Motion-Photo Privacy Blurring via Progressive De-blur Video
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern smartphones lack effective mechanisms to protect user privacy for photos, as existing solutions either blur images without allowing deblurring within the photo gallery or require inconvenient vault systems, exposing sensitive content to unauthorized viewers.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that generates a blurred version of a photo and a video progressively de-blurring it, combining them as a motion-photo-object, which is stored in a format like APPLE LIVE PHOTOS, allowing the blurred version to be displayed as a preview while the de-blurring video is played upon user input, maintaining privacy without the need for encrypted vaults.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If photos are stored in plain view in the photo gallery, then ease of access and viewing is improved, but user privacy is compromised due to potential unauthorized viewing of sensitive content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual transformation by converting photos into grayscale or blurred versions for display in the photo gallery. This changes the visual properties of the images to hide sensitive content while maintaining the ability to access and view the photos. The transformation is reversible through the video component that shows the original colored image upon user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - a video component - that mediates between the blurred photo display and the original clear photo. The video acts as a controlled intermediary that reveals the original image only when explicitly triggered by user action, preventing unauthorized viewing while maintaining accessibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing blur mechanisms are used to protect privacy, then privacy protection is improved, but the ability to recover or view the original photo within the gallery is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-generating a video component that contains the original clear photo during the photo processing stage. This video is prepared in advance and linked to the blurred photo, so that when privacy protection is needed, the recovery mechanism is already in place and can be activated immediately without loss of information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds the video containing the original photo within the photo gallery structure, nesting it alongside the blurred photo display. The video is integrated into the existing photo viewing infrastructure, allowing the original image to be recovered and viewed within the same gallery interface without requiring external tools or losing accessibility.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If encrypted vault systems are used to protect sensitive photos, then privacy protection is improved, but device complexity and user convenience deteriorate due to separate access mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the photo gallery application itself multi-functional by enabling it to perform both public display and private protection functions. The same gallery interface that displays photos publicly can also display blurred versions for privacy protection and provide controlled access to original images, eliminating the need for separate vault applications and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the privacy protection mechanism with the existing photo gallery infrastructure. Instead of creating a separate encrypted vault system, the blur and controlled reveal functionality is integrated directly into the gallery application, combining multiple functions (display, privacy protection, controlled access) into a single unified system.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for protecting user privacy may include (i) receiving an indication to protect a photo with privacy-protecting blurring, (ii) generating a blurred version of the photo, (iii) generating, based on the blurred version of the photo, a video that progressively de-blurs the photo, (iv) linking through metadata the blurred version of the photo and the video that progressively de-blurs the photo as a combined motion-photo-object, and (v) storing the combined motion-photo-object in a configured location such that a photo display program uses the blurred version of the photo as a preview of the motion-photo-object when browsing but plays the video that progressively de-blurs the photo in response to additional user input selecting the preview. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.