IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,027,850
Granted Patent B2
US 10,027,850 · App. 15/132,606 · Granted Jul 17, 2018

Securing image data detected by an electronic device

Inventors: Sean Vandeweerd (Etobicoke, CA); Sanjay Nathwani (Mississauga, CA); Kian Marandi (Toronto, CA)
Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
H04N1/4433G06F21/44G06F21/645G06T1/0085H04N1/2137H04N1/32352H04N1/444H04N1/4493H04N5/23293
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,027,850
App. No.
15/132,606
Granted
Jul 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and device for securing image data detected by an electronic device is provided. The electronic may include a camera. In one aspect, a method includes: capturing image data using the camera; based on the captured image data, detecting a security marker displayed by a display device, the security marker being periodically displayed to be undetectable by a human eye that is viewing the display device; and in response to determining that the security marker is detected by the electronic device, applying a security policy to the image data captured by the electronic device.

Claims (42)

1. A method of securing an image displayed on an external display device and detected by an electronic device, the method comprising:

generating image data associated with the detected image using the electronic device;

detecting, by the electronic device, a security marker displayed by the external display device, the security marker being periodically displayed to be undetectable by a human eye that is viewing the display device;

in response to detecting the security marker, modifying the image data to obscure an image portion circumscribed by a security boundary defined by the detected security marker; and

generating a captured image including the obscured image portion for securing the detected image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image displayed on the external display device includes a plurality of image frames, wherein the image frames are displayed by the display device at a first frequency, and wherein the security marker is displayed by the display device at a second frequency, and wherein the first frequency is greater than the second frequency.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a message on a viewfinder of the electronic device, the message notifying a user of the electronic device that capturing image data is unauthorized.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying, based on the security marker, a message on a viewfinder of the electronic device, the message including information associated with the generated image data.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a camera;

a memory device; and

a processor coupled to the camera and the memory device, the processor being configured to:

generate image data associated with an image displayed on an external display device and detected using the camera;

detect, using the camera, a security marker displayed by the external display device, the security marker being periodically displayed to be undetectable by a human eye that is viewing the display device;

in response to detecting the security marker, modify the image data to obscure an image portion circumscribed by a security boundary defined by the detected security marker; and

generate a captured image including the obscured image portion for securing the detected image.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the image displayed on the external display device includes a plurality of image frames, wherein the image frames are displayed by the display device at a first frequency, and wherein the security marker is displayed by the display device at a second frequency, and wherein the first frequency is greater than the second frequency.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a message on a viewfinder of the electronic device, the message notifying a user of the electronic device that capturing image data is unauthorized.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising processor-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the electronic device to:

generate image data associated with an image displayed on an external display device and detected using the electronic device;

detect, by the electronic device, a security marker displayed by the external display device, the security marker being periodically displayed to be undetectable by a human eye that is viewing the display device;

in response to detecting the security marker, modify the image data to obscure an image portion circumscribed by a security boundary defined by the detected security marker; and

generate a captured image including the obscured image portion for securing the detected image.

9. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

display, based on the security marker, a message on a viewfinder of the electronic device, the message including information associated with the generated image data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detected security marker includes three or more security markers for defining a security boundary.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating the security boundary based on joining each of the three or more security markers with an adjacent security marker in the three or more security markers; and

identifying an interior image portion circumscribed by the generated security boundary as the image portion to obscure.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security marker includes a coded pattern encoded with specifications defining the security boundary.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coded pattern encoded with specifications defining the security boundary includes a location and dimensions of the security boundary associated with the detected image.

14. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the detected security marker includes three or more security markers for defining a security boundary.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the security boundary based on joining each of the three or more security markers with an adjacent security marker in the three or more security markers; and

identify an interior image portion circumscribed by the generated security boundary as the image portion to obscure.

16. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the security marker includes a coded pattern encoded with specifications defining the security boundary.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the coded pattern encoded with specifications defining the security boundary includes a location and dimensions of the security boundary associated with the detected image.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the image data includes replacing the image portion circumscribed by the security boundary with unrelated data.

19. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor being configured to modify the image data includes the processor being configured to replace the image portion circumscribed by the security boundary with unrelated data.

Assignments (5)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064271/0199 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064104/0103 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT ASSIGNOR NAME FROM KIAN, MARANDI TO MARANDI, KIAN AS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL/FRAME NUMBER: 038600/0490 Recorded Dec 15, 2016
From: NATHWANI, SANJAY; MARANDI, KIAN
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 040940/0514 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2016
From: NATHWANI, SANJAY; KIAN, MARANDI
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038600/0490 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2016
From: VANDEWEERD, SEAN
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038600/0564 →
Continuity (1)
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