Videoconference Image Capture Utility Privacy Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Videoconferencing raises enhanced privacy concerns due to participants' sensitivity about their image content, as existing technologies do not adequately address the ability to control or prevent image capture during virtual communication sessions.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that allows participants to initiate an image capture utility, notifying others of their intent, enabling them to hide their video stream and implement a delay period before image capture can occur, thereby addressing privacy concerns through notifications and control over image sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If videoconferencing is used to enhance communication, then communication effectiveness is improved, but privacy concerns and sensitivity around image content worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication effectivenessVSAvoidprivacy concerns

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by notifying participants before image capture occurs, allowing them to take protective measures in advance. The notification is sent to all participants before the actual image capture, giving them time to hide their video streams or adjust settings to prevent unwanted image capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by providing real-time notifications to participants when image capture is initiated. This feedback loop allows participants to respond immediately by hiding their video streams, creating a dynamic system that adapts to user privacy needs during the videoconference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If image capture utility is made available to all participants, then functionality and versatility are improved, but privacy control and image security worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture functionalityVSAvoidimage security

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by notifying participants before image capture occurs, allowing them to take protective measures in advance. The notification is sent to all participants before the actual image capture, giving them time to hide their video streams or adjust settings to prevent unwanted image capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts the harmful potential from the image capture functionality by separating the capture mechanism from the participants' video streams. Through notification and delay mechanisms, the system allows image capture to occur only under controlled conditions where participants have been alerted and can choose to protect their privacy by hiding their streams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If notification is sent to all participants before image capture, then privacy control is improved, but response time and operational speed worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy controlVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by notifying participants before image capture occurs, allowing them to take protective measures in advance. The notification is sent to all participants before the actual image capture, giving them time to hide their video streams or adjust settings to prevent unwanted image capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements dynamic response mechanisms where participants can immediately react to notifications by hiding their video streams. The delay period is configurable and can be adjusted based on the specific needs of the videoconference, allowing for flexible timing that balances privacy control with operational speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9344677B1Content sharing system and method

Publication Date: 2016.05.17 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

A method and computing system for defining a group of participants for a videoconference. A request is received from a first participant of the videoconference to initiate an image capture utility, wherein the first participant is included within the group of participants. At least a portion of the group of participants is notified of the intent of the first user to initiate the image capture utility.