# US 10,311,249 B2 · Selectively obscuring private information based on contextual information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,311,249 B2 - Document ID: US10311249B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/476,392 - Filed: 2017-03-31 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-31 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Matthew Sharifi; Jakob Nicolaus Foerster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311249B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes} - G06F 21/35: communicating wirelessly - G06F 21/50: Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems - G06F 21/6254: {by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification} - G06F 21/84: output devices, e.g. displays or monitors - G06F 2221/032: Protect output to user by software means - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method includes determining, based at least in part on a type of information to be displayed at a display device associated with a computing device, a privacy level for the information to be displayed; and determining whether the privacy level satisfies a threshold privacy level. The method also includes, responsive to determining that the privacy level satisfies the threshold privacy level, determining whether an individual not associated with a currently active user account of the computing device is proximate to the display device. The method also includes determining an estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account relative to the display device. The method further includes determining, whether the estimated speed satisfies a threshold speed, and responsive to determining that the estimated speed satisfies the threshold speed, outputting the information such that at least a first portion of the information is obscured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, based at least in part on a type of information to be displayed at a display device associated with a computing device, a privacy level for the information to be displayed; determining, by the one or more processors, that the privacy level satisfies a threshold privacy level; determining, by the one or more processors, based on sensor data generated by at least one sensor associated with the computing device, that an individual not associated with a currently active user account of the computing device is proximate to the display device; determining, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the sensor data, an estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account relative to the display device; determining, by the one or more processors, that the estimated speed satisfies a threshold speed; and outputting, by the one or more processors, for display at the display device, the information such that at least a first portion of the information is obscured. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, an estimated distance between the display device and the individual not associated with the currently active user account; and determining, by the one or more processors, based on the estimated distance, the threshold speed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold speed is inversely proportional to the estimated distance between the display device and the individual not associated with the currently active user account. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the determined privacy level, an obfuscation level for the first portion of the information, wherein outputting the first portion of the information comprises outputting, by the one or more processors, the first portion of the information based on the obfuscation level for the first portion of the information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the determined privacy level, an obfuscation level for at least a third portion of the information, wherein the obfuscation level for the first portion of the information is different than the obfuscation level for the third portion of the information; and outputting, by the one or more processors, for display at the display device, based on the obfuscation level for the third portion of the information, the third portion of the information such that the third portion of the information is obscured in a manner different compared to how the first portion of the information is obscured. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold privacy level is based on a location of the computing device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after outputting the first portion of the information, receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of a user input selecting the first portion of the information; determining, by the one or more processors, that the user input corresponds to a command to display the first portion of information without obscuring the first portion of information; and outputting, by the one or more processors, the first portion of the information such that the first portion of information is no longer obscured. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: outputting, by the one or more processors, the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is not obscured; and after outputting the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is not obscured, determining, by the one or more processors, an amount of elapsed time since outputting the first portion of the information, wherein outputting the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is obscured is responsive to determining the amount of elapsed time satisfies a threshold amount of time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account includes determining a first estimated speed of the individual at a first time, the method further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the sensor data, at a second time, a second estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account relative to the display device; determining, by the one or more processors, that the second estimated speed does not satisfy the threshold speed; and outputting, by the one or more processors, for display at the display device, at least a second portion of the information. ### Claim 10 A computing device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: determine, based at least in part on a type of information to be displayed at a display device associated with the computing device, a privacy level for the information to be displayed; determine whether the privacy level satisfies a threshold privacy level; and responsive to determining that the privacy level satisfies the threshold privacy level: determine, based on sensor data generated by at least one sensor associated with the computing device, whether an individual not associated with a currently active user account of the computing device is proximate to the display device; responsive to determining the individual not associated with the currently active user account is proximate to the display device: determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, an estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account relative to the display device; determine whether the estimated speed satisfies a threshold speed; responsive to determining that the estimated speed satisfies the threshold speed, output, for display at the display device, the information such that at least a first portion of the information is obscured; and responsive to determining that the estimated speed does not satisfy the threshold speed, output, for display at the display device, the information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: determine an estimated distance between the display device and the individual not associated with the currently active user account; and determine based on the estimated distance, the threshold speed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computing device of claim 11, wherein the threshold speed is inversely proportional to the estimated distance between the display device and the individual not associated with the currently active user account. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: responsive to determining that the privacy level does not satisfy the threshold privacy level, output, for display at the display device, the information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: determine, based at least in part on the determined privacy level, an obfuscation level for the first portion of the information, and output the first portion of the information based on the obfuscation level for the first portion of the information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computing device of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: determine, based at least in part on the determined privacy level, an obfuscation level for at least a third portion of the information, wherein the obfuscation level for the first portion of the information is different than the obfuscation level for the third portion of the information; and output, for display at the display device, based on the obfuscation level for the third portion of the information, the third portion of the information such that the third portion of the information is obscured in a manner different compared to how the first portion of the information is obscured. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the threshold privacy level is based on a location of the computing device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: after outputting the first portion of the information, receive an indication of a user input selecting the first portion of the information; determine that the user input corresponds to a command to display the first portion of information without obscuring the first portion of information; and output the first portion of the information such that the first portion of information is no longer obscured. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The computing device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: further responsive to determining that the estimated speed satisfies the threshold speed: output the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is not obscured; and after outputting the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is not obscured, determining an amount of elapsed time since outputting the first portion of the information, output the first portion of the information such that the first portion of the information is obscured in further response to determining the amount of elapsed time satisfies a threshold amount of time. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the at least one processor to: determine, based at least in part on a type of information to be displayed at a display device associated with the computing device, a privacy level for the information to be displayed; determine whether the privacy level satisfies a threshold privacy level; and responsive to determining that the privacy level satisfies the threshold privacy level: determine, based on sensor data generated by at least one sensor associated with the computing device, whether an individual not associated with a currently active user account of the computing device is proximate to the display device; responsive to determining the individual not associated with the currently active user account is proximate to the display device: determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, an estimated speed of the individual not associated with the currently active user account relative to the display device; determine whether the estimated speed satisfies a threshold speed; responsive to determining that the estimated speed satisfies the threshold speed, output, for display at the display device, the information such that at least a first portion of the information is obscured; and responsive to determining that the estimated speed does not satisfy the threshold speed, output, for display at the display device, the information.