Digital Content Privacy Control via Image Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for online sharing of digital photographs and video do not adequately address privacy concerns, as individuals lack control over the content shared, particularly regarding images of themselves and specific objects or locations, which can lead to unintended exposure.

Innovation Solution

A method that utilizes image recognition technology to identify individuals and objects in digital content, coupled with user-definable authorization conditions, to determine if sharing is allowed, and if not, sends requests for authorization or conceals the content, ensuring privacy by restricting online access based on predefined criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If online sharing of digital images is enabled, then accessibility and social media engagement are improved, but privacy control and user authorization are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveonline sharing accessibilityVSAvoidprivacy control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of individuals and objects in digital images before sharing occurs. Authorization conditions are pre-configured for each identified entity, and the system proactively checks these conditions before allowing online publication, thus preventing privacy violations before they happen

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary authorization system that acts as a mediator between the user's privacy requirements and the online sharing functionality. This intermediary layer automatically evaluates authorization conditions and controls content distribution without requiring direct user intervention for each share

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If automatic sharing of captured images is implemented, then productivity and ease of use are improved, but loss of information control and authorization management are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage sharing efficiencyVSAvoidauthorization control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service authorization management by automatically identifying individuals and objects in images, retrieving their pre-configured authorization conditions, and autonomously determining whether sharing is permitted. This eliminates the need for manual authorization requests while maintaining precise control over information distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3503497B1Method of control of online sharing of digital photographs and video
Publication Date: 2021.06.02 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP3503497B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3503497B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3503497B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for authorizing online sharing of content including a digital photograph or video, includes receiving, at an electronic device, the content, identifying an image of a person in the content, identifying authorization conditions associated with the person, identifying an image of an object or audio in the content, based on both the image of the person identified and the image of the object or audio identified, determining if the authorization conditions associated with the person are met, and in response to determining that the authorization conditions are met, providing online access to the digital photograph or video.