Vanishing Point Based Privacy Masking for Image Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image processing methods for protecting privacy, such as those used in crowdsourcing, face challenges in accurately detecting and masking target objects like people due to imperfect detection accuracy and decreased efficiency in tagging processes, especially when dealing with small recognition targets.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates a vanishing point in successive images to determine a target location area, allowing for precise image processing by detecting feature points, associating them across images, and performing privacy protection techniques like blurring or mosaic processes only in specific areas where the target object is located.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image processing for protecting privacy is performed on all images in crowdsourcing, then privacy protection is improved, but detection accuracy of target objects decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different regions: the target object region receives privacy protection processing (blurring/masking) while the background region maintains original quality. This is achieved by calculating a target location area based on vanishing point detection and applying privacy processing only within this specific area, thus protecting privacy while preserving detection accuracy for non-target objects.
2Reliability
If image processing for protecting privacy is performed on all images, then privacy protection is improved, but efficiency of tagging process decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Privacy protection processing is applied only to the calculated target location area rather than the entire image. This localized approach reduces the computational burden and processing time while maintaining effective privacy protection, thereby improving the efficiency of the crowdsourcing tagging process.
3Measurement precision
If detection accuracy for small recognition targets is improved, then tagging accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary vanishing point detection and target location area calculation before the actual tagging process. By pre-calculating the regions of interest where target objects are likely to be located, the system can focus processing resources on these specific areas, improving detection accuracy for small targets while reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for processing an image includes calculating a vanishing point located at a same position in a plurality of images that are temporally successive, receiving specification of a target object whose privacy is to be protected in at least one of the plurality of images, calculating a target location area, which includes the vanishing point and in which the target object is located in each of the plurality of images, on the basis of the specification of the target object in the at least one of the plurality of images received in the receiving and the vanishing point calculated in the calculating the vanishing point, and performing image processing for protecting privacy in an area in each of the plurality of images located at a same position as the target location area calculated in the calculating the target location area.