Privacy Zone Sensor Orientation Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of electronic devices with recording capabilities poses significant privacy concerns as users can capture and share content without permission, leading to difficulties in protecting personal and confidential information, with existing solutions like disabling devices or displaying prohibition signs being ineffective.
Innovation Solution
Creating a privacy zone around electronic devices that disables recording sensors of external devices when they are pointed at the protected device within a predetermined distance, allowing users to define and adjust the zone parameters, ensuring precise privacy protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recording sensors of external devices are disabled to protect privacy, then privacy protection is improved, but device functionality and user convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a privacy zone around the protected device and selectively disabling recording sensors of external devices only when they are directed toward this specific zone. This localized approach protects privacy in the immediate vicinity while allowing external devices to function normally elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and device functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the spatial environment into a privacy zone and non-privacy zones. By dividing the protection scope into this specific spatial segment, the system disables recording sensors only within the privacy zone boundaries, maintaining device functionality outside this zone while ensuring privacy protection where needed.
2Reliability
If a large area is designated as privacy zone, then privacy protection coverage is improved, but the number of affected external devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the privacy zone parameters, allowing the zone's size, shape, and position to be modified in real-time based on user needs and environmental context. This dynamic approach enables flexible coverage adjustment, protecting privacy where necessary while minimizing the number of external devices affected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes spatial parameters (radius, orientation, position) of the privacy zone to optimize protection coverage. By adjusting these parameters, the system can expand or contract the privacy zone to match the actual privacy needs, thereby protecting personal information effectively while limiting the impact on external device functionality.
3Reliability
If recording sensors are disabled continuously, then privacy protection is improved, but energy consumption increases and device usability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic monitoring of the privacy zone environment, continuously detecting whether external devices are directed toward the zone. Recording sensors are disabled only during periods when intrusion is detected, rather than being continuously disabled. This periodic action maintains privacy protection while conserving energy and preserving device usability during safe periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by detecting the orientation and position of external devices before they can capture private information. When a potential intrusion is detected, the system preemptively disables the recording sensors, preventing privacy violations before they occur. This approach provides robust privacy protection while avoiding continuous sensor disabling, thus reducing energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The method includes receiving and processing information from a first electronic device. The information includes at least location data, privacy zone data, and privacy distance data of the first electronic device. The method further includes calculating a current distance between the first electronic device and at least one sensor of a second electronic device, comparing the current distance with a predetermined privacy distance retrieved from the privacy distance data for the first electronic device, and determining an orientation of the at least one sensor of the second electronic device when the current distance is less than or equal to the privacy distance. The orientation is determined in relation to a privacy zone of the first electronic device. The method also includes disabling the at least one sensor of the second electronic device when the at least one sensor is oriented to point within the privacy zone of the first electronic device.