Indicia Reader Facial Data Anonymization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current indicia decoding systems struggle with processing image data from indicia readers in novel ways, particularly in applications where facial data needs to be anonymized to ensure privacy and compliance with regulations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves capturing image data with an indicia reader, determining the facial area, altering the pixel data of the facial area to produce anonymized image data, and either storing or transmitting this anonymized data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If image data is captured and stored for indicia decoding, then decoding functionality is enabled, but facial privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts facial data from the captured image before storage or transmission. The system identifies facial regions in the image and removes or anonymizes this specific portion, separating it from the rest of the image data that contains the indicia. This allows the system to maintain decoding functionality while eliminating privacy risks associated with facial data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anonymization action to the image data before it is stored or transmitted to host processors. By detecting and altering facial regions in advance, the system prevents facial privacy exposure from occurring in the first place, rather than attempting to address it after storage or transmission.
2Measurement precision
If facial recognition modules are used to identify individuals, then identification accuracy is improved, but compliance with privacy regulations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes facial data that would be used for identification purposes before the image reaches systems that might perform facial recognition. By extracting and anonymizing facial regions, the system eliminates the basis for identification while preserving the rest of the image for indicia decoding, thus maintaining compliance with privacy regulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by anonymizing facial data before any identification processes could occur. This preemptive measure counteracts potential facial recognition attempts by removing the identifiable features, ensuring regulatory compliance is maintained throughout the data processing pipeline.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complete image data is transmitted to host processors, then processing flexibility is maintained, but data security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes sensitive facial data from the image before transmission to host processors. This selective extraction maintains the utility of the image for indicia decoding and other processing purposes while eliminating security risks associated with transmitting complete unmodified image data containing personal information.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for anonymizing image data are disclosed herein. An example implementation includes: capturing, with an indicia reader, an image data of a field of view (FOV) associated with an imager within the indicia reader; determining, with the indicia reader, a facial area within the image data; producing, with the indicia reader, an anonymized image data by altering pixel data of the facial area of the image data; and (i) storing the anonymized image data in a nonvolatile memory of the indicia reader, or (ii) transmitting the anonymized image data from the indicia reader to one or more host processors.