Video Surveillance Masking Module for Privacy Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video surveillance systems face challenges in protecting privacy, particularly in public spaces, as they often record and store personal data of individuals without their consent, and previous methods for masking objects do not utilize knowledge of the surveillance region or object behavior.
Innovation Solution
A masking module that uses digital image processing to selectively mask objects in specific spacial subregions based on their location and behavior, employing depth charts and 3D models to define masking regions and applying key-protected encoding for reversible masking, allowing for precise control over privacy protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If video surveillance systems record and store personal data of individuals in public spaces, then the surveillance capability and safety monitoring are improved, but the privacy protection of individuals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing selective masking where only specific regions or objects in the surveillance footage are obscured while other areas remain visible. This allows the system to maintain surveillance capability in public spaces while protecting privacy in designated areas, resolving the contradiction between surveillance effectiveness and privacy protection
Solution Approach 2:
The surveillance image is segmented into multiple regions, with masking applied selectively to certain segments containing personal data while leaving other segments visible. This segmentation approach enables differentiated treatment of different areas, maintaining overall surveillance functionality while protecting specific privacy interests
2Object-affected harmful factors
If physical structures are used to shield regions that should be protected, then the privacy protection is improved, but the surveillance coverage and flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical shielding structures with digital image processing and software-based masking techniques. This substitution eliminates the need for physical barriers while maintaining privacy protection, thereby preserving full surveillance coverage and system flexibility without the constraints of physical obstructions
3Object-affected harmful factors
If detailed regions of the camera image are hidden or blacked out to protect privacy, then the privacy protection is improved, but the information availability and surveillance effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of broadly blacking out large regions, the patent applies masking selectively to specific local areas containing personal data while leaving the rest of the image clear and informative. This localized approach minimizes information loss while achieving adequate privacy protection for identified sensitive regions
Data Source
AI summary
In addition to the clear advantages of video monitoring systems for securing monitoring regions and optionally for following suspicious objects, there is the requirement to secure the private environments of people in the regions being monitored. A masking module (4) for a monitoring system (1) is disclosed for the above, wherein the monitoring system (1) has at least one monitoring camera (2) designed and/or arranged for observing monitoring regions with moving objects (14, 16), comprising a selection device for selecting objects as selected objects (16), wherein the masking module (4) is designed to output the selected objects (16) or partial regions thereof subsequently together called selected objects (16) in a masked form, wherein the masking module (4) is designed to limit the masking of objects (16) to at least one selected physical partial region (15, 18) of the monitoring region.