IP Library Granted Patent US 11,587,206
Granted Patent B2
US 11,587,206 · App. 16/817,673 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Automated obscurity for digital imaging

Inventors: Moo-Ryong Ra (Bridgewater, NJ); Seungjoon Lee (Basking Ridge, NJ); Emiliano Miluzzo (Madison, NJ); Eric Zavesky (Austin, TX)
Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA CORPORATION
G06T5/002G06F16/51G06K9/6201G06K9/6215G06K9/6247G06T7/20G06T7/73G06T11/60G06V10/40G06V10/42G06V40/166G06V40/168G06V40/169G06V40/172G06T2207/30201G06T2207/30241
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,587,206
App. No.
16/817,673
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Obfuscating a human or other subject in digital media preserves privacy. A user of a smartphone, for example, may enable a flag for obscuring her face in digital photos or movies. When any device captures digital media, the user's smartphone transmits the flag for receipt. The device capturing the digital media is thus informed of the user's desire to obscure her face or even entire image. The device capturing the digital media may thus perform an obscuration in response to the flag.

Claims (37)

1. A method, comprising:

broadcasting, by a mobile device, a capture flag indicating an intent to capture a digital image prior to capturing the digital image to a nearby different mobile device;

requesting, by the mobile device, the nearby different mobile device to record motion information of a subject of the digital image;

receiving, by the mobile device, a do not capture flag, comprising the motion information, from the nearby different mobile device, the do not capture flag requesting an obfuscation in the digital image;

capturing, by the mobile device, the digital image; and

in response to the do not capture flag, obfuscating, by the mobile device, at least a portion of the digital image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an information specifying the portion of the digital image.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising blurring the portion of the digital image.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising blocking the portion of the digital image.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising altering at least one pixel that corresponds to the portion of the digital image.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising blackening at least one pixel that corresponds to the portion of the digital image.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the portion of the digital image.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

broadcasting a capture flag indicating an intent to capture a digital image prior to capturing the digital image to a nearby mobile device;

requesting the nearby mobile device to record motion information of a subject of the digital image;

receiving a do not capture flag, comprising the motion information, from the nearby mobile device, the do not capture flag requesting an obfuscation of a face in the digital image;

capturing the digital image; and

in response to the do not capture flag from the nearby mobile device, obfuscating the face in the digital image.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a facial feature that corresponds to the face in the digital image.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise matching the facial feature to the digital image.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a motion associated with the face in the digital image.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise matching the motion to the digital image.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting the face in the digital image.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise associating the nearby mobile device to the face in the digital image.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

broadcasting a capture flag indicating an intent to capture a digital image prior to capturing the digital image to a nearby mobile device;

requesting the nearby mobile device to record motion information of a subject of the digital image;

receiving a do not capture flag, comprising the motion information, from the nearby mobile device, the do not capture flag requesting an obfuscation of a face in the digital image;

capturing the digital image; and

in response to the do not capture flag from the nearby mobile device, obfuscating the face in the digital image.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a facial feature that corresponds to the face in the digital image.

17. The memory device of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise matching the facial feature to the digital image.

18. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a motion associated with the face in the digital image.

19. The memory device of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise matching the motion to the digital image.

20. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting the face in the digital image.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2021
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058135/0446 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE FOR THE FOURTH ASSIGNOR PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 052123 FRAME: 0604. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 16, 2021
From: RA, MOO-RYONG; LEE, SEUNGJOON; MILUZZO, EMILIANO; ZAVESKY, ERIC
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 057192/0924 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2020
From: RA, MOO-RYONG; LEE, SEUNGJOON; MILUZZO, EMILIANO; ZAVESKY, ERIC
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052123/0604 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15587440 · May 5, 2017
Continuation 14334157 · Jul 17, 2014
Related Publication 20200211162A1 · Jul 2, 2020