Camera Privacy Screening for Motion Zone Video Obfuscation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Security cameras may inadvertently capture and transmit images of areas outside their intended field of view, potentially infringing on the privacy of individuals not associated with the monitored area, creating a risk of privacy violation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing customized motion zones using image processing techniques to identify and obfuscate areas outside the designated monitoring zones, ensuring that only images within the defined zones remain unobfuscated, while blurring or obfuscating the rest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If security cameras monitor a wide area to detect motion, then detection coverage is improved, but privacy of individuals outside the intended area is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the camera's field of view into multiple zones: a monitored area of interest where motion detection is active, and surrounding areas where privacy protection is applied. This segmentation allows the system to maintain wide detection coverage while protecting privacy in non-monitored regions through selective zone definition and differential processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different spatial regions: full-resolution monitoring in the area of interest versus obfuscated/low-resolution processing in surrounding areas. This local quality differentiation enables the system to preserve privacy for individuals outside the intended monitoring zone while maintaining effective surveillance where needed.
2Reliability
If the camera captures the entire field of view, then motion detection capability is improved, but image data privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments image data processing by spatial zone, applying full analysis to the monitored area of interest while applying privacy protection processing to other regions. This allows reliable motion detection within the defined zone while preventing privacy information leakage from areas outside the intended monitoring scope.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality differentiation in image processing: high-fidelity processing for motion detection in the monitored area versus privacy-protective obfuscation in surrounding areas. This ensures reliable detection capability where needed while minimizing privacy information loss in non-monitored regions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If motion zones are customized to exclude certain areas, then privacy protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements zone segmentation with configurable parameters for defining monitored areas. Users can specify geometric boundaries and characteristics of the area of interest, enabling flexible privacy protection without requiring complex multi-layer configurations. The segmented zone approach provides simple yet effective privacy risk mitigation.
4Loss of information
If the camera transmits all captured images, then security data sharing is improved, but privacy exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality differentiation to transmitted image data: preserving full detail in the monitored area of interest for security analysis while applying privacy protection processing to surrounding areas before transmission. This enables effective security data sharing while minimizing privacy exposure in the transmitted data stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and protects privacy-sensitive information from areas outside the monitored zone before transmission. By identifying and removing or obfuscating privacy-exposing data from non-monitored regions, the system maintains security data integrity while preventing unwanted privacy exposure in shared images.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for implementing customized motion zones for security monitoring using a privacy screen. In embodiments, such techniques may comprise receiving first data defining a first area associated with a motion zone, receiving image data generated by a camera, the image data encompassing at least a portion of the first area, determining a position of an object detected within the image data, and determining, based on the first data and the position of the object, that the object is inside of the first area. The techniques may further comprise defining a portion of image data that corresponds to the object detected within the image data and the first area, applying at least one obfuscation technique to the image data less that portion of the image data, and sending the image data having the applied obfuscation technique to at least one second electronic device.