Image processing to prevent access to private information

1. A method comprising:

receiving original image data obtained based on monitoring a retail environment, the original image data capturing at least private information and occurrence of activity in the retail environment;

applying at least one transform to the original image data to produce transformed image data, application of the at least one transform sufficiently distorting portions of the original image data to remove the private information, the transformed image data including the distorted portions to prevent access to the private information, the distorted portions retaining sufficient image detail from the original image data to discern occurrence of the activity in the retail environment; and

wherein application of the least one transform highlights presence of edges in the original image data and distorts regions of the original image data lacking presence of edges.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein applying the at least one transform includes:

indiscriminately applying the at least one transform to the original image data without regard to objects represented in the original image data.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting occurrence of movement captured in the original image data; and

distorting the portions in the original image data representing the movement.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying at least one moving object captured in the original image data; and

applying the at least one transform to regions of the image data representing the identified at least one moving object, application of the at least one transform distorting settings of picture elements representing the at least one moving object.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein applying the at least one transform includes:

applying a first image processing transform to the original image data to produce first transformed image data; and

applying a second image processing transform to the original image data to produce second transformed image data;

creating the transformed image data based on a combination of the first transformed image data and the second transformed image information.

6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein creating the transformed image data further comprises:

producing weighted contributions from each of the first transformed image data and the second transformed image data, magnitudes of the weighted contributions depending on picture element settings in at least one of the first transformed image data and the second transformed image data; and

combining the weighted contributions to produce the transformed image data.

7. The method as in claim 6 , wherein application of the first image processing transform modifies the original image data to produce first transformed image data; and

wherein application of the second image processing transform highlights presence of edges between objects in the original image data to produce second transformed image data.

8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein applying the at least one transform includes:

applying a first image processing transform to the original image data to produce first transformed image data; and

applying a second image processing transform to the first transformed image data to produce the transformed image data.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

applying the at least one transform to substantially all of the original image data to produce the transformed image data.

10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

tracking movement of objects in the original image data; and

selectively applying the at least one transform to picture elements in the original image data representing the moving objects to produce the transformed image data.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the original image data to detect at least one face; and

selectively applying the at least one transform to picture elements representing the at least one face in the original image data to produce the transformed image data.

12. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the original image data to detect presence of at least one object in the retail environment; and

selectively applying the at least one transform to picture elements representing the at least one object in the original image data to produce the transformed image data.

13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein applying at least one transform includes:

on a first pass transformation, indiscriminately applying a first transformation algorithm to a first region of the original image data;

on a second pass transformation, selectively applying a second transform algorithm to a second region of the original image data, the second region being smaller in size than the first region and residing within the first region; and

producing the transformed image data based on a combination of the first pass transformation and the second pass transformation.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the first transform algorithm distorts the images in the image data to a lesser degree than does the second transform algorithm.

15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the first transform algorithm is the same as the second transform algorithm applied with different strength, where the first transform is applied with lesser strength than the second transform.

16. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the first transform algorithm is of a different type than the second transform algorithm.

17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein applying at least one transform includes:

identifying a region of interest in the original image data;

on a first pass transformation, applying a first transformation algorithm to a region larger than the region of interest in the original image data to produce first transform information;

on a second pass transformation, applying a second transform algorithm to a location in the first transform information corresponding to the region of interest to produce the transformed image data.

18. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one transform is an invertible transform enabling conversion of the transformed image data back into the original image data via application of supplemental information to the transformed image data.

19. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

generating the transformed image data as a first data stream, the first data stream being an unsecured data stream; and

generating a second data stream as a secured data stream requiring authorization to access.

20. The method as in claim 19 , wherein the second data stream enables conversion of the first data stream into the original image data.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the second data stream includes difference information indicating differences in picture element settings between the original image data and the transformed image data.

22. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the second data stream includes parameters related to the at least one transform.

23. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting the first data stream in a separate channel than the second data stream.

24. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

applying at least one compression algorithm to the second data stream, the at least one compression algorithm selected from the group consisting of:

i) run length encoding of pixel delta,

ii) Huffman/Zip-like compression of pixel deltas,

iii) image processing parameter-based encoding.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to perform the operations of:

receiving original image data obtained based on monitoring a retail environment, the original image data capturing at least private information and occurrence of activity in the retail environment;

applying at least one transform to the original image data to produce transformed image data, application of the at least one transform sufficiently distorting portions of the original image data to remove the private information, the transformed image data including the distorted portions to prevent access to the private information, the distorted portions including sufficient image detail to discern occurrence of the activity in the retail environment; and

wherein application of the at least one transform highlights presence of edges in the original image data and distorts regions of the original image data lacking presence of edges.

26. A system comprising:

at least one processor device;

a storage resource that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the at least one processor device; and

an interconnect coupling the at least one processor device and the storage resource, the at least one processor device executing the application and performing operations of:

receiving original image data obtained based on monitoring a retail environment, the original image data capturing at least private information and occurrence of activity in the retail environment;

applying at least one transform to the original image data to produce transformed image data, application of the at least one transform sufficiently distorting portions of the original image data to remove the private information, the transformed image data including the distorted portions to prevent access to the private information, the distorted portions including sufficient image detail to discern occurrence of the activity in the retail environment; and

wherein application of the at least one transform highlights presence of edges in the original image data and distorts regions of the original image data lacking presence of edges.