Wearable Camera Privacy LED Overlap for Tamper Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable devices lack effective mechanisms to prevent surreptitious tampering of privacy indicators, such as LED alert lights, which hinders the widespread use of video and audio recording capabilities due to public concerns over privacy violations.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device system with a camera, a barrel, a cover glass, and a light pipe is designed to transmit a light signal through an overlap area on the cover glass, allowing detection of blockages in the camera's field of view and automatically stopping the recording process when tampering is identified.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a privacy indicator (LED) is provided to alert onlookers of recording, then privacy protection is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to surreptitious tampering
Solution Approach 1:
A camera is introduced as an intermediary monitoring device that observes the privacy indicator through the cover glass. The camera captures images of the indicator, and image processing circuitry analyzes these images to detect tampering. This intermediary system provides an additional layer of protection without directly modifying the privacy indicator itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the privacy indicator's state through the camera and image processing. When tampering is detected (such as blockage or removal of the indicator), the system provides feedback by generating alerts or notifications to inform users of the compromised state, enabling corrective action.
2Measurement precision
If the camera field of view includes the overlap area for tamper detection, then tamper detection capability is improved, but the camera may capture unwanted visual information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing the camera to focus specifically on the overlap area where the privacy indicator is located. The image processing circuitry is configured to analyze only this specific region for tamper detection, rather than processing the entire camera field of view. This localized approach improves detection accuracy while minimizing unwanted visual information processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents unauthorized tampering by ensuring privacy indicators remain functional, thereby enhancing user privacy and enabling reliable video recording in immersive reality applications.
Implementation Method 1
a light pipe inside the barrel and configured to receive a light from the first light emitting device and to transmit the light through an overlap area on the cover glass and outside of the wearable device, to the onlooker
Implementation Method 2
a processor configured to identify a blockage of the camera field of view within the portion of the overlap area
Data Source
AI summary
A system for recording video in a wearable device is provided. The system includes: a barrel to provide mechanical support for one or more components in the system, a camera, disposed inside the barrel, wherein the camera includes a front lens with a field of view pointed to an onlooker outside of the wearable device, a cover glass mounted on the barrel, the cover glass configured to protect the front lens and one or more components in the system, a light emitting device, disposed inside the barrel, and a light pipe configured to receive a light from the light emitting device and to transmit the light through an overlap area on the cover glass and to the onlooker, when the camera is recording a scene outside of the wearable device, within the field of view, wherein the camera field of view comprises at least a portion of the overlap area.