EXTERNAL RECORDING INDICATORS
Recording indicators for devices with cameras that provide protection from tampering so that the recording indicators cannot be easily disabled or masked. Recording indicators that are external to the camera lens and that emit visible light in an encrypted pattern are described. The device may process captured frames to detect the encrypted pattern; if the encrypted pattern cannot be detected, recording is disabled. In addition, modular accessories are described that the user has to attach to the device to enable recording; the presence of the modular attachment indicates to persons in the environment that they may be being recorded.
1 . A device, comprising:
a camera comprising:
an image sensor; and
a camera lens comprising one or more refractive lens elements configured to refract light received from an object field to form an image at an image plane at a surface of the image sensor; and
a recording indicator comprising one or more light sources arranged around the camera lens, wherein the recording indicator is configured to emit pulses of visible light towards the object field in an encrypted pattern;
a controller comprising one or more processors configured to:
process one or more video frames captured by the camera to detect the encrypted pattern formed by the light emitted from the recording indicator captured by the image sensor;
upon detecting the encrypted pattern in the one or more video frames, enable recording mode for the camera so that captured video can be recorded; and
upon not detecting the encrypted pattern in the one or more video frames, disable recording mode for the camera so that captured video cannot be recorded.
2 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitted by the recording indicator covers a field of view of the camera.
3 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the encrypted pattern is formed in the one or more video frames by reflected light from the object field captured by the image sensor.
4 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording indicator further emits the pulses of visible light in the encrypted pattern directly into the camera lens, and wherein the encrypted pattern is formed in the one or more video frames by the light from the recording indicator emitted into the camera lens and captured by the image sensor.
5 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording indicator is activated in response to a user of the device initiating recording by the camera.
6 . The device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to randomly select a different encrypted pattern each time recording is initiated by the user of the device.
7 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to remove the encrypted pattern from the video frames captured by the camera.
8 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to continuously process video frames captured by the camera to detect the encrypted pattern formed by the light emitted from the recording indicator when recording mode is enabled and when recording mode is disabled.
9 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more light sources are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
10 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile handheld device.
11 . The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device is a head-mounted device (HMD).
12 . The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising memory for storing the video frames captured by the camera when recording mode is enabled.
13 . A method, comprising:
emitting, by a recording indicator, pulses of visible light towards an object field in an encrypted pattern;
capturing, by a camera, video frames of the object field;
performing, by a controller comprising one or more processors:
processing one or more of the video frames captured by the camera to detect the encrypted pattern formed by the light emitted from the recording indicator;
upon detecting the encrypted pattern in the one or more video frames, enable recording mode for the camera so that captured video can be recorded; and
upon not detecting the encrypted pattern in the one or more video frames, disable recording mode for the camera so that captured video cannot be recorded.
14 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the encrypted pattern is formed in the one or more video frames by reflected light from the object field captured by the camera.
15 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the encrypted pattern is formed in the one or more video frames by light from the recording indicator emitted directly into a lens of the camera.
16 . The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising randomly selecting the encrypted pattern upon initiating recording for the camera.
17 . The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising removing the encrypted pattern from the video frames captured by the camera.
18 . The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising processing the video frames captured by the camera when recording mode is enabled and when recording mode is disabled.
19 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the recording indicator includes one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
20 . The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising storing the video frames captured by the camera to memory when recording mode is enabled.