Marker-Based Capturable Area Masking for Video Confidentiality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video control devices struggle to determine the capturable area when markers are not recognized, leading to incomplete or incorrect masking of non-sharable video areas, which can prevent effective support from remote workers.

Innovation Solution

An information processing method that acquires an image, recognizes markers, and specifies the capturable area either by the recognized markers or by matching the image with a previously specified capturable area when markers are not recognized, creating a mask image to mask areas outside the capturable area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the conventional video control device uses marker recognition to determine the capturable area, then the masking accuracy is improved, but the system reliability deteriorates when markers are not recognized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemasking accuracyVSAvoidsystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing the capturable area information when markers are first recognized. When markers are subsequently not recognized, the system retrieves and reuses the previously stored capturable area information, ensuring continuous reliable operation without requiring real-time marker detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (storage memory) that bridges the gap between marker recognition and masking operations. When markers are not detected, the stored capturable area information acts as an intermediary reference, allowing the system to maintain accurate masking without direct marker dependency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the system masks all areas when markers are not recognized, then the security is improved, but the usability deteriorates due to complete blacking out of the image

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidusability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by storing capturable area information when markers are first recognized. This pre-stored information serves as a reference framework that enables the system to distinguish between capturable and non-capturable areas even when markers are not currently visible, allowing selective masking that preserves usability while maintaining security

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250157044A1Information processing method, information processing device, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing information processing program

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

An image processing device acquires an image captured by a camera, recognizes a plurality of markers included in the image, specifies a capturable area surrounded by the plurality of recognized markers when the plurality of markers is recognized, and specifies, as the capturable area, an area in the image acquired this time, the area matching a capturable image in the capturable area previously specified when the plurality of markers is not recognized, creates a mask image that masks an area outside the capturable area in the image, and outputs the mask image.