Screen Capture Interface Modification for Privacy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current screen capturing methods are inefficient and inflexible, requiring manual editing of captured images to remove unwanted information, which reduces user efficiency and flexibility.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for improving screen capturing efficiency and flexibility by allowing the target application to modify its interface based on user instructions, generating a screen capture picture from the modified interface, and optionally saving or redisplaying the original interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If manual editing is used to remove information from screen capture pictures, then information privacy is protected, but screen capturing efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation privacy protectionVSAvoidscreen capturing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically detecting and masking sensitive information (such as balance amounts, account numbers, and personal identifiers) in the screen capture picture before the user receives it. This pre-processing eliminates the need for manual editing while protecting information privacy, thus resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and capturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service by automatically identifying and processing sensitive information without requiring user intervention. The device autonomously analyzes the screen content, detects sensitive data patterns, and applies masking operations, thereby maintaining privacy protection while eliminating manual editing steps and improving overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If picture-editing software is used to remove information, then information can be selectively removed, but screen capturing flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation selectivityVSAvoidscreen capturing flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and isolates sensitive information from the screen capture picture through automatic detection algorithms. By identifying specific patterns (such as monetary amounts, account numbers, and personal identifiers) and selectively masking only these extracted elements, the system maintains information selectivity while avoiding the need for external picture-editing software, thus preserving screen capturing flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary processing layer between screen capture and user receipt. This intermediary automatically analyzes the captured content, identifies sensitive information, and applies selective masking before presenting the final picture to the user. This mediator maintains both information selectivity and system flexibility by handling processing internally without requiring external software intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3736722B1Screen capturing method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3736722B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3736722B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3736722B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a screen capturing method and an apparatus, and the screen capturing method includes: running a target application, and displaying a first interface of the target application; receiving a screen capturing instruction entered by a user; sending an indication message to the target application according to the screen capturing instruction, so that the target application modifies the first interface to a second interface according to the indication message, where the first interface is different from the second interface; and generating a screen capture picture according to the second interface. Implementation of the embodiments of the present invention can improve screen capturing efficiency and flexibility.