Face-Masked Image Storage With 3D Orientation Cues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing systems that mask a subject's face for privacy protection hinder the ability to infer the subject's future direction of travel, which is crucial for predicting their behavior.

Innovation Solution

An image storage system and method that acquires a captured image and three-dimensional information, detects the subject's face, derives its orientation from the three-dimensional data, masks the face, and adds orientation information to generate a processed image for storage, enabling behavior prediction while maintaining privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the face of a subject is masked for privacy protection, then privacy protection is improved, but the ability to predict the subject's future direction of travel deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidbehavior prediction information

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the face image into multiple depth layers using three-dimensional information. By separating the face region from the rest of the image and processing different depth layers independently, the system can mask the face while preserving orientation information, thus resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and behavior prediction capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces three-dimensional depth information as an additional dimension to the traditional two-dimensional image processing. By utilizing depth data, the system can derive face orientation information that is not visible in the 2D image, allowing orientation to be added to the processed image while the face itself is masked

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the face of a subject is masked, then personal information protection is improved, but the readability of subject intention deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonal information protectionVSAvoidintention readability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses three-dimensional depth information as an intermediary to bridge the gap between face masking and intention readability. The depth data serves as a mediator that allows the system to infer face orientation without exposing the actual face image, thus maintaining both privacy protection and intention readability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12548369B2Image storage system and image storage method that masks the face of a subject included in the captured image and generates a processed image that indicates the orientation of the face

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An image storage system includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a captured image of a surrounding environment and three-dimensional information; a derivation unit that detects the face of a subject included in the captured image and derives the orientation of the detected face of the subject from the three-dimensional information; an image processing unit that masks the face of the subject included in the captured image and generates a processed image obtained by adding information indicating the orientation of the face to data of the captured image; and a storage unit that stores data of the processed image generated by the image processing unit.