Region-Based Video Filtering for Remote Visual Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote visual experience technologies lack effective mechanisms to obscure private or sensitive regions within a local user's field of view, potentially exposing unwanted information during real-time video transmission to remote recipients.
Innovation Solution
A remote visual experience application that employs a filtering mechanism to identify and obscure specific regions of space within the camera's field of view, using a mapping utility to define privacy levels and access controls for different areas, ensuring that only authorized regions are visible to remote users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If real-time video transmission is implemented to share visual experience between local and remote users, then the ability to share visual information is improved, but the risk of exposing private or sensitive information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The field of view is divided into multiple regions, with different privacy levels assigned to each region. The system segments the visual space into public areas and private areas, allowing selective transmission of visual information based on region classification
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the field of view are assigned different privacy attributes and access control levels. Each region can have customized visibility settings, allowing the system to apply different quality rules to different spatial locations within the same video stream
2Reliability
If a filtering mechanism is added to obscure specific regions, then user privacy protection is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of regions and assignment of privacy attributes before video transmission begins. The mapping utility pre-defines which regions should be obscured, so that during real-time transmission, the filtering operation is based on pre-established rules rather than complex real-time decisions
Solution Approach 2:
A mapping utility serves as an intermediary component between the camera input and video transmission output. This intermediary layer handles the complex task of region identification and privacy filtering, isolating the complexity from the core transmission functionality
3Adaptability or versatility
If region mapping and privacy attribute assignment are implemented, then control over visual data sharing is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping utility automatically performs region identification and privacy attribute assignment based on predefined criteria, reducing the manual configuration burden on users. The system serves itself by autonomously determining which regions require privacy protection
Data Source
AI summary
A remote visual experience application which transmits real-time video remotely includes a filter which obscures one or more previously identified regions in space when the regions come within the camera's field of vision. The application may be a shared visual experience application, in which the camera is mounted to a wearable appliance of a local user. The application may include a function for mapping regions of a space in which the application will be used, and defining different levels of remote access for different regions of the space. A space map may be generated before or during transmission of video to a remote user. Exemplary embodiments include a virtual vendor house call application or a game. The application may further include an audio filter for filtering an audio signal.