Virtual Photo Library Filtering for App-Specific Asset Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing privacy control systems on electronic devices grant unrestricted access to privacy-sensitive data sources like photo libraries when permission is given, allowing applications to access all assets within, rather than enabling limited access for specific purposes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtual photos library that is application-specific, allowing users to select and configure a subset of assets within the system photos library for an application, with the system managing access through a filter to limit access to only the selected assets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If access permission is granted to an application for the photos library, then the application can access the photos library, but the application can access all assets within the photos library without limitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the photos library into multiple virtual libraries, each accessible to specific applications with limited permissions. Instead of granting access to the entire library, the system creates separate virtual instances (e.g., Virtual Library 105a, 105b) that contain only the assets an application is permitted to access, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of access and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating system acts as an intermediary between applications and the photos library. It manages virtual libraries and filters asset access, mediating between the application's request for access and the user's privacy preferences. This intermediary layer enables controlled access without requiring the application to directly access the full library.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system provides a virtual photos library with filtered access, then access is limited to specific assets, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of the photos library structure without duplicating the actual asset data. Each virtual library is a filtered view that references the same underlying photo database but applies different access controls and asset selections. This copying approach enables multiple applications to have customized access views while avoiding the complexity of maintaining separate physical copies of the library.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the application receives a filtered view of the photos library, then only selected assets are accessible, but the application cannot access the complete photo database
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual libraries are dynamically configured based on user preferences and application requirements. The system can adjust which assets are included in each virtual library without affecting the underlying photo database. This dynamic configuration allows the same physical library to present different access capabilities to different applications while maintaining complete data integrity and privacy control.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described herein are techniques to enable limited access to a photos library by enabling application specific virtual photo libraries. When an application requests access to the photos library, the user can select an option to enable or configure a virtual photos library, and then select specific assets (e.g., photos, videos) within the photos library to be selected for inclusion into an application specific virtual photos library.