Smart Device Privacy Erasure With Camera-Guided Interface Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smart devices lack intuitive and efficient methods for users to erase sensitive personal information, with varying sequences across different makes and models, often undocumented or incomplete in manuals, leading to privacy risks.

Innovation Solution

A privacy information removal system and method that provides a comprehensive platform with user-friendly instructions, utilizing a backend server and front-end application to identify the device or system, retrieve relevant data from a database, and guide users through the erasure process with visual cues and step-by-step instructions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If users rely on owner's manuals to find data erasure steps, then comprehensive instructions are available, but the process becomes time-intensive and inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of erasure instructionsVSAvoidtime to locate erasure steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a camera-based intermediary system that captures images of the device interface and automatically identifies the current screen and required navigation steps. This intermediary translates the complex manual information into real-time visual guidance, eliminating the need for users to manually search through hundreds of pages while ensuring complete erasure instructions are followed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a visual copy of the device's current display through camera imaging and compares it against a database of known interface states. This copying approach allows the system to recognize the current screen position and provide context-specific erasure instructions without requiring users to read or interpret text manuals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive erasure instructions are provided for all vehicle makes and models, then complete coverage is achieved, but the system complexity and maintenance burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage across vehicle makes and modelsVSAvoidcomplexity of maintaining instruction sets
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal camera-based recognition system that works across multiple vehicle makes and models through a single interface. The system captures images and uses image recognition to identify device-specific interfaces, then retrieves appropriate erasure instructions from a centralized database. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate manual systems for each vehicle type while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-processes and stores erasure instructions in a structured database organized by device interface characteristics rather than by individual vehicle models. This preliminary organization allows the recognition system to efficiently match captured images with appropriate instruction sets, reducing the complexity of maintaining comprehensive coverage across all makes and models.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If detailed step-by-step instructions are provided, then complete data erasure is ensured, but the interface becomes less user-friendly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of data erasureVSAvoiduser-friendliness of erasure process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The camera-based intermediary automatically captures the device interface and translates complex multi-step erasure procedures into simple visual directions. The system superimposes guidance on the captured image, showing users exactly what to press or swipe next, thereby maintaining complete erasure reliability while dramatically improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses visual indicators and color-coded overlays on the captured device images to guide users through the erasure process. Different colors indicate different types of actions (e.g., red for critical buttons, green for confirmation steps), making the detailed instructions intuitively understandable without increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP4621625A1Data privacy and security in smart devices
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 PRIVACY4CARS INC
  • EP4621625A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4621625A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4621625A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Utilizing a user computing device to remove privacy information. The user computing device may obtain an input associated with a SD device or system from which privacy information of a user is to be removed. Using the input associated with the SD device or system, the user computing device may obtain parameters associated with the SD device and utilize the parameters to identify the SD device. The user computing device may obtain a privacy information removal file comprising an instruction set associated with removing privacy data from the SD device, and may present the instruction set. The user computing device may obtain a user feedback experience. The user feedback experience may include a confirmation of removal of the privacy information from the at least one SD device, user comments, a voice recording, or an image, captured by a camera of the user computing device, of the at least one SD device.