Image Authorization Workflow for Pre-Publication Face Consent

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Solution Overview

Problem

Individuals, especially those not registered with a digital service, often do not notice when their images are published or distributed, and existing methods for tagging individuals in images on social networks only work after the image has been published, lacking pre-publication control.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented authorization method using biometric information and user-specific provisioning options to prevent or permit the publication of images that infringe upon an individual's right to their image, involving a first person recognition step, a second person recognition step, and a censorship step to derive and release image information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing methods for tagging individuals in images are used, then individuals can be identified after publication, but pre-publication control and user notification are not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepre-publication controlVSAvoidnotification timing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs facial recognition and authorization checking before the image is published to the digital delivery service. The authorization infrastructure compares the detected face against stored biometric data and authorization decisions in advance, preventing unauthorized publication before it occurs, rather than detecting and notifying after publication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If facial recognition is performed on all uploaded images, then unauthorized publication can be prevented, but processing time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthorization controlVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an authorization infrastructure as an intermediary component between the image upload and publication processes. This specialized infrastructure handles the facial recognition and authorization checking, separating these complex operations from the main delivery service and enabling pre-publication control without overwhelming the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If biometric data is stored and processed, then accurate person identification is achieved, but data privacy and security concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperson identification accuracyVSAvoiddata privacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and stores only the necessary biometric features (such as facial characteristics) and authorization decisions in a dedicated authorization database, rather than storing complete personal data. This selective extraction maintains identification accuracy while minimizing the amount of sensitive data retained, thereby reducing privacy risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3859581B1Computer-implemented authorization method
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 BUCHSENSCHUTZ DAVID
  • EP3859581B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3859581B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3859581B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A computer-implemented authorization procedure (1) for digital image information for use with a digital delivery service (11) is described and illustrated, wherein image information is provided to the digital delivery service (11) by at least one first delivery service user in a first delivery step (2), and derived image information based on the provided image information is made available by the delivery service to at least one second delivery service user by means of a delivery service infrastructure.