Partial Image Data Transmission for Privacy and Content Confirmation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In monitoring camera systems, existing technologies fail to confirm the contents of images hidden by masks without restoring the original image, and noise processing further complicates the restoration of images in emergency situations, leading to incomplete confirmation of details such as the presence of individuals in certain areas.

Innovation Solution

A communication system and method that generate and transmit partial image data and difference image data, allowing for the confirmation of image contents without restoring the original image while protecting privacy, and enabling the restoration of the original image when necessary, by separating spatial frequency components into low-frequency and difference images and using encryption and secret sharing schemes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If mask processing is applied to protect privacy, then privacy protection is improved, but the ability to confirm image contents is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidimage content confirmation
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The image data is segmented into two distinct components: low-frequency image data (containing overall structure and non-privacy information) and high-frequency image data (containing detailed privacy information). This segmentation allows the low-frequency data to be displayed for content confirmation while the high-frequency data remains protected, resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and image content confirmation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The high-frequency components containing privacy-sensitive details are extracted and separated from the low-frequency components. By taking out only the necessary privacy-protective elements (high-frequency data) and keeping them separate, the system enables content confirmation through low-frequency data while maintaining privacy protection through selective extraction and protection of sensitive components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If noise processing is applied to hidden portions, then privacy protection is improved, but image restoration capability is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidimage restoration
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of applying noise processing that irreversibly degrades the image, the system changes the parameter domain by transforming the image into frequency domain components. The high-frequency components are protected while low-frequency components remain intact, enabling reliable restoration when needed without the irreversible degradation caused by noise processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If full image restoration is performed to confirm contents, then image content confirmation is improved, but privacy protection is deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage content confirmationVSAvoidprivacy protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by displaying only the low-frequency image data which contains sufficient information for content confirmation (such as presence of persons, objects, or activities) without displaying the high-frequency data that would reveal privacy-sensitive details. This partial display approach confirms necessary content while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3301937B1Communication system
Publication Date: 2023.03.22 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3301937B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3301937B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3301937B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A communication system includes a first communication apparatus (103) and a second communication apparatus (110). The first communication apparatus (103) includes a partial image data generation unit (201), configured to generate partial image data which is obtained by extracting a partial component from image data, and a transmission unit (204), configured to transmit the partial image data generated by the partial image data generation unit (201) to the second communication apparatus (110). The second communication apparatus (110) includes a reception unit (1001), configured to receive the partial image data transmitted by the transmission unit (204) of the first communication apparatus (103).