopped; and

sending the message indicating that the restriction is stopped to the counterpart terminal through the network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying, through a display device, the conference information received from the counterpart terminal; and

changing the display of at least a portion of the conference information being displayed by the display device when the determining of whether the restriction is to be applied determines that the restriction is to be applied.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

outputting, through a speaker, the conference information received from the counterpart terminal; and

changing the output level of the conference information when the determining of whether the restriction is to be applied determines that the restriction is to be applied.