Security feature for digital imaging

1. A method performed by a multimedia device, the method comprising:

capturing an image by a camera of the multimedia device;

encrypting an encryption region of the image, the encryption region being less than the whole region of the image;

maintaining a remaining region of the image unencrypted to provide a partially encrypted image;

adding information indicating an encryption technique used to encrypt the encryption region to the partially encrypted image;

storing the partially encrypted image;

transmitting the partially encrypted image to a server; and

discarding the image captured by the camera of the multimedia device,

wherein, in the encrypting, a password is activated by a user authentication, and

wherein the user authentication comprises at least one of a finger scan, a face recognition, pin code input, and a graphical pattern input via a touch display.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the partially encrypted image at the server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encryption region is selected by a system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the face recognition process comprises comparing the face recognized in the image with a set of faces predefined by the user or selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encryption region is determined by a face recognition process so that the encryption region covers a face recognized in the image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the encryption region comprises applying a steganography technique on the encryption region.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

determining a geographic position of the multimedia device; and

encrypting the encryption region if the geographic position is within a predetermined range.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the encryption region uses the password.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the added information includes a size of encryption region and a position of encryption region within the image.

10. A multimedia device comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image;

circuitry configured to

select an encryption region of the image, the encryption region being less than the whole region of the image; and

encrypt the selected encryption region while keeping a remaining region of the image unencrypted to provide a partially encrypted image;

add information indicating an encryption technique used to encrypt the encryption region to the partially encrypted image;

store the partially encrypted image; and

discard the image captured by the camera of the multimedia device; and

a communication interface configured to transmit the partially encrypted image to a server,

wherein, in the encrypting, a password is activated by a user authentication, and

wherein the user authentication comprises at least one of a finger scan, a face recognition, pin code input, and a graphical pattern input via a touch display.

11. The multimedia device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive an input selecting the encryption region.

12. The multimedia device of claim 10 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit the partially encrypted image to at least one of a cloud storage, a memory card, and an internal device memory.

13. The multimedia device of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is configured to recognize a face in the image and select a region of the image including the recognized face as the encryption region.

14. The multimedia device of claim 13 , wherein the circuitry is configured to compare a recognized face with a set of predetermined faces stored in a memory.

15. The multimedia device of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is configured to confirm the user's identity.

16. The multimedia device of claim 10 , wherein the multimedia device is one of a mobile phone, a digital camera, a digital video camera, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a TV set.