Image Processing Device Noise Addition Multi-Pinhole Aperture Pattern

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing techniques, such as those disclosed in Patent Literature 1, struggle to effectively prevent image restoration from noise-added images, which can compromise privacy protection.

Innovation Solution

An image processing device and method that utilize a multi-pinhole camera to capture images with parallax characteristics, and then add noise suitable for the aperture pattern of the camera, making it difficult to separate the frequency components of the image and noise, thereby suppressing image restoration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If noise is added to an image for privacy protection, then privacy protection is improved, but image restoration becomes easier

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidimage restoration difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the frequency domain parameters of the added noise to match the aperture pattern's frequency characteristics. By adjusting the noise frequency distribution to align with the optical system's transfer function, the noise becomes indistinguishable from actual image content, preventing effective image restoration while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite signal by combining the original image with noise that has been specifically designed to match the aperture pattern's frequency characteristics. This composite approach ensures that the noise and image content are frequency-matched, making separation difficult and preventing restoration of the original image from the noisy version.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If general noise is added to an image, then privacy protection is improved, but image and noise frequency components can be easily separated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidfrequency component separation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the frequency domain parameters of the added noise to match the aperture pattern's frequency characteristics. By adjusting the noise frequency distribution to align with the optical system's transfer function, the noise becomes indistinguishable from actual image content, preventing effective image restoration while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different frequency characteristics to the noise in different frequency bands, matching the local frequency response of the aperture pattern. This localized frequency matching makes the noise inseparable from the image content in specific frequency regions, thereby preventing restoration while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4207736B1Image processing device, method for training machine learning model, identification device, and image processing method

Publication Date: 2025.06.04 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORP OF AMERICA

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AI summary

An image processing device includes a noise adder (12) that obtains a captured image from an image capturing device including a mask having at least one aperture, an MPH information obtainer (111) that obtains aperture pattern information corresponding to the pattern of the at least one aperture, the noise adder (12) that adds, to the captured image, noise determined according to the aperture pattern information, and a transmitter (13) that outputs the noise added captured image.