Block Region Masking for Privacy Image Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing privacy masking technologies face challenges in synchronizing masking region information with metadata during image transmission, especially when encoding is applied, leading to potential pixel damage and difficulties in compressing moving images.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that convert detected object regions into block regions for masking, allowing a transmitter to encode and transmit the masked image, and a receiver to decode and unmask the image by detecting masked block regions, thereby sharing masking region information without additional metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If masking region information is transferred as metadata, then the transmitter and receiver can share masking region information, but the transmitter must generate and transmit metadata independently from the original image, and the receiver must synchronize the masked image with metadata information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the masking region information directly into the image data structure by encoding block masking indicators within the compressed image stream itself. This integration eliminates the need for separate metadata generation and synchronization processes, as the masking information is embedded alongside the image data in a unified format that both transmitter and receiver can process together.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal image data structure that simultaneously carries both image content and masking region information through the same encoded stream. This multi-functional approach allows the same data structure to serve both image transmission and masking region communication purposes, eliminating the need for separate metadata handling mechanisms.
2Stability of the object's composition
If masking region information is inserted into a specific position of an image frame, then the masking region information is integrated with the image, but pixel information is damaged due to image loss which occurs in encoding(compressing) a moving image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image into discrete blocks and applies masking at the block level rather than at the pixel level. By operating on larger block units, the system reduces the impact of compression artifacts on masking region information, as block-based operations are more resilient to the lossy compression processes that affect individual pixels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter from pixel-level precision to block-level granularity. This parameter change allows masking region information to be preserved through compression by operating at a scale where compression artifacts have less impact on the integrity of the masking indicators.
3Measurement precision
If coordinate information is used to represent object regions, then precise masking can be applied, but converting coordinate information to block region requires additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary conversion of coordinate information to block region indicators during the encoding process itself. By pre-converting the masking region specifications into the block-based format required by the compressed image structure, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time conversion operations at the receiver端, reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for processing a masking region includes a transmitter configured to detect an object region, on which masking is to be performed, from an input image through a camera, convert the detected object region into a block region to perform masking, and encode and transmit an input image on which the masking is completed and a receiver configured to decode an image transmitted from the transmitted to extract a frame therefrom, detect a masked block region by units of extracted frames, and unmask the detected block region to restore the masked image to an original image.