IP Library Granted Patent US 11,250,144
Granted Patent B2
US 11,250,144 · App. 16/370,688 · Granted Feb 15, 2022

Apparatus, method, and program product for operating a display in privacy mode

Inventors: Koji Kawakita (Yokohama, JP); David W. Douglas (Cary, NC); Tin-Lup Wong (Chapel Hill, NC)
Assignee: LENOVO (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
G06F21/604G06F21/6245G06K9/00288G09G5/003G09G5/10G10L17/00G09G2320/068G09G2320/0626G09G2354/00G09G2358/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,250,144
App. No.
16/370,688
Granted
Feb 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and program products are disclosed for operating a display in privacy mode. One apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to detect an individual within an unauthorized zone in the field of view of a camera. The code is executable by the processor to operate a display in privacy mode in response to detecting the individual within the unauthorized zone. Methods and computer program products that perform the functions of the apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims (44)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor of an information handling device; and

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:

divide a field of view of a camera into one or more authorized zones and one or more unauthorized zones;

detect an individual within an unauthorized zone of the one or more unauthorized zones in the field of view of the camera; and

operate a display in privacy mode in response to detecting the individual within the unauthorized zone is not authorized to be in the unauthorized zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein detecting the individual comprises detecting a partial face of the individual within the unauthorized zone.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein detecting the partial face comprises detecting an eye of the individual within the unauthorized zone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more unauthorized zones comprise one or more areas in the field of view greater than a predetermined distance behind an authorized user.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more unauthorized zones comprise one or more of:

a first area in the field of view that is to a left of the authorized user;

a second area in the field of view that is to a right of the authorized user; and

a third area in the field of view that is above the authorized user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein operating the display in the privacy mode comprises narrowing a viewing angle of the display.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the viewing angle comprises an angle that is substantially perpendicular to a screen of the display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein operating the display in the privacy mode comprises reducing a brightness of a screen of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

determine that the individual is an authorized user; and

override operating display in the privacy mode in response to determining that the individual is authorized.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein determining that the individual is authorized comprises:

utilizing at least one of facial recognition and voice identification to identify the individual; and

determining that the individual is authorized based on the at least one of the facial recognition and the voice identification matching a corresponding at least one of a learned face and a learned voice for the individual.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the field of view comprises one of a full field of view and a partial field of view for the camera.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code is further executable by the processor to alert an authorized user in response to detecting the individual within the unauthorized zone.

13. A method, comprising:

dividing a field of view of a camera into one or more authorized zones and one or more unauthorized zones;

detecting, by a processor, an individual within an unauthorized zone of the one or more unauthorized zones in the field of view of a camera; and

operating a display in privacy mode in response to detecting the individual within the unauthorized zone is not authorized to be in the unauthorized zone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein detecting the individual comprises detecting a partial face of the individual within the unauthorized zone.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the unauthorized zone comprises one or more areas in the field of view greater than a predetermined distance behind an authorized user.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more unauthorized zones comprise one or more of:

a first area in the field of view that is to a left of the authorized user;

a second area in the field of view that is to a right of the authorized user; and

a third area in the field of view that is above the authorized user.

17. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

dividing a field of view of a camera into one or more authorized zones and one or more unauthorized zones;

detecting an individual within an unauthorized zone of the one or more unauthorized zones in the field of view of a camera; and

operating a display in privacy mode in response to detecting the individual within the unauthorized zone is not authorized to be in the unauthorized zone.

18. The program product of claim 17 , wherein the code to detect the individual comprises code to perform detecting a partial face of the individual within the unauthorized zone.

19. The program product of claim 17 , wherein the one or more unauthorized zones comprise one or more areas in the field of view greater than a predetermined distance behind an authorized user.

20. The program product of claim 19 , wherein the one or more unauthorized zones comprise one or more of:

a first area in the field of view that is to a left of the authorized user;

a second area in the field of view that is to a right of the authorized user; and

a third area in the field of view that is above the authorized user.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070269/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2019
From: KAWAKITA, KOJI; DOUGLAS, DAVID W.; WONG, TIN-LUP
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 048805/0005 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200311290A1 · Oct 1, 2020