Per-Camera Image Transfer Settings for Privacy-Safe Cloud Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image management systems lack the ability to differentiate between images captured by different cameras and automatically transfer only those intended for public disclosure to specific external storage services, potentially leading to unintended disclosure of private images.

Innovation Solution

An image management apparatus and method that allows users to set transfer settings for each camera, specifying the external services and disclosure ranges for captured images, ensuring that private images are not inadvertently shared.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If automatic transfer to external storage service is enabled for all cameras, then image sharing convenience is improved, but privacy security deteriorates due to unintended disclosure of private images

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage sharing convenienceVSAvoidprivacy security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the transfer setting by camera device, allowing each camera to have independent transfer settings to external storage services. This enables users to designate which cameras should transfer images to which services, preventing unintended disclosure while maintaining convenience for authorized cameras.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different transfer settings (disclosure ranges) to different cameras based on their intended usage. Each camera can have customized transfer permissions, allowing private cameras to have restricted settings while public cameras maintain open sharing, thus resolving the contradiction between convenience and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If uniform transfer settings are applied to all cameras, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates as different camera usage requirements cannot be met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidcamera usage adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer setting configuration is segmented by camera device, with each camera having its own setting ID and configuration. This allows the system to handle multiple camera types and usage scenarios independently while maintaining a structured, manageable configuration system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal transfer setting framework that can accommodate multiple cameras with different purposes. The system provides a standardized interface for configuring transfer settings that works across all cameras, whether for public sharing or private use, thus achieving both simplicity and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If external storage service registration is simplified, then ease of operation is improved, but precision deteriorates as specific camera-service mappings cannot be controlled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice registration simplicityVSAvoidcamera-service mapping precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer setting is segmented to include specific camera-device associations with external storage services. When a user registers an external storage service, the system enables transfer settings for specific cameras rather than applying uniformly, allowing precise control over which cameras transfer to which services while maintaining simple registration流程.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4300934B1Image management apparatus, control method, and program
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 CANON KK
  • EP4300934B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4300934B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4300934B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An image management apparatus (103) which provides a cloud service which receives a captured image transmitted from an image capturing apparatus (102), the cloud service having a function to transfer the received captured image to an external storage service (104), the image management apparatus managing transfer setting information in which the external storage service and each of one or more image capturing apparatuses associated with a specific user are associated (403), and transferring the received captured image based on the transfer setting information (404).